The device, which was bought from Inkland, Morgana’s dealer for the North East, was installed at the Teesside-based firm’s premises in the run-up to Christmas.
Billingham Press managing director Ian Dodds said: “We have been enjoying an increasing demand for our digitally printed work, and whilst we have a fully operational bindery for our litho printing, digital really demands equipment that is specific to short-run production.
“We began working with Morgana equipment some 18 months ago with the purchase of a DocuMaster bookletmaking machine. The square-back capability of the system makes it ideal for a wide range of design agency booklet work that we produce; typically A4 or A5 in size, with runs in the region of 200 to 400 copies.”
The DigiBook 200, which was launched at Ipex last year, handles spine lengths from 110-320mm and the maximum thickness is 50mm.
It features more automation than the entry-level DigiBook 150 and can bind up to 200 books per hour. Retractable spine milling means that the machine can easily switch between soft- and hard-cover binding.
Billingham Press had previously been outsourcing perfect binding work but decided to look into bringing the service in-house to cut the cost, lead times and number of overs that resulted from using trade suppliers.
The firm looked at alternatives from a range of suppliers including Duplo and other options from Morgana but decided that the DigiBook 200 best suited its requirements.
“We are not producing huge volumes of work on the machine as yet. But the work that we have produced, typically short-run booklet work, shows a tremendous quality of bind. The machine offers great flexibility and our staff tell me that it is a very user-friendly machine that is easy to learn and simple to operate,” said Dodds.
The business also operates a Roland R504 LV and a Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52-5 on the litho side as well as a Ricoh C901 digital press. Its bindery also includes two Polar guillotines, a Stahl folder, a Heidelberg Stitchmaster and a Heidelberg Letterpress Cylinder.
Billingham Press, which has 29 staff, produces a wide range of print including leaflets, newsletters, stationery, annual reports, brochures, folders and posters for customers including design agencies, print buyers, local authorities and private businesses.
