The four-clamp system, which was supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), was installed in the summer. It joins a Komori LS29 four-colour plus coater litho press and Xerox digital kit at the company’s Swindon premises.

The company chose the model following a cost evaluation exercise and the expansion of its sales team at the start of the year.

RHL Print co-owner Wayne Rumbold said: “To send jobs to our nearest PUR perfect binding supplier involved a 100-mile round trip. With runs getting smaller and smaller, very often getting jobs finished was costing more than the print job in the first place. So, over the past two years, we looked at how cost-effective it would be to invest in a perfect binder.

“We have a lot of experience with Horizon solutions. We like how they operate. They are reliable. We also like IFS and know we can trust them. All this made choosing the Horizon BQ-470 easy.”

The Horizon BQ-470 is ideally suited to mid-range soft-back book production. It boasts higher production speeds, instant makereadies for runs-of-one, and an LCD touchscreen, and can bind up to 65mm thickness.

So far, the binder’s purchase has had a “knock-on effect throughout the business”, added RHL Print co-owner Tony Holland.

“The press is busier so we are making more plates and handling more folding.

“We are also winning more work as we can now deliver a wider range of jobs, more cost-effectively, to our existing customers. Our production is more joined up, fast, and cost-effective as well. We are more competitive.”

16 staff work at RHL, which turns over £1.5m.