So-called Digital Bindery, The

Print Action, Nov 2004

Digital printers have become the most likely purchasers of bindery and finishing equipment, according to the most recent report to come from the research group TrendWatch Graphic Arts. The report outlines that this interest among plants operating digital equipment is driven by anticipated benefits such as a reduction in labor expense, liability and privacy protection, reduced waste, improved turnaround, and better quality and quantity control.

The report, called The Digital Bindery Still Gathering a Full Head of Steam, suggests this friendly market climate is magnified for those vendors of binding and finishing equipment that can demonstrate a practical connection between bindery automation/integration and more profitable operations via Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM).

"The bindery's potential to add value has inspired the development of a wide array, some would say patchwork, of mix-and-match solutions designed to bring about the bindery's full participation in urgently needed plant-wide gains in efficiency, productivity, and profit," writes one TrendWatch analyst. "And while much of the technology development has been completed, are printers ready or willing to embrace it?"

In terms of connectivity with the rest of the shop, the bindery is still something of a laggard, according to the report's authors. The researchers found that the number of respondents who have incorporated CIM into their business and production plans is still very low (less than 10 percent). The report continues to point out that 14 percent of the respondents concluded that CIM is either not relevant to their business or that they don't yet understand the benefits of CIM.

"From the standpoint of the bindery, this is consistent with the mechanical/ electronic disconnect that traditionally has characterized the bindery's relationship with the rest of the shop," notes one analyst. Still, the report does suggest digital printers are looking for connectivity in the back end, as outlined in the following data pulled from a survey of printers in North America. The full report can be purchased for US$995 from trendwatchgraphicarts.com.

Aggressive bindery buying

* 45 percent of digital printers plan bindery purchases in the next 12 months, compared with just 32 percent of commercial printers;

* Digital printers were more likely to purchase in four out of five major equipment categories, including a six percent advantage in the purchasing of stitchers;

* 60 percent of buyers of binding and finishing equipment cite "optimizing workflow" as their number one business challenge;

* "Keeping up with technological change" is the second largest post press buyer concern, (41 percent), while number three is "increasing plant productivity" (38 percent) and the fourth largest concern is "making profitable use of technologies we've already invested in" (30 percent);

* In terms of analyzing a digital printer's top business challenge in their planned post press buying spree, 41 percent of digital printers named "making profitable use of technologies we have already invested in" first, followed by 37 percent stating "optimizing our production workflow" and 31 percent citing "keeping up with technological change";

* 52 percent of digital printers cite "helping customers integrate new technologies" as a top sales opportunity;

* 48 percent of buyers of bindery and finishing equipment cite "helping customers integrate new technologies" as a top sales opportunity.