Gannon University Saves Time by Bolstering Bindery

The winds of change have blown through the bindery at Gannon University Press in recent years, bringing a variety of new equipment, expanded capabilities and shorter turnaround times for the shop's college clients.

Most recently, the four-employee in-plant in Erie, Pa., installed a Rosback 223 perforator, notes Patrick Celline, supervisor of Gannon University Press.

"We do a lot of larger mail pieces in the 30,000 to 40,000 range," he points out. "And we do have a Duplo 445 that creases but we use that more for short-run digital work."

The Rosback came with one score and two perf wheels, Celline explains, so the shop can perf and score in the same pass.

"And the speed of the Rosback is light years ahead of the Duplo," he contends. "So for the long-run offset work we do, the Rosback was a better fit."

Celline says the new equipment has come in handy when producing mailings to prospective students and invitations to campus open houses and other events.

"What really facilitated this purchase was a direct mail piece we did last year that was specifically targeting veterans," Celline recalls. "It was a 50,000 run with three panels with a tear-off."

Gannon University Press is both an offset and digital operation. A four-color Heidelberg DI and a two-color Heidelberg Printmaster handle the long-run offset work, while a Xerox 700i digital color press is used for short-run work.

Another addition to the in-plant's bindery is a C&P Microsystems microcut JR, added to the shop's existing Challenge 305 cutter as a time-saving measure.

A Baum 15 folder with right angle attachment, which joined an existing tabletop Baum 714XL, has allowed to shop to eliminate some outsourcing.

"This gave us a lot more folding capabilities than we ever had in-house before," Celline says. "The target was to do more in-house, including longer runs with a perf or a score."

The shop also added a Duplo 5000 booklet making system with two 10-bin towers and stich fold and face trim units.

"I like the tower system and the vacuum feed system on it," Celline points out, adding that by showing the university how much money was being spent outsourcing work to commercial printers, it was easy to justify the purchases. Celline also credits the new equipment with shortening the shop's standard turnaround time from 10 days to five.

"We want Gannon University dollars to stay at Gannon University," he concludes. "That was our big selling point."