The new 300cph trimmer, fitted to a Horizon BQ-500 perfect binder, has allowed Flexpress to assign staff work more evenly, with employees no longer having to juggle jobs while trimming.

The device was supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems.

Managing director Steve Wenlock said: “With skilled staff in ever-shorter supply and margins constantly squeezed, we do everything we can at Flexpress to produce work quickly, accurately and cost effectively by investing whatever and whenever we can into becoming more efficient.

“The HT-300 is a perfect example as it enables us to turn what otherwise would have been two individual jobs into one streamlined process whilst gaining productivity as opposed to losing it.”

He added: “Initially we considered having the trimmer nearline rather than fully connected, but within a few examples of seeing books come off the end of the perfect binding line fully finished with no intervention, we knew we’d made the right choice. 

“We’ve seen immediate improvements in productivity made possible by utilising staff elsewhere in the business and it’s stopped us having to juggle staff, or jobs around to trim books.”

Flexpress has been a consistent early adopter of Horizon technology, buying four Horizon machines in 2019 alone and one of the UK’s first Horizon BQ-500 four-clamp perfect binders in early 2021.

The new HT-300 is able to connect with its Horizon siblings through the manufacturer’s iCE Link automation software, and Flexpress is in the process of rebuilding its internal software to maximise the flow of information between its machines.

Wenlock added: “In this age, good information drives good decisions, so connected systems give you the power to analyse data more thoroughly and alert you to ways of making improvements.”

Flexpress prints LED-UV litho up to SRA1 on its RMGT (Ryobi) presses, and runs digital work up to B2 through its HP Indigo engines.