Trade printer Birtwells has invested in a Horizon BQ-300 iCE Binder from Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) as part of plans to improve productivity and expand its in-house finishing capabilities.

Based in Accrington, Birtwells specialises in NCR books and pads and also produces a range of business print using both lithographic and digital print technologies. The company selected the Horizon system to replace an existing perfect binding solution.

Sue Preugschat, company secretary at Birtwells, said: “We wanted to replace our existing perfect binding system to improve productivity. We have worked with IFS before so know and trust the Horizon solutions so much so we didn’t look at any alternatives.”

Following a demonstration of the BQ-300 iCE Binder, the company decided to proceed with the investment. Ms Preugschat said: “We had a demonstration of the Horizon BQ-300 iCE Binder and were impressed. We particularly liked the quality of the finished product. We were also interested in the new and exciting iCE system that will enable us to track productivity.”

The Horizon BQ-300 iCE Binder can produce up to 500 cycles per hour and offers reduced job changeover times compared with previous models. Features include variable thickness automation, a 15-inch control panel and increased mechanical automation designed to streamline setup and reduce manual intervention.

Birtwells’ installation also includes Horizon’s iCE LiNK cloud-based post-press management platform. The system enables users to monitor machine status and production performance in real time, while also supporting workflow integration between finishing equipment, management information systems and prepress operations.

According to Birtwells, the investment will increase production flexibility and allow the company to complete a greater number of jobs in-house.

Ms Preugschat said: “The new addition will help us increase the number of orders finished in house. We can also be more flexible with the jobs we say yes to as we can now deal with larger quantities than we were able to complete before. It will save us time, too, and be more cost efficient. We expect it will deliver a return on investment of 10% of our overall profit.”

She added: “We deal with IFS in relation to many other systems we use inhouse and they are as always extremely helpful and proactive should an issue arise.”