The clear message from the third Ipex of the new millennium is that next generation post-press has emerged as a key element in the business model of every successful 21st century print operation. Nowhere was that more evident than on the Horizon stand – at more than 1,200m2 one of the largest at the show – where automated solutions for folding, binding and stitching were on live demonstration.

“Finishing is no longer seen as a necessary evil, a headache, a chore – it is now an area that can actually win work for the presses by raising quality, reducing costs and turning jobs round faster,” explains Bryan Godwyn, Joint MD for UK & Ireland Horizon distributor Intelligent Finishing Systems Limited. “And in a climate where smart marketing is coming to the fore, these new Horizons can deliver bespoke customized products as easily and reliably as the longer runs… the systems are being developed with the future very much in mind.”

Tony Hards, joint IFS MD was very pleased with the number of on-stand deals and strong leads generated by the show particularly for the Ipex-launched CABS 6000 book production line and new Horizon Roll-to-Finishing solutions. The StitchLiner 6000 Digital was showing in full production mode on-line to Hunkeler unwinding and sheeting systems: the line featured Horizon’s new AS-30S Advanced Sequencing Accumulator, a four-stage buffering section which synchronizes the speed of the roll cutter and the saddlestitching unit to give the fastest roll-to-booklet system on the market. Tony Hards continues: “These systems created genuine interest among blue-chip players in the quick-response book publishing and CRM and DM sectors; as a result we are in serious ongoing conversations that we fully expect to lead to game-changing installations over the coming months.”

The award-winning Horizon StitchLiner was demostrated in three configurations – the only automated flat-sheet saddlestitching lines showing in live production conditions at Ipex 2010: “Customers were very keen to learn more about the performance capabilities of the systems that can deliver CD booklets or landscape A5 at up to 12,000 books/hour, and have a raft of features and options for bespoke runs-of-one with integrity checking, six page covers, sheet insertion and so on," says Mr Hards. "And because they are based on tried and tested Horizon technology, with more than 150 happy users in the UK, printers know they can rely on them to perform to their expectations – whether it is for digital or litho printed work."

Throughout the show IFS worked with print partners Komori, Ryobi, Dainippon Screen (TruePress JET520) and Océ (JetStream 1000), Xerox, Konica Minolta and HP as well as Hunkeler and Pitney Bowes. Bryan Godwyn adds: “These partnerships have been created to bring best-of-breed solutions to the market regardless of local agency interests. Quite simply, it’s all about developing the configurations that deliver what the customer wants in the most efficient way and, at the moment, Horizon is the post-press partner of choice for the leading print engine manufacturers and system specifiers."