Kolbus keep Bishops in the Premier League

Print Solutions

Portsmouth based Bishops Printers went to drupa last year with a view to streamlining its bindery operation. The company liked what it saw being demonstrated on the Kolbus stand and after subsequent product testing at the Kolbus Rahden facility placed an order for a high specification Kolbus KM610 binding line.

Over the 30 years which Bishops have been in business it has grown to a £20 million turnover company producing brochures, catalogues, annual reports, and direct mailing products. But its speciality is Premiership football club products, from matchday programmes through kit catalogues to stadium brochures. It was the need to hand feed the technical components within these football programmes which was causing lengthy run times and which led Bishops to investigate a more automated solution.

The tests carried out at the Kolbus factory, using Bishops products, were not only successful in feeding all the components automatically but also doing so at vastly superior speeds. Bishops was convinced, and the order placed.

The result is that the binding line now installed and running in Portsmouth comprises a 16 station Kolbus ZU822 Vacuum Gathering Machine; Kolbus KM610 Binder, running at 9000 cycles per hour, with hot melt and PUR gluing; and a Kolbus HD153 Trimmer.

This highly specified Kolbus line is equipped with a full make ready and data transfer system to provide fast automated make-ready throughout, including the stacker. With 9000 cycles per hour output Bishops productivity has increased dramatically.