ANDOVER, MA – Standard Finishing Systems, a leading supplier of post-press and paper handling solutions, announces the following new product installations: 

Seattle Alphagraphics adds Standard Horizon SmartSlitter

Alphagraphics in Seattle, Washington recently added a Standard Horizon SmartSlitter to support production of a wide range of materials, especially marketing and point of purchase products. With the help of local Standard dealer Veritiv, Alphagraphics was the first Standard customer in North America to install the SmartSlitter, which can slit, gutter cut, edge trim, cross-cut, perforate, and crease in a single pass. 

Dealing with a diverse range of applications, the Alphagraphics team already has the SmartSlitter hard at work, with over 70 templates stored in memory for easy recall. “We are currently running the system 14 hours per day across two shifts” says President Chuck Stempler. In addition to the SmartSlitter, Alphagraphics also operates a Standard Horizon BQ-270 Perfect Binder and an automated SPF/FC-200A Bookletmaker.

Stempler reports that the team has been thrilled with the performance of the SmartSlitter thus far. “It has met or exceeded all the specifications and our expectations” he says, “from shelf hangers to pedestal signs to table tents. And best of all, we’ve had no issues and no questions about operation!”

In Texas, Commercial Printer installs Standard Horizon BQ-470 Perfect Binder

Checko’s Printing in San Antonio, TX recently added a Standard Horizon BQ-470 Perfect Binder and increased production capabilities to over 1,300 perfect binds per hour. The fully-automated, four-clamp BQ-470 features a 10.4” LCD color touchscreen and can bind books up to 2.5” thick.

Checko’s, which primarily produces educational workbooks, got into perfect binding several years ago due to customer demand, and soon found growth potential that necessitated increased production capacity. The printer’s original perfect binder produced only 50 binds per hour, and, as General Manager Joseph Morgan notes, “we quickly outgrew that capacity, so we turned to local Standard dealer Precision Finishing Equipment to find a solution that could meet our needs and still give us capacity for growth.” Alongside the BQ-470, Checko’s now operates a suite of Standard Horizon machines, including a BQ-270C Perfect Binder, an HT-30C Three-side Trimmer, an automated SPF bookletmaker, and an APC-M61IISB Cutter.

With their new configuration, Checko’s can now produce over 10,000 perfect binds per 8-hour work shift. “This has really made us unique in our area,” says Morgan, “and as a result we are growing. With partners like Standard and Precision Finishing Equipment, we are well positioned for an exciting future!”