Tag Archives: Horizon

Creasing & folding in one pass

Avoid cracking of digitally-printed stocks with the Horizon CRF-362

The Horizon CRF-362 Creaser / Folder has been designed to handle the unique requirements of creasing and folding digital color across a wide range of light and heavy-weight stocks, coated or uncoated.

Capable of up to 10-crease lines on a sheet, the CRF-362 uses an impact scoring technology that eliminates or minimizes cracking of the stock on printed image.

Learn more >>>

Quality Creasing

Suitable for creasing covers, restaurant menus, shop cards, invitation cards and laminated sheets. The impact creaser avoids cracking on digitally-printed applications.

High quality creasing helps to prepare high quality perfect bound book covers. Spine, hinge and flap creases can be properly produced by selecting up or down creasing.

Up to 10 creasing lines can be performed in one pass. Creasing depth can be adjusted. Up and down creasing are performed in one pass. Creasing positions can be adjusted in increments of 0.1 mm / 0.004 inch.

High Quality Folding

Two fold knives are equipped for high quality folding, even on heavy stocks. Six different folding patterns can be set up simply by using the icon based touch screen.

Set-up and changeovers, including fold pattern, creasing number, and up/down crease selection, can be easily achieved through the high resolution color touch screen designed for simple and intuitive operation.

Touch Screen Panel

Up to 200 jobs can be stored in memory for easy recall. The system can handle paper weights up to 400 gsm for creasing without folding (350 gsm with folding) and sheet sizes up to 14.33″ x 34″. Enjoy speeds up to 5000 sheets per hour with one crease and one fold.

Horizon CRF-362 Creaser / Folder – Creasing & Folding In One Pass

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
www.midstatelitho.net

Are you a good equipment shopper?

Left to Right (Circa 2009):
Yasuo Taketsugu (Horizon), Doug Barrett (MSL), & Eijiro Hori (Horizon)
Left to Right ( November 2019): Steven Barrett (MSL), Doug Barrett (MSL), Eijiro Hori (Horizon), & Mark Culley (MSL)

What is your normal approach when you are considering new equipment? Do you spend a couple weeks on the web researching the machine you are interested in? Or do you know what you want when you see it? You may contact your local sales rep and start asking the questions that matter the most to you and maybe you might set up a demonstration. Some might order it sight-unseen. I think most of our customers rely strongly on their dealers to help guide them in the R&D phase and we take that seriously. When you place your trust in us we want to make sure we do everything we can to help you make the most informed decisions you can.

I was compelled to write this because I, along with Mark Culley, and my son Steven Barrett, have all just returned from Kyoto, Japan where the first ever Think Smart Factory Show was held. Not only did we attend the show but we also toured the Horizon Factory, the Fujifilm Ink Jet Assembly Plant, and also the Konica Minolta Research and Development Campus, where we had an in depth demo of the KM-1.

MSL Smart Factory 2019
Doug & Mark
Jack, Doug, Kihm, & Steve
Konica Minolta KM-1

Why would we bare the expense and time to attend something like this? There is only one reason and that reason is knowledge. Knowledge makes us better sales reps and adds to our pulse on the industry that we bring to you as your local equipment distributor. MSL has always spent a great deal of time and money to keep our technicians and all of our sales representatives trained and up to speed with what our industry is doing.

We spend as much money on training our sales people as we do our service techs. We attend every trade show in the US from start to finish. We attend Drupa in Dusseldorf, Germany every 4 years, DScoop, and any other events that we feel will add to our understanding of this industry. We also belong to 3 different peer groups that are also important sources of information – The American Dealer Group, BindRite Dealers Association, and Detroit Printing House Craftsmen.

The American Dealer Group is where we get to rub elbows with about 25 other dealers from all over North America. These are all dealers very similar to our organization. We meet twice a year and discuss everything from service and sales compensation to what products work and which ones don’t. This is a great resource because we review real feedback from actual in-the-field experiences through multiple dealers.

I am trying to drive home the fact that we are always shopping our product line. We not only make sure that the products work by getting feedback from other dealers, we are also attending shows worldwide to make sure what we are selling is also relevant to the industry and our customers. We have walked away from products that weren’t to our performance or quality standards or if there are issues with the vendor or support. Not having the proper product and support from any given vendor is a recipe for disaster. We have had complicated installations but we learn from them and we work tirelessly to eliminate the potential future problems. As a result, we strive to ensure that every installation is smooth and productive for the customer, in the least amount of time.

It is our responsibility to make sure products we represent work as the manufacturer intended. We spend a great deal of time and money making sure we understand our industry and where it is headed. Take comfort when working with us on equipment that we really do have your best interest at heart and in mind. We have hand-picked the equipment we sell, we know what works, and we only place it where it will make you, our customers, profitable.

Doug Barrett
MSL Account Executive

Next Stop…Dusseldorf 2020

See you in Dusseldorf in the spring of next year. Visit Drupa with us, it is the most important Graphics show in the world. This is where you see the future of our industry, and I have to admit the food and beer are also worth the trip!

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
Ph: 810.238.7370
www.midstatelitho.net

Let’s Talk Finishing at PRINT 19 In Chicago!

Let’s talk finishing at PRINT 19!

MSL will be in Standard Horizon’s Booth #810 to demonstrate the largest display of finishing on the show floor.

Standard Horizon’s comprehensive lineup will include perfect binding and trimming, saddlestitching, folding, slitting/creasing, die cutting, and bookletmaking.

Let’s talk about your current workflow. Let’s talk about evaluating new equipment for your business. Let’s talk about automation in your finishing process.

Meet us in Chicago and let’s talk finishing! Schedule your VIP Demo below!

VIP Demo Registration

Free PRINT 19 Attendee Badge

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
PH: 810.238.7370
www.midstatelitho.net

Printmates makes digital advances with Horizon folder

The Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder gives Printmates an advantage on short-run digital work. Click here to read the full article or watch a product video below!

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
PH: 810.238.7370

PUR…What is it and why should I care?

PUR…What Is It and Why Should I Care?

Superior binding strength and lay-flat documents

Polyurethane Reactive, commonly referred to as PUR, is a polyurethane-based adhesive that is attracting popular attention due to superior binding strength, flexibility and eco-friendly nature.

Growing Demand

There is a growing demand for digital color book binding, with much of the imaging being done on high gloss paper stock. Conventional EVA hot-melt glue has difficulty creating a strong bind on coated stocks and generaly has poor lay-flat qualities. However, PUR hot-melt glue can provide superior bind strength and lay-flat of offset and digitally-imaged sheets printed on a wide range of coated stocks.

PUR bound books also outperform their EVA counterparts in their ability to maintain integrity of the bind under extreme temperatures, from – 4° to 248° F for PUR versus 32° to 140° F for EVA. What does all this mean? For example, an EVA-bound snowmobile user manual might become brittle in winter, while pages might fall out of a car manual that’s been baking in a glovebox during the heat of summer.

Superior Binding Strength

PUR also provides superior binding strength versus EVA adhesives, and has page-pull and page flex ratings that can be 40 to 60% higher. Uncured PUR is thermoplastic in nature; it reacts with the moisture in the air and within the paper stock to create a strong cross-linking bind that is resistive to re-melting. PUR is applied in a much thinner layer, so usage per book is less than EVA. The thin application and flexible nature of cured PUR enables books to open more easily to the gutter and lay flatter, preventing the book or pages from turning or closing prematurely. PUR is less affected by the wide variety of inks, varnishes, oils and solvents that can migrate into the glue line and cause EVA adhesives to fail. Additionally, PUR will create a superior bind on certain substrates such as coated stocks, photographic papers, recycled stocks, crossgrained stocks, acetates, and digitally imaged stocks. Although most PUR adhesives are very versatile, it is always best to discuss your applications and binding system with your adhesive supplier to insure that you are using the right adhesive for the best results.

Environmentally Friendly

PUR scores points in terms of environmental friendliness too. PUR-bound books are fully recyclable, whereas EVA glue must be separated from the paper. Energy conservation is another plus, since PUR is applied at 248° F whereas many EVA hot-melts are applied at higher temperatures. If there is a drawback to PUR versus EVA, it is that the books generally require a longer cure time prior to three-knife trimming or\handling of the books for operations such as casing-in and packaging. EVA sets-up very quickly, so books can be trimmed and shipped almost immediately after binding. Many of today’s PUR products will set sufficiently for trimming in a matter of minutes, but full cure time will vary widely depending upon a number of factors such as: binding substrates, book thickness, available moisture in the air and paper stock, as well as the specific adhesive being used. However if you are looking for a stronger, more flexible bind on a wide range of substrates, PUR just might be the answer.

Article provided by Standard Horizon. Click here to download original article.

MSL
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
1.800.343.4231
midstatelitho.net

Specialty Folding

Specialty Folding + Set Up In As Little As 14 Seconds

Specialty Folding Designed for commercial printers, in-plant printers, and binderies, the Standard Horizon AFC Series Floor Model Folders include advanced set-up automation, including gap settings, through a user-friendly color touch-screen control panel. Up to one hundred different jobs can be stored in memory with set-ups accomplished in as little as fourteen seconds. Precise stepper motors drive end stops and fold plates to the exact location for the sheet size and fold style selected.

Consistent fold quality – AFC Folders ensure consistent fold quality with steel and soft-formed polyurethane combination rollers
Reliable and high speed – An advanced rotary suction-feed system guarantees fast, smooth feeding of a very wide range of stocks.

Here are a few of Standard Horizon’s AF Series Folders:

AF-406F + Right Angle – Fully automated 6-buckle folder with pile feed and suction head, and an optional 6-buckle second unit added with a right angle conveyor for pharmaceutical, small format, and direct mail applications for sheets folded down to .79″ x .79″.
AFC-564A – The AFC-564-A computer-controlled folder combines superior feeding and registration with touch-screen control. Select from 14 pre-set folds or set up 200 custom folds.
AFC-566FG – Floor model vacuum-feed folder features fully automated set-up, including gap settings, and 6 fold plates for a wide variety of folding applications. Stores up to 200 different jobs in memory with automated make-ready in 14 seconds.
AFC-746F – Large-format folder with advanced set-up automation through a user-friendly color touchscreen control panel. Features quick changeover and fully automated setup with up to 47 automated adjustments.

Each Standard Horizon AF Series folder is designed for quick, easy set-ups, precise folding, and operator convenience. Click here to learn more about Standards Horizon’s AF Series Folders>>>

Mid-State Litho (MSL)
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
PH: 810-238-7370
www.midstatelitho.net

Standard Horizon’s New Multi-Function Systems Make Any Finishing Job Possible!

Make any finishing job possible

Say “YES” to virtually any job with a new line-up of Standard Horizon solutions from Mid-State Litho! Now you can perform multiple functions in a single pass for a vast and varied range of output possibilities. Each system can process a variety of finished product independently with efficiency and ease, or combine system capabilities to handle even more applications. Crease, Fold, Cut, Die-Cut, Perforate, and more to achieve ultimate production flexibility. The Sky’s the Limit!

MSL can help you automate your bindery for efficiency and profit.

STANDARD HORIZON CRF-362 CREASER/FOLDER

CREASING AND FOLDING FOR DIGITAL PRINT
Eliminates cracking on digital color output and accepts a wide range of coated, uncoated or laminated stocks from 24 lb. bond to 18 pt. on sheets up to 14.33″ x 34″. Features 7 selectable fold patterns and 6 selectable cover creasing patterns for perfect binding. Stores up to 200 jobs in memory.

Crease and fold up to 5,000 sheets/hour. Optional perforating available. Ideal for restaurant menus, greeting cards, book covers, and marketing collateral. Learn more here >>>
STANDARD HORIZON RD-4055 DIE CUTTER

ROTARY DIE CUTTING IN A COMPACT DESIGN
Die-cut, kiss-cut, crease, perforate, slit, hole punch, and round corner on a wide range of substrates in one process for digital and offset prints. Up to 6,000 cycles/hour on sheet sizes up to 15.74″ x 21.65″. Repeat register function allows multiple-up applications from a single die pattern to minimize costs! Creasing also available for applications that require additional folding after die-cutting, such as boxes, pocket folders, and greeting cards. Learn more here >>>

STANDARD HORIZON SMSL-100 SMARTSLITTER

CREASE, PERFORATE, AND CUT IN ONE PASS
Introducing an all-in-one smart sheet processing system that can slit, gutter cut, edge trim,cross-cut, perforate, and crease all in one pass. Print mark registration adjusts for digital print image shift from sheet-to-sheet. Simple operation and easy job set-up via barcode. Ideal for greeting cards, table tents, invitations, and business cards. Skip perf feature can produce T- and L-perfs for tickets, coupons, and reply cards. Learn more here >>>

Mid-State Litho, Inc. (MSL)
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
www.midstatelitho.net

Gatherall Bindery Invests in Game Changers

Investments in Standard Horizon technologies open new markets and opportunities

Gatherall Bindery Invests In Game Changers Since 1968, Gatherall Bindery of Wixom, Michigan has been serving southeast Michigan’s small and mid-sized businesses with quality binding of print from more than 200 regional, small and commercial printing plants. Much of that work today is digital in nature, with short print runs and fast turnaround expectations.

Mark Culley and Brian Johnson lead the business, and noted that some of the greatest challenges a bindery faces today are keeping pace with the fast-turn workflow and managing the array of paper and substrates that come through the door. That’s why the decisions they make regarding binding and finishing equipment are so critical. “As far as bindery goes, the equipment is our business,” Culley said.

Working with local dealer Mid-State Litho of Flint, Michigan, the company has built an impressive, coordinated workflow based predominantly on equipment supplied by Standard Finishing Systems. In fact, the company has a more than 20-year relationship with Standard Horizon technologies.

“Back in the mid-‘90s, we were in the market for a binder, and we looked at a Standard Horizon system and also at the competitor, which was slightly cheaper. Back then, we were still green and thought that every single penny we spent up front was the most important thing,” Culley recalled. “And then we discovered that the Standard Horizon solution was a much better product.”

Today, Culley and Johnson field questions from colleagues all the time about equipment dilemmas, and inevitably they’ll suggest, “Just buy the Standard Horizon. You’re not getting a tinker toy. You’re getting a machine that’s going to last,” Culley said.

Among the Standard Horizon investments Gatherall has made are: a BQ-270 Perfect Binder; an SPF-200L Bookletmakerwith VAC collating towers; a StitchLiner 5500 Saddlestitcher with four VAC collating towers installed in 2006; and the newest installation, a BQ-470 Perfect Binder with PUR adhesive.

The StitchLiner 5500 has been a workhorse. “It’s used 10 hours a day, five days a week, and it has allowed us to create thicker books that we weren’t able to do before,” Johnson said.

“For example, I was just able to quote a 120-page self-cover saddlestitched book, and in the past, because of the page count, that may have been sent out to another bindery. Now, we can do that with confidence and quickly,” Culley explained.

The most significant “game changer” investment came in the form of the Standard Horizon BQ-470, according to Johnson and Culley. “It has opened up a whole new market,” Culley said. The same could be said for the SPF-200L Bookletmaker, which enabled the bindery to produce landscape-oriented publications. But it’s the BQ-470 with the PUR adhesive that was truly transformative.

“Because we receive jobs from so many printers, and are asked to perfect bind books with all different weights and grades of paper, we were finding that EVA glue wasn’t always the best option,” Culley recalled.

“We didn’t want to turn jobs away, and there was a period when we lacked confidence that the binding would hold up over time. The BQ-470 with PUR glue gave us that confidence, as well as the quality, speed, and consistency we needed. It was a game changer and problem solver,” he added.

The team at Gatherall Bindery applauds their representatives at Mid-State Litho and at Standard Finishing Systems, who they noted are unwaveringly knowledgeable, responsive, and trustworthy.

“To have a team of resources like that is huge,” Johnson said. “Installations have all gone smoothly, and any time we’ve had a question or needed a part, they have been incredible. They bend over backwards for their customers.”

Visit Gatherall Bindery online at www.gatherall.net

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
www.midstatelitho.net

Standard before Graph Expo

Standard is in the final stages of preparation for a successful Graph Expo in Orlando. With 4,000 square feet of exhibit space, Standard will have an equipment-packed booth and plenty of Standard experts on hand to welcome everyone during the show.

Standard will be showing a complete line-up of slitting/creasing, die-cutting, perfect binding, trimming, folding, saddlestitching, inspection systems, and continuous-feed print solutions – all processing a variety of new unique applications. Check out Standard’s equipment showcase below.

Equipment in the Standard Booth:

SmartSlitter
RD‐4055 Rotary Die Cutter with Dual Magnetic Cylinder NEW (See below for more information)
RD‐3346 Rotary Die Cutter
CRF‐362 Creaser/Folder
BQ‐270V Single‐clamp Perfect Binder
BQ‐470 Four‐clamp EVA Perfect Binder
HT‐30C Three‐side Trimmer
HT‐1000V Three‐knife Trimmer
StitchLiner 5500 Saddlestitcher with two VAC‐1000 Towers
StitchLiner 6000 Digital Saddlestitcher (as part of continuous‐feed Roll‐to‐Booklet solution)
SPF‐200L Landscape Bookletmaker + TBC‐200L Top & Bottom Cutter + HOF‐400 High Speed Sheet Feeder
AFC‐566FG Folder
AF‐406F Small Format Folder
APC‐610 Cutter
VIVA Inspection Systems throughout the booth
pXnet Bindery Management System

Improve your die cutting process with easy change over, simple operation and flexibility across a wide range of products with the NEW RD-4055. The NEW RD-4055 Die Cutter now features a dual magnetic cylinder for more complex creasing patterns and provides a higher quality score. Also handles a wide variety of packaging applications!

Save money with the uniquely designed servo motor controlled “Repeat Register” features that allows multiple-up applications from single-up die to minimize die cost. Die-cutting and kiss-cutting can be performed at the same time by using a die which has two different blade heights making the RD-4055 ideal for making stickers and labels.

Creasing can be achieved to avoid image cracking. Suitable for boxes, pocket folders and greeting cards which require an additional folding process after die cutting.

Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to see Standard’s equipment up close. Interested in Standard’s VIP Demonstration Program at Graph Expo? Click here to register>>>

Mid-State Litho, Inc.
5459 Fenton Rd.
Flint, MI 48507
www.midstatelitho.net

MSL Blog

Equipment and Support for the Graphic Arts Industry

Tag Archives: Horizon

Creasing & folding in one pass

Avoid cracking of digitally-printed stocks with the Horizon CRF-362

Quality Creasing

High Quality Folding

Touch Screen Panel

Are you a good equipment shopper?

Next Stop…Dusseldorf 2020

Let’s Talk Finishing at PRINT 19 In Chicago!

Let’s talk finishing at PRINT 19!

Printmates makes digital advances with Horizon folder

Printmates makes digital advances with Horizon folder

PUR…What is it and why should I care?

PUR…What Is It and Why Should I Care?

Growing Demand

Superior Binding Strength

Environmentally Friendly

Specialty Folding

Specialty Folding + Set Up In As Little As 14 Seconds

Standard Horizon’s New Multi-Function Systems Make Any Finishing Job Possible!

Standard Horizon’s New Multi-Function Systems Make Any Finishing Job Possible!

Make any finishing job possible

STANDARD HORIZON CRF-362 CREASER/FOLDER

STANDARD HORIZON RD-4055 DIE CUTTER

STANDARD HORIZON SMSL-100 SMARTSLITTER

Gatherall Bindery Invests in Game Changers

Gatherall Bindery Invests in Game Changers

Investments in Standard Horizon technologies open new markets and opportunities

Standard before Graph Expo

Standard before Graph Expo