The company bought an additional perfect binding line, its first Kolbus, bringing its total to three automated binding lines.

The latest line, which was installed 10 days ago, consists of a KM600 perfect binder, ZU 822 gatherer and HD153 trimmer with linking conveyor system.

The line runs at 8,000cph to best utilise the output speed of the gatherer and trimmer.

“With an increase in demand for perfect-bound products, the time was right to invest for growth,” said managing director Kirk Galloway.

“We estimate the Kolbus installation will increase our perfect binding and PUR capacity by 60%,” he said. “We have had an upsurge in the demand for perfect binding over stitching.

“Sheetfed magazine printing is highly competitive and it is imperative we have the right kit to help us meet the needs of our publishing clients.

“It is also imperative we run to maximum efficiencies at all times and we concluded the Kolbus ticked all the boxes, delivering a cost-effective solution for our workflow requirements.”

Buxton Press had two Wohlenberg lines and the Kolbus KM600 “seemed to offer the best solution for our current requirements”, he said.

His 200-staff company has a turnover of £20m and runs four Heidelberg XL106 long-perfectors with CutStar, in eight- and 10-colour formats, three stitching lines and 10 B1 folders as well as the binding lines.

The £20m investment programme included the four long-perfectors, installed in under three years, a Muller stitching line, the new Kolbus and various building works to accommodate the new kit.

“The significant ongoing capital investment programme is intended to ensure we keep pace with the ever-increasing demand,” said Galloway.

Kolbus UK managing director Robert Flather said: “Buxton Press now has the extra capacity needed to cope with the volume of high-quality work they are producing.”

Buxton Press also recently switched to Druckfarben for ink and pressroom consumables after problems with picking and piling on certain papers.

Eco Universa Intense inks offered good ink transfer, high intensity and gave enhanced gloss levels and cleaner images from the fleet of long-perfector presses.

There was also a 10% reduction in damping levels and a measurable improvement in colour density across all colours with a particularly dramatic increase in the black.