Supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) and installed last week, the machine – which has pricing starting from £130,000 dependent on options selected – replaced a Horizon BQ-470 at the Ilford-based print finisher.
Managing director Lee Harvey said one of the reasons the new machine was selected was its ability to work with a Horizon HT-300 iCE Trimmer.
“It was a no brainer. We don’t have room for the trimmer at the moment, but it was important for us to have that in the planning,” he said.
“We also chose it to manage our workload more efficiently. With the PUR binder we had to wait to batch all the jobs together but with the Horizon BQ-500 iCE Binder, we can turn it off after a job and then come back to it later on.
“The biggest thing for us is time savings. Previously if we wanted to complete a job by 9am we would have had to come in at 4am to turn on the old binder and clean up the PUR glue before we could run the job. Now we have a timer on the BQ-500 iCE Binder so it can warm up before we get in and be ready to go. It is a game changer.”
He added: “It has gone beyond our expectations. We can start the glue where we want to as we have more control over the sheet. This reduces glue wastage and saves money.
“We also don’t need to do a wash up which saves time. For some jobs we are saving as much as a day on production. For example, we have a 15,000-run job that we complete in batches of 5,000. We can set up the binder much faster and save time on the cutting, collating and binding.”
Harvey said that when researching the market, he found there was no other system that fit the company’s requirements better than the Horizon.
“We were mainly interested in small run litho, and we wanted to stay in that market. The Horizon BQ-470 was unmatched at the time and we know the Horizon BQ-500 iCE Binder is too.
“We also know and trust Horizon systems and IFS. They have never let us down and we have always been very well looked after.”
The four-clamp BQ-500 iCE Binder features cloud-based iCE LiNK workflow that provides access to an intuitive easy to use dashboard. It reports real time production analysis for improved efficiency and profitability, remote update capabilities, and scheduled maintenance, resulting in less downtime.
The information is accessible via smartphone, tablet, or desktop PC and the software is designed for simple integration with MIS systems using open APIs. It enables up to the minute reportability and fully automated workflow using JDF/JMF data.
“We are always rammed with work, but the BQ-500 iCE Binder has given us more control. There is more flow. Our production is more streamlined and running a lot smoother,” Harvey added.
Established in 1998, eight-staff Bluestar Print Finishers turns over £400,000 and works mainly with operations in the London, Essex, and Bedfordshire areas.
