Cardiff Bay litho commercial printer Spectrum Printing has enjoyed a 100% increase in folding capacity following the installation of a B2 Horizon AFC-566FG folder from Intelligent Finishing Systems.

The fully-automatic folder replaces a Stahl system that was more than a decade old and the difference to the operation’s throughput was noted immediately. “It has doubled our output,” comments Lawrence Corria owner of Spectrum Printing that produces a wide range of commercial collateral for organisations including local Councils and the Welsh Government. It also offers a trade service. “Our existing folder was over 10 years old also we needed a system that could provide a more flexible production. We can now do 100% more per shift.”

Before making the buying decision Mr Corria researched the market: “We wanted a wider choice of folds which could be set up very quickly as opposed to the long make ready times we were experiencing on our other folder. Some folds would take as long as one hour before we reached production. Now, it’s just a simple press of a button”.

The Horizon AFC-566FG 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.

Adds Mr Corria: “The new folder is so easy to use that we don’t require staff to have such a high skill set and they can more readily move from one bindery solution to another. As a result we can be much more responsive to the work we have.”

Ease of use was also important: “We wanted a folder that was capable of easy operation with simple programmability. The new folder gives us the confidence to pitch for more complex work. Previously there were jobs we would have avoided because of the small run length or the time taken to set up the job. That is not the case now. We are much more flexible so we are encouraging more work through the door, including trade folding.”

He continues: “Folding was a bottleneck for our production however we can now easily interrupt long runs to fit in other rush jobs if needed as there is such a quick set up to go back into the previous job. We can switch from a complex map fold to a simple four page leaflet in seconds.”