Ultimate Kelmscott has added PUR binding to its comprehensive range of trade finishing services after taking delivery of a Eurobind 600 machine from Heidelberg.
Part of the Acors Group, a security printer which generates 80% of its business from abroad, it offers a professional and confidential service run and manned by experienced staff.
Malcolm Acors, founder of the Billericay company and a third generation printer, says: "This is our first PUR machine although we have a range of hot melt binding machines already. It was bought with a specific contract in mind but we are confident we will generate trade work to fill the capacity. Some jobs where a document will be well handled and the user cannot risk splitting or losing pages require the resilience of the PUR adhesive. There are digital jobs, too, which can only be bound using this gluing method."
The company investigated the binding market carefully before making a decision, looking at Health & Safety, quality, engineering, productivity and payback. It did not need the largest 24 clamp models that might be used for high volume magazine work but nor did it want a low price, poor performance option. It liked the sealed nozzle system of the EB 600, the fact it was automated where it mattered but was not overly complicated to operate. It is a robust machine and the two year warranty provided additional peace of mind.
For most work, the company can offer a 24 hour turnround although for small scale work such as four copies of a dissertation it would batch jobs together so a longer lead time would be required. Mr Acors believes that the EB 600 will mainly handle runs from 100 copies up to 25,000 copies although Ultimate Kelmscott does have higher volume binders in place.
"Throughout the group we like to provide customers with products that will fulfil their ultimate goal. If you buy cheap and it's not effective in selling your products or in doing the job you intended you will have wasted your money," he says. The group has many long term contracts, including fulfilment and facilities management services.
Set up in 1965 with a rebuilt Heidelberg press purchased from Heidelberg UK, it has grown and diversified. Today it is putting an increasing emphasis on digital printing although it still retains six litho presses. One of the first recruits to the business was Malcolm's grandfather who joined him and his father. Now Malcolm is succession planning and is delighted that his son Thomas is a partner in some of the businesses and is keen to succeed him in due course.
