The 5,200 books/hour CAB binding line competes with mid-range machines such as Muller Martinis Trendbinder but has the added advantage of fully-automated set-up, reducing the time taken for a full format-change makeready to around 10 minutes for the entire line.
Shown in prototype form at Ipex two years ago, the 15-clamp CAB line has since been fine-tuned, and its constituent units notably the HT-100 three-knife trimmer have been improved over the prototype units. Individual book thickness can be up to 60mm, and the maximum finished size of the book is up to 250x330mm. The HT-100 can now handle a trimming thickness of up to 100mm thickness, which can comprise multiple books which means that although the trimmer has a rated mechanical speed of just 2,000 cycles/hour, its productivity rate can be as much as 40,000 books/hour for, say, 5mm thick books.
The CAB binding line is expected to cost between 400,000 and 500,000, making it the most expensive piece of finishing equipment manufactured by Horizon, and is expected to start shipping by the end of 2000. Enquiries taken for the line at Drupa include one of the UKs top trade finishers: The CAB makes a perfect binding line for the trade environment, perhaps as a back-up machine for a high-end machine: its fast, it has a heavy-duty construction that will stand up to the working conditions, and above all, its very quick to makeready, said Vic Fletcher, marketing manager at UK agent Graphic Arts Equipment.
Story by Karen Charlesworth
