Breaking the Bottleneck

Often viewed as a logjam in graphic arts production, the postpress arena has had much light cast upon it of late as new technologies have been developed to better integrate bindery processes into the entire print production process.

Ever eager to meet the demands of their clientele, printers and trade binderies are seeing that shorter runs, personalization, digital printing, and the unique applications of their customers require a more efficient means of production.

"The saddle stitcher market, both in the U.S. and around the world, is driven by price and productivity," says Joseph M. Vijuk, president of Vijuk Equipment. "Everybody looks at a stitcher's makeready time, and how quickly the machine produces books. The bottom line is what counts."

Perhaps there is no greater evidence that postpress has come of age than its ongoing integration into a computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) workflow.

"In today's market, automation is something that is being focused on more than it has in the past," says Steven Calov, stitching and perfect binding equipment product manager for Heidelberg USA. "However, even if printers don't need a high level of automation, they may still need to increase their output cycle or production speed. It's important that they look at the efficiency of their equipment."

Binderies and printers alike demand automation that works to reduce makeready and change-over time, says Bob Morton, president of Best Graphics, the U.S. distributor for Best-Osako saddle stitchers.

"The Best-Osako 368 Series of saddle stitchers feature AutoSet advanced automation, which repositions stitch heads, clinchers, and chain timing in 15 seconds. On the 368AS, adjustments can be fine-tuned by the operator while the machine is running. Both features have received overwhelming acceptance."

According to Jack Cummings, president and owner of Lew A. Cummings Co., Inc., a short-run publication printer located in Hooksett, N.H., the Best-Osako 368AF has enabled his firm to save 50% in makeready time while achieving a 50% increase in cycle time when compared to its former, older Harris machine.

"The key concept of the 368AF is the use of flying stitch heads," Cummings states. "This gives us less downtime, more productivity, and greater accuracy."

Cummings also appreciates the 368AF's ease of operation. "Settings controls are in front of the machine," he relates, "so it is very easy to make adjustments. A book doesn't leave the chain while it is being stitched, and you don't need a shuttle bar to move the book. The machine stitches on-the-fly versus having to stop the book and then put on the stitch."

Introduced at Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2002, the Heidelberg Stitchmaster ST 400 saddle stitcher recently was bestowed a 2003 InterTech Technology Award from the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF). At this year's Graph Expo event, Heidelberg will demonstrate the ST 400 as the final link in the company's CIM environment.

To date, roughly 100 ST 400 machines have been installed worldwide, 12 of which are in the United States. Late last year, Heidelberg completed the installation of an ST 400 saddle stitcher at Nashville-based Vaughn Printing. Since then, the short-run book manufacturer has increased its productivity by 50% while cutting its costs in half.

"We went from an average production rate of 4,000 cycles per hour [cph] to 10,000 to 14,000 cph," says Vaughn Printing sales manager Ryan McMurtry. "We tripled our production time, and cut our makeready in half to under 30 minutes. Previously, makeready would take anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes."

Vaughn's ST 400 is a six-pocket, fully automatic machine with mobile cover feeder and attached stacker and bundler. Says McMurtry, the unit's job memory capability is one of the biggest benefits of owning the ST 400. "The parameters are all saved from previous jobs," says McMurty.

"The modular versatility of the ST 400 lets users utilize their capital dollars more efficiently," states Heidelberg's Calov. "They can buy the basic configuration and add pockets later on, or just move pockets around on an as-needed basis. Instead of buying two 10-pocket machines, they could buy one ST 400 with six pockets and one with eight. If they need to run 10 pockets, they can move two off the six and put them on the eight."

The ST 400 offers an advanced touch-screen control system, along with drum and cover feeder to incorporate the latest in format presetting for book spine assembly, synchronization, and safety. To improve performance, Heidelberg has incorporated into the machine a new vertical transfer station with automatic adjustment to provide trimmer infeed and perfect spine-down alignment.

McCain Bindery Systems manufactures the S2000 mid-range saddle stitcher, which has been designed to withstand the rigors of a multiple-shift environment. Rated at up to 13,000 cph, the machine can accommodate added-value marketing mechanisms such as blow-in cards and inside/outside ink-jet personalization.

The unit incorporates McCain's new CB-1 in-line cover folder feeder, resulting in reduced makeready and the ability to handle lighter paper stocks.

Model S2000 features include a centrally located control system, which provides production information, fault detection, downstream shut-off, and sequential start-up notification. Options include card folder feeders, center knife trimmers, calendar punches, and counter/stackers.

At Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2003, Muller Martini will demonstrate how ScenicSoft's UpFront software extends its own Amrys (automatic makeready system) automation offering through a digital CIP3 link that can accept and interpret PPF (Print Production Format) files.

UpFront 1.6 can export CIP3 saddle stitching data files to machines equipped with Muller Martini's Amrys, currently available on the 16,000-cph Optima, 14,000-cph PrimaPlus SB, and now 13,000-cph BravoPlus saddle stitchers. (ScenicSoft UpFront 1.6 also works with the Heidelberg PresetLink system, currently available on the latter's ST 400 saddle stitchers.)

The introduction of CIP3 integration cuts makeready and changeover times for motorized stitching lines that are equipped with CIP3-compatible interfaces.

Amrys, which won an InterTech Technology Award from GATF in 2002, automates the set-up of saddle stitching systems in between jobs. Job parameters can be entered by the operator or captured directly from a company's MIS system. The saddle stitcher does the rest, utilizing a network of servo motors to adjust itself. Says Muller Martini, Amrys enables adjustments to be made on-the-fly, saving additional time and further reducing waste.

Action Printing, a Gannett-owned facility based in Fond du Lac, Wis., has been running a Prima Amrys system since 2001.

"It took our operators 85 minutes to makeready a traditional saddle stitcher," says Peter Doyle, operations manager for Action Printing. "The use of Amrys cut that time almost in half to 45 minutes per makeready." Since implementing a CIP3 workflow earlier this year, however, Action Printing has slashed another 10 minutes from its average set-up time.

"With the CIP3 integrated workflow, using PPF, we are down to 35 minutes per makeready," Doyle states, explaining that most of those 35 minutes are spent on job staging items, since it takes Amrys just three minutes to carry out all of the necessary changeover adjustments on Prima once makeready has been initiated.

Rated at 10,000 cph, the Vijuk 321-T saddle stitcher is touted for its simplicity and ease of set-up, timely release of signatures, flying stitching system with Hohner heads, single-assembly knife change, and heavy-duty construction. Quality-control features that come standard with the machine include double- and missing-signature detectors on every pocket, and an oblique book monitoring system.

The 321-T has six independently driven horizontal feeders (with an option for up to 10 additional feeders), each with a light tower for operating status, start and stop control, and a signature rack to indicate the proper signature to load. Each also has an adjustable gripper and vacuum pickups for high- or low-folio or no-lap signatures.

Two years ago, Fairfield, N.J.-based Cooper Printing purchased a Vijuk 321-T saddle stitcher with six pockets and a cover feeder.

"We wanted something that could keep up with our presses, as well as be able to quickly achieve makeready," says Thomas Cooper, president of the 30-employee commercial and trade printer. "The 321-T was a good piece of the solution to get jobs done and out the door quickly."

Vijuk will show the 321-T running two-up CD books at Graph Expo 2003. "At Drupa 2004, our factory, Purlux/Wingfield, will introduce a new stitcher in the estimated output range of 12,000 to 15,000 books per hour," says Joseph Vijuk.