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It’s fair to say that the stitchers and sewing machine market has seen little true innovation in recent years. Yes, machines and processes are constantly being fine- tuned, but this is very much a mature sector that does what it says on the tin.

However, that’s not to say that it’s a neglected sector. With run lengths decreasing, the ability to offer value-added
features such as inline inserting and inline card are becoming increasingly appealing to printers, who are looking to bring more and more processes in-house.

But this is a big step and there are a number of things that printers need to weigh up if they’re considering going down this route. Quality control remains the main focus of attention in the bindery and manufacturers have introduced increased levels of automation into machines to address
this issue.

Automation advantages
Top-of-the-range saddlestitchers can automatically eject mis-feeds or incorrect copies without halting production. Features such as image recognition are also growing in popularity. This is an optional control that allows you to set the machine to recognize the image on the page, so if there’s an incorrect copy in the feeder, it will be detected and automatically rejected.

The device can even be set to measure colour and reject any signatures that don’t match a certain density of target area.
It’s also worth remembering that no amount of controlling devices can compensate for the trained eye of an operator, so good operator knowledge and training is still required in the bindery. Completed jobs should always be checked so that all sections are complete and are square to the spine.

While it might be safer and easier to stick with the same supplier, it’s always worth shopping around to make sure you are getting the best deal. In terms of features and capabilities, most manufacturers offer more or less the same features, so the final decision will inevitably be based on reliability, productivity and obviously price.

WHAT'S NEW...

• Walsall-based M&H Print Finishers bought the UK's first Alpha saddle (pictured above) from Duplo at Ipex. The £270,000 stitcher will be the first Duplo machine to be installed at the 18-year old company.
• Plymouth-based PDS Print bought Muller Martini's new saddlestitcher, the Presto E90 at Ipex. The 9,000cph machine is one of the new generation of saddlestitchers from Muller Martini and was launched last November
• In January, gravure printer Prinovis installed a saddlestitching line from WRH Marketing to help meet increased demand. The seven-figure investment included a Ferag six-section Unidrum rotary gatherer/stitcher
• Print People Group (PPG) invested £800,000 in a Kolbus Ratiobinder in April, to handle an increasing amount of square back jobs. The machine has been installed at subsidiary C&R Printing Services in Enderby, Leicester and was bought alongside a thread sewing machine

If you are a manufacturer or distributor of products eligible for our future Buyers’ Guides and would like to update your details please contact us at printweek.buyersguide@haymarket.com. All entries must be returned three weeks prior to publication.