Standard Partners with Ultimate, Ironsides to Extend Value Proposition for Customers

ANDOVER, Mass.—September 8, 2015—Standard Finishing Systems has announced two strategic partnerships—with Ultimate TechnoGraphics and Ironsides Technology—to expand its offerings and provide customers with more complete end-to-end workflow solutions.

Standard is well established in the graphic arts market, providing exclusive North American representation for industry leaders Horizon International of Japan and Hunkeler of Switzerland. These two suppliers provide Standard with the broadest portfolio of feeding and finishing solutions available, with deep reach into nearly every print-related segment.

Some emerging cut-sheet and web-fed digital print and finishing technologies require complex imposition schemes, so customers can automatically optimize available print space (for example, B2 sheets or 20”/30” webs) and support different applications (for example variable sheet-counts, plow- or signature-folding). There’s also a need to dynamically generate and position machine-readable marks that can be used to control downstream finishing processes (for example cut marks, dynamic perforation patterns, inserting) or for integrity checking.

Enter Impostrip from Ultimate TechnoGraphics Inc., an imposition automation software tool with Dynamic Templates that lets customers quickly and easily impose jobs with all necessary control and integrity marks for a range of roll-fed and cut-sheet applications. These include book impositions for the Hunkeler PF7 Plowfolder, the Horizon Smart Binding line and the Horizon SmartStacker for B2-size sheets. Standard will resell Impostrip to help customers gain efficiency, productivity and ease-of-use from their post-press solutions.

Standard already offers the Hunkeler WI6 vision-based web inspection platform for digital webs up to 40”-wide at speeds up to 850 feet/minute. This robust and fully-featured solution has been deployed on over 100 roll-fed lines worldwide, and sets the standard for a diverse range of inspection and tracking capabilities. The Standard VIVA system provides complementary sheet-level and document level integrity checking on finishing devices such as Horizon perfect binders, trimmers, folders and saddlestitchers.

Enter Automated Production Tracking (APT) from Ironsides Technology, which consolidates data from one or more collection points in the shop or from multiple sites equipped with WI6 Web Inspection lines, VIVA-equipped Horizon finishers, or other systems. APT can generate a wide variety of production reports—for regulatory compliance, to meet SLA requirements, or for management information—and automatically divert bad prints, drive reprints or take other actions when events occur.

At GRAPH EXPO 15, Standard will demonstrate APT from Ironsides Technology on the roll-fed Horizon StitchLiner Saddlestitching line with the Hunkeler DP8 Dynamic Perforator, CS6 Cutter and a WI6 Web Inspection System. The APT solution has been fully integrated with the Hunkeler WI6 Web Inspection System for robust track-and-drive capability, flexible report creation and dynamic data exchange with the customer’s host system. Ironsides staff will be on-hand during the show at Standard booth #831 for questions and demonstrations.

“We aim to strengthen the value proposition for Horizon and Hunkeler customers with ancillary workflow tools that can drive efficiency and effectiveness,” said Mark Hunt, director of strategic alliances at Standard. Ultimate TechnoGraphics Vice President of Strategic Marketing Julie Watson commented, "Both Ultimate and Standard have a relentless drive to automate production, so our cooperation is a natural fit.” Ironsides Technology President Bill Riley also added, "Ironsides has married market-proven solutions with real-world industry experience, so we can provide genuine added-value for Standard customers."

About Standard Finishing Systems
Standard Finishing Systems is based in Andover, Massachusetts, and celebrated "100 Years of Finishing Strong" in 2010. A leading supplier of print finishing systems and paper handling equipment, Standard utilizes a network of independent dealers and a direct sales force in the U.S. and Canada. .

Source: Standard Finishing.