Standard Feeding and Finishing Propels Partnerships

ANDOVER, MA—09/04/2009—Standard Finishing Systems is partnering at PRINT 09 with a broad range of best-in-class suppliers across the industry to demonstrate the power of intelligent post-press automation. Standard will premier new post-press solutions for the graphic arts market, and a portfolio of new, highly-integrated feeding and finishing solutions for the continuous-feed digital print market at booth 2637.

Standard Continuous-feed Saddlestitching Solution
The new Standard Horizon StitchLiner 6000 Digital high-speed saddlestitcher will be integrated with Hunkeler’s UW6 unwinder and CS6 rotary cutter for production of up to 6,000 high-quality booklets per hour, in-line with continuous feed printers. Based on the well-established StitchLiner technology platform, the solution offers in-line cover feeding and non-stop booklet production on a very wide range of paper stocks at up to 590 feet per minute, on pace with the speed of industry-leading continuous-feed printers. Variable sheet-count booklets can be produced using barcode scanning or mark reading.

The system features icon-based color touchscreen control and fully automated set-up. The ease-of-use of the system allows the same operators who are running the printer to easily manage post-press functions. In-line continuous-feed saddlestitching is considered an important growth area, with applications in the financial print, insurance, healthcare, and commercial print segments. The system will be shown with an educational courseware booklet that was pre-printed on the Screen Truepress Jet520 inkjet press and an Astronomy booklet pre-printed on the HP W7200 digital color press.

Standard Continuous-feed Folding Solution
The new Standard Horizon AF-566F Digital in-line signature folder—featuring six parallel and four optional cross plates—will also be shown in-line with the Hunkeler UW6 unwinder, FM6 folder/merger and CS6-II rotary double-cutter, for operation at speeds up to 590 feet per minute. The advanced folder automation and touchscreen control brings ultra-quick set-ups to high-speed continuous-feed print platforms, allowing complex, variable-data direct mail pieces to be produced in one pass.

The folder and cutter have been tightly integrated with precise speed matching. The advanced automation on both units supports ultra-quick changeovers and the ability to memorize recurring jobs for instant recall and set-up. The system also includes an innovative slide-away register table for added flexibility, so the folder can be operated off-line when the print engine is idle or delivering stacked output to the high capacity stacker.

The new Standard Hunkeler FM6 Plow Fold / Web Merge Module will also premier at PRINT 09, combining plow-folding and slit-merging in one compact module, with integrated perforating wheels. The web is folded or merged and then cut into sheets by the CS6-II, featuring double-cut—or chip-out—for full-bleed documents. The FM6, in-line with the new Standard Horizon AF-566F Digital signature folder, allows for a virtually endless combination of folds for direct mail or other applications in one pass. The system is being shown with financial applications that have been pre-printed on the InfoPrint Solutions’ InfoPrint 5000 piezo-electric inkjet color printer, and the Océ JetStream high-speed full-color inkjet system.

A Bounty of Partnerships
Standard Hunkeler “huncolor ready” feeding and finishing solutions will also be shown with five industry-leading printer vendors throughout the halls at PRINT 09. Standard will demonstrate its Roll-to-Stack solution at Hewlett Packard (booth 1229), InfoPrint Solutions Company (booth 2082), Océ (booth 1863) and Xerox (booth 1100). Featuring the Standard Hunkeler CS6-I Rotary Cutter and LS6 Non-Stop Stacker, Standard’s Roll-to-Stack solution delivers up to 1,650 straight and fully-separated book blocks per hour, for easy transfer to near-line finishing. Standard will also be running roll-to-roll configurations with Hewlett Packard and Screen (booth 6100). The Standard Hunkeler Gen6 UW6 Unwinder and RW6 Rewinder deliver constant web tension for uniformly tight, straight rolls and feature in-the-field speed upgrades to 720 fpm.

Hewlett Packard (booth 1229) will also show the Standard Horizon APC-45 electric paper cutter on their stand. Lake Image Systems (booth 8336) will demonstrate integrity checking with the Standard Horizon HOF-20 high-speed sheet feeder with integrated cover-feeder and the SPF/FC-20 bookletmaking system. Océ (booth 1863) will produce books on their stand using the Standard Horizon BQ-270C automated perfect binder and HT-30 three-side trimmer. Xerox (booth 1100) and FujiFilm (booth 6919) will demonstrate scored and full-bleed trimmed booklet production using the Standard Horizon ColorWorks PRO finisher in-line with the new Xerox DocuColor™ 8002 digital color press.

“V” for Variable Books-on-Demand
Standard will also show a significant enhancement to the Horizon BQ-470 perfect binder, already established as the leader in four-clamp POD book production based on its automation, reliability, book quality, and flexibility to switch between EVA and PUR adhesives. The new Standard Horizon BQ-470V—for variable—is designed to fit true book-of-one production environments while still offering the highest productivity for longer runs. Each book block is measured for thickness using the BQ-470 digital caliper, and the data is transferred to the binder automatically. Set-up for the next available clamp begins almost immediately, while the prior book is in production, causing minimal idle time between variable books and a dramatic increase in production rates. This capability will be field retrofittable, so existing BQ-470 customers can also add this functionality.

Standard Horizon pXnet Puts the JDF Spark into Post-Press
The new Standard Horizon pXnet Bindery Control System will also premier at PRINT 09. Based on the established i2i software platform, pXnet sports a host of new features, including user-friendly drag-and-drop functionality, real-time reporting of work-in-process, job scheduling, and full JDF operability. The system will be shown in a workflow demonstration together with Standard Horizon partners Hiflex, Kodak, Komori, Screen, and Ultimate Technographics. Standard Horizon and Ultimate will also demonstrate the Digital i2i JDF-driven workflow for Xerox Corporation’s DocuColor™ Digital Presses and the Standard Horizon ColorWorks PRO finisher, providing fully-automated finishing set-ups and enhanced job submission for streamlined operation.

Standard Horizon Short-run Case Binding
Standard will premier the Standard Horizon HCB-2 Case Binder, bringing ultra-short-run hardcover book production to print-on-demand environments. The system allows hardcover books to be produced with more automation and less operator skill than ever before, with a professional quality that is equivalent to the look-and-feel of a commercially case-bound book. Applications for the HCB-2 include the on-demand color photo and memory book markets. The HCB-2 is ergonomically designed, simple to operate, has an optional bar code verification system to ensure the correct matching of cover and book block, and can produce up to 400 books per hour.

Standard Horizon Folders at the Forefront
Standard Horizon folders are highly regarded world-wide for reliability, fold quality and performance. The line continues to grow, with important new folders and accessories set to premier at PRINT 09:

The Standard Horizon AF-566T4F is a fully automated six + four-buckle folder that accepts sheets up to 21.9” x 34”. The AF-566T4F has the “intelligent automation” that is built into all Horizon post-press products, best illustrated by the intuitive, icon-based, 10.4” color touchscreen that displays all common fold formats and sheet sizes for easy selection. Precise stepper motors drive end stops and fold plates to the exact location for the sheet size and fold style selected. Up to 200 custom jobs can be stored in memory for easy recall, with automated make-ready in as little as 14 seconds. The AF-566T4F is equipped with 6 buckles on the first station and 4 on the second station–which can be added straight or at a right angle–for maximum application flexibility.

The Standard Horizon PSX-56 Stacker for in-line operation with Standard Horizon AF Series Folders, provides high-speed, non-stop production for 1, 2, and 3-up stacked output. Two large-diameter, high-pressure pressing rollers provide 1.2 tons of pressure on the PSX-56 for tight, crisp folds. The PSX-56 also features an intuitive, icon-based color touchscreen, for simple set-ups. The PSX-56 offers superior stack quality, auto reject for misaligned folds which eliminates jams in the stacker, and test feed mode for setup.

A daily series of live presentations on Graphic Arts and Print On Demand finishing will round-out Standard’s PRINT 09 program. Scheduled hourly, these presentations will feature new labor-saving and profit-building post-press technologies.

Standard will showcase a diverse range of in-line and off-line feeding and finishing solutions under the theme “Think Intelligent Automation” in booth 2637 at PRINT 09. Over fifty live graphic arts and print-on-demand applications will be running to demonstrate the power of post-press automation. For a preview virtual tour of the Standard Finishing Systems booth, visit: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid33571453001?bctid=33668103001

Standard Finishing Systems is based in Andover, Massachusetts and will celebrate “100 Years of Finishing Strong” in 2010. A leading supplier of print finishing systems, paper handling equipment and reprographic products, Standard utilizes a network of independent dealers and a direct sales force in the United States and Canada. For more information, call 877-404-4460. Or, visit the Standard website at www.standardfinishing.com.