Brougham Press has invested in a Horizon MiniCABS Binding System, supplied by Currie Group, to enhance its finishing capabilities.
The new system has expanded Brougham’s in-house offering across both offset and digital workflows, enabling the business to deliver faster turnaround times and a fully integrated print-bind-mail service.
“We needed something that could handle a sufficient volume to justify the purchase,” says Michael Murphy, managing director at Brougham Press. “The economics stacked up. It was favourably priced, and it’s incredibly flexible in the work it can do.”
The Horizon MiniCABS, based on the BQ-500 iCE binder, combines a gatherer, inline perfect binder, and three-knife trimmer. This configuration allows Brougham to handle both folded offset signatures and flat-sheet digital jobs with equal ease.
The system has also helped Brougham Press expand its publishing and commercial printing output, particularly in short-run books and magazines.
Murphy highlights the ability to efficiently manage a mix of short-run digital and long-run offset work as a key benefit: “Apart from binding magazines, we’re doing digitally printed books in runs under 500, and also longer-run books with folded signatures. The quality is faultless, whichever way we run it.”
While the system is not yet running at full capacity, Murphy says its high productivity means the business is already ahead: “It’s so productive that the real challenge is finding more work. We’re seeing interest from other printers who are looking for alternatives to trade binders.”
Labour-saving design
One of the biggest drawcards for Murphy was the level of automation. “You can have one person running the machine, and he’s not sweating,” he says. “It’s beautifully engineered and produces good quality work with minimal labour input.”
The system’s design supports fast changeovers and easy operation, allowing Brougham to deliver tight turnaround times without a steep learning curve for operators.
Seamless service
Murphy is equally pleased with the service provided by Currie Group, both during installation and after the machine was up and running.
“The installation was seamless. The engineers did a great job and it was up and running very quickly,” he says. “The backup and follow-up service has been terrific. It’s not as though they’ve just dropped it and run – they helped train our staff, and any queries go straight back to Japan. The support has been really good.”
The decision to go with the Horizon MiniCABS came after reviewing a number of options, including second-hand machines. In the end, the combination of modern technology, labour efficiency, and solid engineering made Horizon the clear choice.
“It’s the latest model and the technology is excellent. Vince from Currie Group kept us informed of new developments and followed things through right to the finish.”
“The Horizon MiniCABS is a great example of how automation is evolving in print finishing, shifting from standalone machines to fully integrated systems. It builds on the proven foundation of the Horizon BQ-500 series perfect binders, helping commercial printers boost efficiency and deliver greater value to their customers,” says Alan Tam, Currie Group’s category manager – Commercial Finishing Equipment.
With the new system in place, Brougham Press is now positioned as a full-service provider.
“We can print, bind, and mail – it’s all in-house,” says Murphy. “That’s a strong value-add for our customers. Delivery times are a lot shorter, and we’ve got complete control over quality and scheduling.”