These requests came from numerous different parties, but were often made by degree students, who account for a lot of the company’s B2C work.  

Though the digital printer had provided different types of dissertation binding for a number of years, the increased demand for more creative, fully printed documents indicated there was a growing, potentially lucrative niche market that the print outfit could dig its claws into. So John E Wright started exploring the options.

Adrian Nicholls, group commercial and marketing manager, says that the business had long-standing relationships with a number of binding kit suppliers. These were considered, but quickly discounted. For John E Wright one particular supplier stood head and shoulders above the rest.  

“The equipment from Ashgate Automation was recommended by an industry colleague who had some experience in the photobook market,” says Nicholls. “So we visited Ashgate’s demo suite to look at the various possibilities and were very much sold on the flexibility of the processes involved. Ashgate also advised on the supply chain for consumables which was very helpful to us.”

The machine that particularly caught the company’s eye was the Fastbind Casematic H46Pro casemaker. After weighing up the pros and cons John E Wright decided to take the plunge, splashing out on a Casematic H46Pro casemaker and a Booxter Duo staple binder for the company’s Nottingham branch in August 2011.

After signing for the equipment the installation process was completely trouble-free, says Nicholls. The delivery, installation and operator training took place a week from the order being placed and other than a slight re-organisation of the intended location for the new machinery, the company didn’t have to make any additional provision prior to its arrival.

Equally as smooth-running was the training support offered by Ashgate. “The initial training provided was very helpful and enabled our operators to build on their existing skill set,” says Nicholls. “As with any new process there is an initial learning curve, but we are fortunate to have some very creative and quality conscious staff, which has been a huge asset when dealing with some of the more esoteric and creative customer requests.”

Easy set-up

The company managed to get up to speed on the new equipment pretty much from day one thanks largely to its ease of use. The operator simply positions a printed cover onto the illuminated table – suction assistance, registration marks and centre line all help to ensure there’s an accurate placement. Then once the boards are attached to the cover, you fold the edges on the integrated edge-wrapper – the folding unit is adjustable for different board thicknesses.

“It’s a breathtakingly simple machine to use and as a result you can get really high-quality results out of it on a consistent basis,” says Nicholls. “Quality is our key objective and the equipment allows us to deliver on this.” 

So impressed has John E Wright been with the results that the digital printer has since purchased an Elite XT perfect binder for the Nottingham site as well as two more H46Pro casemakers and a Booxter Duo for its Derby and Leicester offices. 

“From the initial install in 2011 we centralised production for the group, providing materials for the other offices with slightly extended lead times,” explains Nicholls. “Once they had developed their local market sufficiently we provided them with their own equipment and supported them with ideas, digital templates and internal training so that they could better serve their local clients. It’s been a very successful roll-out and we continue to look at new materials so we can increase the range of available options.”

Nicholls says that if the company achieves its objectives this year it will install the same configuration in its Oxford office as well.

The quality of work that the H46Pro produces is so good that it inspired the company to closely examine equipment within its existing armoury of machinery to see where additional inroads might be made. It soon realised that there was further scope for improvement. 

“In particular we have upgraded our laminators, invested in riveters for making ring binders, and we also had to look outside of our normal supplier list for other consumables,” says Nicholls. “Our staff are very good at sharing knowledge and highlighting problems so that we can review our processes and get better at what we do.”

Thankfully, the new casemakers have made life easy for John E Wright’s staff since installation. According to Nicholls they’ve worked like a dream from day one with the company not experiencing any significant service issues. And even if something did go wrong Nicholls knows that “Ashgate are always available on the end of the phone or by email and we get regular updates from them regarding new products and services”.

Beyond a possible investment in new machinery for its Oxford office the company doesn’t have any immediate plans to splash out on new finishing equipment, but these regular updates about new products from Ashgate may eventually pay off given how won over John E Wright’s team have been by the new machines.

The equipment set-up it uses has already opened the door for the company to undertake all manner of different creative bindery solutions, says Nicholls. 

“It gives us the capability to produce a wide range of very bespoke products such as case-bound books, perfect-bound booklets and magazines, ring binders, box files and slip cases and CD/DVD presentation cases. The three pieces of equipment work very much in conjunction with each other and provide very flexible solutions.”

Creative approach

In addition to handling all manner of conventional jobs, the set-up also enables the firm’s sites to tackle what Nicholls describes as more “creative” customer requests.

“We recently produced a book in a slip case that had a 10mm thick piece of clear resin with insects embedded in it. At the other end of the scale we produced 10 different ring binders with planning application information, all in a single slip case that was almost a metre in length. So creativity of approach and the flexibility of the process are critical to these projects.”

It’s this “creativity of approach” that has enabled the company to access and exploit a new niche market that generates a lot of repeat and referral work for the printer’s chain of offices around the Midlands.

“During a potentially quiet month like January we produced over a hundred different books and approaching the same in CD cases for digital projects,” says Nicholls.

The only downside is that demand for this offering tends to be less than predictable. “Student traffic in particular can be very all or nothing,” says Nicholls. “As it’s still a ‘hands on’ process we have to make sure we manage cross-training and staffing at peak periods. It also seems to happen that when you produce one out-of-the-ordinary job successfully, news travels fast and the next one isn’t far behind. Fortunately we have virtually eliminated re-prints, which is a great help, and having a reputation for being flexible has been very positive.”

In the years that have passed since the initial installation of the Casematic H46Pro at the company’s Nottingham site, John E Wright has thrived in the highly competitive student market. 

As a result, Nicholls says that the firm wouldn’t pause for thought before purchasing another Casematic H46Pro and he wouldn’t hesitate before recommending the machine to other print companies looking for a creative binding solution. 

The only words of advice are that others should ensure they have the right staffing capabilities in-house so they can derive the maximum return from the equipment. 

“Staffing capabilities need to be right; both at the front end in terms of making sure that your print set-up and design abilities are sufficient, and also that your finishing department is happy to move out of their comfort zone when the need arises.”

But if you can tick these boxes, and if you have an existing market for binding services and want to improve your product range, the H46Pro is the “ideal solution,” says Nicholls. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Max print size 1,080x530mm

Max finished case size 1,040x490mm

Max folding length 1,040mm

Max substrate thickness Up to 5mm

Footprint 1,130x684mm

Weight 45kg

Price £4,285

Contact Ashgate Automation 01865 891904 www.ashgate.co.uk 

Company profile 

John E Wright is a family-run business that retains the name of the original owner who created the company, in Nottingham, back in 1900. The company employs more than 100 staff across seven different sites throughout the Midlands and has an annual turnover of £6.5m. While a large proportion of its services are wide-format digital print and exhibition work, the company’s branch network offers small-format colour print, CAD printing, poster production and academic print services. It has a broad UK-wide customer base covering public and private sector, educational institutions and design and marketing sectors, and has a wide cross section of end-users, including a high proportion of students.

Why it was purchased...

The company noticed a growing number of requests for more creative binding options – particularly from students. “We rely on ongoing investment in new technology like this to stay at the cutting edge of the industry offering cost-effective solutions and high levels of customer service,” says group commercial and marketing manager Adrian Nicholls. 

How it has performed...

Like a dream, says Nicholls. “We have seen excellent repeat business and we seem to have a good reputation for the products we supply,” he explains. “The student market in particular is very competitive, but we are fortunate in that we offer lots of other print solutions as well as bookmaking. This gives us a good opportunity to cross communicate what we do and build on the ‘one-stop shop’ concept of service.”