UK book printer invests in new Horizon iCE binder

Dorset-based book printer, CMP, has invested in a Horizon BQ-500 iCE binder from Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), in response to growing demand for fast turnaround and short-run production.

Established in 1995, CMP specialises in offering book printing services to publishers and self-publishing authors, producing softback and hardback books in both monochrome and full colour.

The company previously invested in a Horizon HT-300 iCE trimmer in 2024, running it alongside a Horizon BQ470 four clamp perfect binder.

The new BQ-500 iCE binder was added to further increase capacity, in response to what it sees as a significant growth in the short-run book sector in the last two years. After installation, CMP reported an immediate impact, including boosted output and reduced downtime.

Speaking of the impact of the machine, Richard Johnson, operations director at CMP, says: “It has only been onsite for a short period of time, but our early experience has been extremely promising. It has given us a greater window of operational time and helped us increase our output. It has elevated our quality levels too.”

The BQ-500 iCE is the next generation of Horizon’s series of four clamp binders, equipped with a cloud-based iCE LiNK workflow that aims to provide a more intuitive dashboard. The binder can report real time production analysis, with the solution also offering remote update capabilities and scheduled maintenance designed to reduce downtime.

Johnson continues: “We’ve worked with IFS previously and knew that the BQ-500 was our best choice for short run digital book production and would deliver high quality and quick turnaround capabilities.

“It was perfect for our needs. We also liked the fact that it was designed to be more accessible for our staff. This enables operators from different shift patterns to run it. ICE LiNK is also nice to have and it is good to be able to access the data should we need it.”