BINDERY matters

Stitcher Installation a First in the States

HARTFORD, WI—This month, Quad/Graphics will become the first printer in the United States to install a high-performance Muller Martini Supra saddlestitching system. The Supra will be located at the Quad/Graphics printing center located here.

Featuring a newly developed and highly advanced pocket wheel feeder, the new Supra stitcher, shown to the public for the first time at Drupa 2004, offers production speeds of up to 30,000 cycles per hour. Quad's Supra is rated at 25,000 cycles with the new 416 feeder.

"Our finishing operations are characterized not just by speed, but by flexibility and efficiency," explains Thomas Quadracci, Quad/Graphics president and CEO. "This new equipment keeps Quad/Graphics at the forefront of the industry with the capabilities most desired by our customers."

Bobst Group Hopes to Touch Customers

ROSELAND, NJ—Bobst Group USA has launched a new online direct customer connection that allows its customers 24 hour a day, seven days a week access to the company for checking availability, receiving instant price quotes, ordering parts and tracking parts orders. Bobst's Internet-based customer connection is called InTouch.

"We are continually looking for ways to help customers optimize their efficiency," says Alex Gigon, director of customer service and support operations. "Efficiency and convenience for our customers has driven the development of the InTouch system."

To gain access to this secure Website, customers must first establish an InTouch account and acquire a password to the system. Once established, clients may access the account anytime and from anywhere. The design allows Bobst customers to quickly navigate the site, access their accounts, view histories and purchase the parts they need.

Quebecor Makes Large Bindery Buy

HANOVER PARK, IL—Gämmerler reports the sale of 16 KL 6000 compensating stackers, 14 SV 500 vertical log stackers, eight PR 500 robotic palletizers, seven PL 500 robotic log palletizers and 29 lines of overhead conveying to Quebecor World.

The postpress equipment was purchased as part of Quebecor World's Offset Retooling Project, a strategic program designed to upgrade the company's offset print production platform.

"Given the scope of the project we wanted to make sure our chosen partners would provide the equipment, technology and service required to assure the smoothest possible startup of the new presses," notes Ros Dennison, vice president, global gravure technology, for Quebecor World.

Phase one of the Offset Retooling Project calls for 11 systems with installations at 10 different sites. Gämmerler will provide nine of the 11 systems.

Big Bucks Spent on Finishing Upgrades

ST. LOUIS—Von Hoffmann Corp., a subsidiary of Visant Corp., announced a $5 million investment in bindery equipment for its Jefferson City, MO, facility.

This capital project includes the addition of a high-speed Muller Martini Corona soft-cover perfect binding line; integration of Smyth sewing into a bindery line that will now be capable of providing both Smyth sewn and notch VonBind binding options for both case-bound or soft-cover formats; deployment of a Kugler-Womako spiral binder for textbook teacher's editions in both wire and plastic formats; and the expansion to 60 pockets on an existing bindery line.

The Jefferson City manufacturing facility is currently one of the largest book printing facilities in the United States, with what is said to be the largest installation of closed-loop color control systems. The new bindery assets are scheduled to be operational by the beginning of the third quarter of this year.

"The addition of this equipment is strategically important in that it increases both capacity and efficiencies across all binding styles within the Jefferson City facility," comments John DePaul, executive vice president of Von Hoffmann.

According to Mark Swisher, senior vice president of manufacturing, the investments will "provide significant binding capacity for case-bound textbooks, soft-cover product, teacher's editions and high-page-count products that typically require costly multiple passes on other printers' bindery lines."

Quick Cuts

Franklin/Trade Graphics, a 125-employee sheetfed and non-heatset web printer in Miami, has installed a new Muller Martini BravoPlus saddlestitcher with full AMRYS (automatic makeready system) and compensating stacker.

K & M Printing, located in Schaumburg, IL, recently added two Polar 115X cutters to its bindery. The family owned shop, which has been in business for more than 30 years, houses 70 employees.

Nationwide Laminating of Lorton, VA, is now a distributor of plastic coil for bookbinding solutions in the metro Washington area. It stocks coil in standard colors and a wide range of common sizes.

In Lincoln, NE, Pease Bindery has expanded its manufacturing facility by 10,000 square feet. It intends to use the new space for expanded book manufacturing, inventory and associated binding products and processes, reports Steve Bock, president.

Brandtjen & Kluge announced a partnership with computer integration company Cimex Corp. It will allow Kluge to package Cimex CimPACK Lite and Diemaker software modules with the Kawahara automatic blank separator.