Specifically configured to work with Canon’s VarioPrint models, the new machine was installed inline with ESP’s Canon VarioPrint iX3000 in mid-April.

Supported by a Horizon StitchLiner saddle-stitcher, and a Horizon BQ-470 perfect binder and a Horizon BQ-500 perfect binder inline to a Horizon HT300 trimmer, the BookReady batches short run PUR, hardcover and print-on-demand print jobs by size and spine thickness, eliminating the need for operators to guillotine and sort the stack.

Dave Woloszczynski, head of digital production and operations at ESP, said the new machine had made life much simpler for the team in the printroom, which handles a high volume of short run binding jobs off the press.

“Before the Tecnau BookReady was installed, to make it more efficient for binding, we had to trim the books from SRA3 sheets, then sort the book blocks by jogging each individual book. But this relies on human intervention, which obviously has a considerable cost attached to it.

“We had been looking for an automated process for the last five years without any luck, until we saw the BookReady at Drupa last year. Our printing process is completely automated: for example, batching the books by size and spine thickness has eliminated the need for guillotining and sorting. 

“Now we just have to wheel the pallet of jogged book blocks straight to the Horizon binders. This makes the finishing process more efficient and gets books out quicker for our customers.”

The BookReady slits, cuts and stacks up to B3 sheets in 2-up and 4-up imposition, putting them into blocks separated by final size, ready for near-line binding. Applications can be changed on the fly without manual intervention at no loss of print speed, and jobs are set up automatically on demand.

After its arrival from supplier Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), the machine was commissioned in three days. Since then, Woloszczynski said, it has been running “non-stop”.

“It is operating like a dream,” he added.

“It has made a huge impact on efficiency and cost savings. The whole production process is much quicker, so much so we can now take more work on.

“It will enable us to have more capacity so that we can expand into other markets and consider new opportunities, especially in publishing. We usually have an expected return on investment of equipment of around three years. The BookReady will definitely achieve that and in a faster timescale.”