Cliftons Completes £800,000 spend With Horizon Buy
Cliftons Completes £800,000 spend With Horizon Buy
Fully-automated B2 AFC566F speeds helps target double digit year-on-year growth.
London trade print finisher and book binder Cliftons has completed an £800,000 investment programme supporting its expansion into layflat and PUR binding with a B2 Horizon AFC-566FG from Intelligent Finishing Systems.
The fully-automatic folder was chosen to complete work for layflat and PUR books. Explains Tim Clifton managing director of the operation that specialises in short to medium run PUR, Casebound and Layflat books: “We looked at Layflat binding, that show great panoramic views about five or six years ago but at the time the market wasn’t ready.”
He continues: “In the last 18 months we have been pushing the Layflat product quite hard and now it has really taken off. Layflat has added about £350,000 to our turnover last year and we expect that growth continue by 10% to 12% year-on-year.”
He continues: “Our existing Horizon folder was 13 years old and we were very happy with it but it was time to swap it out. The new one has helped us to further streamline throughput and increased production 20% to 25% due to make ready and consistent running speeds.”
The Horizon AFC-564 offers 17 fold patterns which are set up via an icon-based touchscreen. All roller gap settings are then performed automatically by inserting a single sheet at the calliper.
Cliftons have also invested in a Perfecta 115 guillotine which replaces an old Polar 137. Comments Mr Clifton: “We had a demo on the Perfecta and its functionality backguage and knife speed along with knife change option were better and faster.”
The user-friendly Perfecta is suitable for sheets such as paper, board or even films and foils, rubber, leather, sandpaper and many other materials. Features include closed rear table trough top mounted backgauge guidance.
BACKGROUND
Clifton
The £1.5m turnover London trade print finisher and book binder Clifton has 18 employees. It specialises in short to medium run PUR bound and casebound books.
Intelligent Finishing Systems
Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) is the exclusive distributor of Horizon on-demand finishing solutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland
IFS joint managing directors Tony Hards and Bryan Godwyn have held the UK Horizon agency since the early 1980s.
Horizon Corporation began life in Kyoto, Japan, more than 60 years ago as a specialist scientific equipment manufacturer and developed through technology transfer into manufacturing automated and computer controlled quality assured print finishing systems for the graphic arts industry. Today the specialist in on-demand finishing solutions it is the leading manufacturer worldwide in the supply of JDF-ready automated finishing systems.
Following the outstanding success of Horizon’s fully-owned subsidiary, Horizon GmbH (turnover tripled within its first five years), a purpose-built facility has been completed at Quickborn, near Hamburg, to house the German operation and a spare parts distribution hub for the European region. The 3,000 m2 premises, which represents a €5 million investment also offers extensive demonstration and training facilities.
