Company owner Ray Ross said the growth of digital printing meant traditional glue processes using EVA adhesive to finish print products were failing to deliver for customers. He believes his new Duplo’s KB-4000 PUR binder could boost turnover by 10%.
Ross, who launched the company more than 40 years ago, said: “We thought we would offer PUR perfect binding to the trade as well as other customers. We are not targeting the high end of the market in terms of quantity; we are targeting book runs of up to about 1,500.”
He paid £20,000 for the Duplo which will operate alongside Xerox and Konica Minolta machines run by his 10-staff company.
Rayross Print Factory uses digital and litho print for products ranging from business cards, letterheads, leaflets, and magazines to posters and banners. It supplies to clients including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, charities and universities.
As well as commercial printers, he is looking for new business with design agencies, PR companies and authors with presentation booklets, albums, manuals, brochures and showcards.
“I want to show that PUR has many uses,” said Ross. “It’s the future for so many applications in our printing industry. I want to offer this binding at the same price as the hot-glue binding.”
He added: “The printing trade has been slow in moving to PUR for two main reasons: the expenses of converting existing hot-glue machines and the cost of the new technology.
“They make do with hot-glue and are limiting their customers to what is available. Hot-glue will stick the book together but not for long and certainly not if the book is heavily used or requires to be opened flat.”
Rayross Print Factory has a Duplo KB-4000 PUR binder and a Duplo DC-445 creasing machine. The DC-445 enables the company to crease covers for attaching to the books for ease of opening.
“Traditionally all perfect binding is done with an EVA adhesive,” said Ross. “However with the introduction of digital printing, toner-based inks have become popular.
“The toners are not reacting well to the EVA hot-glue and therefore are limiting its use. PUR will adhere to any style of paper and to most materials.
“It is more robust, requires a thinner layer, lets pages lay flat, does not crack, and is not affected by extreme temperature.
“It is also stronger, can cope with any paper grain direction and is good for digital printing and full colour spread.”
