IT Print Services at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) replaced an ageing hot-melt perfect binding system from Horizon with the new DigiBook 150 from Morgana Systems.
The entry-level machine cost around £25,000 and is capable of around 150 cycles an hour. It binds thicknesses from 2mm to 50mm in books up to 380mmx320mm
IT print services manager Paul Squires said: “The DigiBook 150 is ideal for our busy print service as the PUR technology produces the strength of bind that our staff and students need. It is also able to cope with a range of different substrates without weakening.
“Our most demanding task is binding students’ end-of-course books, reviewed by examiners and opened numerous times by students and teachers. We found that hot-melt binding was not really meeting our high standards of production nor meeting our customers’ expectations.”
MMU IT Print Services meets production demands for high volume print of more than 43m pages a year to support 34,000 students and more than 3,000 teaching and support staff. Runs can range from one to 3,000 copies, he said.
The department runs three Oce 6200 high-production machines, two Canon 1135 mono machines, two Canon VP 6010s a Canon VP 7000 and a Canon CLC 5151. The print team is looking to refurbish its high-volume kit, expected to cost around £1.5m over three years.
“We focus on quality rather than quantity and make sure we are cost effective and seen as a critical service to the university,” he said. “But like any other institution, a lot of work is going on the web, so we are looking for new niche markets like variable data and specialist finishing.”
A key feature of the 150 is the patented glue application system, according to the manufacturer. Spine and side glue is applied using an adjustable slot applicator and an hermetically sealed glue and cleaning system gives quick start-up and shutdown of the system with minimal glue wastage.
Morgana Systems sales and marketing director Ray Hillhouse said: “This is the ideal unit for a university print unit handling such a wide range of work. There really is nothing else on the market with the type of glue system to compete with the DigiBook 150 product.
“The unit offers few fancy settings, but for the run lengths needed by a large percentage of digital printers these are simply not necessary. Where even more productive solutions are required, we have the DigiBook 300 and 450.”
