The table-top PUR and hotmelt EVA binder replaces a Fastbind Elite XT binder that has been at the site for around nine years and builds on its predecessor’s EVA capabilities by also being able to carry out PUR binding applications. Taken on at the end of July, it represents a circa-£10,000 investment for the Oxfordshire operation.
Abingdon will pioneer the new Pureva ahead of any potential investments by other Hobs Repro branches, as every base in the London-headquartered group currently runs an Elite.
“When it came to replacing the Elite, we were always going to go with Fastbind as our team is used to the machinery,” said Abingdon business manager Simon Davie. “I am of the opinion that if it isn’t broken, you should not fix it and we have always gone to Ashgate.
“A lot of big publishers get their work done with us as they are based in the vicinity, and we have also now been able to take on a lot of short run work such as for a local author who wanted to sell his book in shops in the area.
“One key application for the PUR binding is students’ dissertations, where three years’ work needs to be bound to the best standard possible. You are talking 200 pages on heavy stock, so it needs a tougher bind than EVA and the clients will pay the extra cost for quality.”
Built on the same chassis as the Elite, the Pureva can take binding jobs up to A3 format and up to 50mm thick. It runs a system for roughing the papers, can self-adjust for book thickness from 1-1,000 pages and has a rail mechanism for glue application. It uses interchangeable cartridges to switch between PUR and EVA glue.
With its similarities to its predecessor, Davie said his team will not struggle to master the new machine. The Elite will remain onsite as a backup.
Hobs Repro Abingdon employs 10 members of staff and runs two digital Xerox machines – a 7700 and a Versant 80 – alongside a Roland LEJ 640 solvent machine for direct-to-media, five large-format HP DesignJet Z6600s and a raft of finishing kit including laminators.
In the coming year, the branch will look to add two new members to its team of production staff and reinforce its tech portfolio.
Parent company Hobs recently bought the trade and assets of Callprint as it went into administration and has begun the process of rolling it into the Hobs Repro brand.
