The £18,000 Fastbind package, installed by Ashgate Automation, comprises an H46 Pro large-format Casemaker, an FL-32H case flattener, an F46e lay-flat photobook maker, an Elite XT perfect binding machine, an M650 laminator, a Rolapress sheet flattener, a Rollo creaser and a Presso thermal groove press.
The Ipswich-based commercial printer invested £200,000 in a four-colour B3 Kodak NexPress S2500 with special effect finishes in November, and managing director Philip Dodd said the company wanted to use the opportunity to differentiate itself.
“We don’t want to follow others by investing in technology that will produce ever cheaper but less profitable print. We want to focus on a niche, added-value market, primarily for digital print and personalisation with bespoke products, but also for our litho customers,” he explained.
Dodd said the latest investment would allow the business to provide existing customers and agencies with a comprehensive range of case-bound books, slip cases, presentation boxes, CD boxes, ring binders and reference manuals .
“There are so many applications,” he said. “We will print and personalise the contents on the NexPress and utilise the specialist in-line finishing effects, like matt and gloss, dimensional print, gold, fluorescent and neon for the covers. We also propose to offer a range of other premium cover bindings.”
The £3m-turnover company previously outsourced all binding work and while it will now offer short-run work it will continue to outsource longer-run jobs.
“If a customer wants 500 or 1,000 binders, then we will continue to outsource them to our craft binders,” said Dodd. “However, if we are asked to produce a run of catalogues with soft covers, we have the facility to use the Fastbind casemaker to make twenty case-bound catalogues for their top customers."
Healeys is in training on the new equipment this week after which it will start to produce promotional items such as personalised fabric case-bound books in presentation boxes to market the new service to its customers.
"We don't expect this to be a colossal money-maker, but it will be a real differentiator," said Dodd.
