IFS put the spotlight on responsive book production technologies at its recent two-day finish+bind360 event.

UK book sales increased 7% in 2021 and this trend is expected to grow as interest and demand for books continues. To enable print service providers to respond flexibly to this opportunity the well-attended finish+bind360 event highlighted fresh technologies and software designed to support new production capabilities and elevate current operations.

finish+bind360 focused on a smart and efficient workflow for short-run soft cover book production starting with Horizon iCE LiNK, the folding of A4 and A5 signatures on the iCE FOLDER AFV-566FKT, and the lamination of book covers on the Foliant Taurus 530 NG B2 Laminator with jogger.

The folded signatures were fed as book blocks into the Horizon iCE BINDER BQ-500 with the laminated covers automatically fed, slit, and creased with cover and book block barcode matching for 100% integrity.

Bound books were then stacked in the Horizon SS-800 stack stream unit and conveyed in-line, with indexing, and via the Horizon EL-300 elevator lift unit to the Horizon ICE TRIMMER HT-300 with BF-P300 Pusher Feeder with barcode reader.  Single books and stacks of books were trimmed at production speeds up to 1,500 books/hr (5 book stacks).

Also demonstrated live was the trimming of books with flaps and corner trimming for books. Trimmed books exited the iCE TRIMMER onto a delivery conveyor in small stacks for easy handling.

IFS Sales Director, Jason Seaber, comments: “It has been more than two years since we last had an event at IFS in Hemel Hempstead. It was great to see and speak with real people, face to face, and in front of such amazing technologies that will help them navigate their way through challenging trading conditions.”

He continues: “During COVID-19, book sales increased and were a life saver to many book producers. They are expected to continue to grow for the foreseeable future and these new finishing and binding technologies (hardware and software) have been very well received. Several orders have already been placed.”

If you missed finish+bind360 but would like to learn more, IFS will be following up the event with in depth customer demonstrations, application tests and samples.

The next finish+bind360 event in 2023 will showcase different finishing and binding solutions focused on keeping customers’ competitive and profitable.