Horizon extends book finishing capabilities to packaging

The packaging activity is a diversification from its speciality in book finishing and a goal for the thrity-year old Japanese company, is to tape new market segments like packaging. “We are doing business in the printing industry, and we always need to look for new opportunity in different print segments,” said Natsuhiko Yamada, manager for export department at Horizon.

Horizon has been developing the products for the last year, and has targeting short-run packaging needs. “With the die-cutter one can produce packaging mock-ups, prototypes, or gift material, anything that requires die-cutting, folding or creasing and folding,” said Yamada.

The automatic folding machine is targeted at short-run pharmaceutical outserts. The 6+6 buckle modular concept of the machine can produce 12 folds. “The modular concept allows for flexible configuration and simple to complex fold patterns to cover most applications,” said Tamada.

The third product, a creasing and folding machine offers six different folding patterns and can be set up by using the icon-based touch screen. Yamada said, “The kit is suitable for creasing covers, restaurant menus, shop cards, invitation cards and laminated sheets.”

Though the aim of Horizon was to showcase the products, it is confident that its product in the packaging segment will be a special experience to the packagers because of their special features. “These three machines will suite a packaging printer’s need, besides its efficiency to maintain fold, crease and cut abilities.”

As of now, Yamada was not sure if Proteck, the Indian representative for Horizon book finishing equipment, would represent Horizon’s new business in India.