22 January 2019

Life begins at 40 for Autobond

Autobond based in Heanor, Derbyshire has recently turned 40. Autobond is a third-generation, family owned engineering firm supplying the commercial print industry with an extensive range of robustly manufactured laminating machines, ink jet spot UV and foiling machines that enhance and protect print. As Britain's longest-established laminator manufacturer it's been a major export success, currently sending 98% of its machines abroad. "As an exporter, it will be invaluable to us when we finally exit the EU. We may see an increase in the cost of certain component parts, but the UK has been a nation of innovators and exporters for over two hundred years, so we are not unduly worried" said John Gilmore, MD.

Since 1989, the company has also had a wholly owned subsidiary in the US, Autobond Inc, in Connecticut. In 2010 it developed its own digital spot UV varnishing inkjet and is now working to develop this into a full-colour printing and embellishment system.

Dawn Reid, Regional Director for the BPIF added, "Autobond designs its own machines using 3D CAD software, machining the side frames, before assembling and testing everything in-house. This is a great place to visit and see what's being exported to which territory - hopefully Brexit will open further doors too!"

John also added, "95% of our components are from Germany. The Germans have reliability in their DNA, we've just been wise enough to borrow it."

A key feature of all machines is the ability to keep up with sheetfed offset presses, so Autobond's laminators need top quality feeders. Now the vast majority of their laminators go out with Heidelberg feeders. Once in a while a Stahl feeder, for ultra-short-run work. There's also a reel-to-sheet cutting feed. Today's range includes water-based and thermal laminators and encapsulators, with various options for double-sided application, magnetic media handling, embossing, hot or cold foiling, inkjet high-build spot UV varnishing and overall flood varnishing.

"In the last 10 years we have diversified further into inkjet digital spot UV machinery to run in line with a film laminator," says John. "More recently we added gold and silver foiling to that line, so we have a unique selling point of being the only manufacturer in the world to make a machine that can film laminate, spot UV and foil inline."

John has a project in the works for a full-colour inkjet, with a projected price well below anything on today's market. "As we already film laminate, spot UV varnish and foil inline, it seems logical to try to add a CMYK inkjet engine and reel-fed unwind, prior to the laminator. This may be the next step for our little company - to print, foil, and laminate, spot UV, sheet and stack inline on one web-fed machine. In theory, we can achieve this on 36, 53, 74 and 105 wide machines."

For more information see:
www.autobondlaminating.com