By Erin Judge, contributing writer, PostPress

From running complex machinery to unloading and moving materials between offline processes to manually handling intricate tasks, finishing widely is recognized as the most labor-intensive and bottleneck-prone stage in the lifecycle of a printed product. “Postpress operations can account for over 35% of total production time,” explained Bob Raus, Americas workflow and automation category manager, HP Industrial Print. “Many finishing departments still rely on older analog devices that function well but demand highly trained operators. When those operators aren’t available, productivity drops, waste increases and shipment delays become more common.”

However, thanks to rapid advancements in automation and robotics, finishing is undergoing a significant transformation. Technology developers and manufacturers have introduced innovative solutions designed to increase throughput, elevate product quality and cut down on both labor requirements and operating costs – ultimately revolutionizing postpress operations and streamlining the entire production process.

Robotic and Automated Solutions for Commercial Applications

“Automation provides a strategic advantage amid increasing pressures on the industry – an avenue for boosting productivity while managing overall costs and using operators more efficiently,” noted Don Dubuque, marketing director at Standard Finishing Solutions. As the skilled labor market continues to globally shrink, manufacturers are rising to the challenge – developing solutions that not only ensure business continuity for their customers but also improve their overall efficiency. Across cutting, folding and binding, automation and robotics are playing an increasingly important role in optimizing the production of commercial print applications.

“Ultimately, it’s about staying competitive,” said Chris Raney, vice president of postpress and packaging for Heidelberg USA. “Personnel increasingly are difficult to find, and many people don’t want to do repetitive work in a plant. Automation and robotics are becoming essential to bridge that gap.”

One of those robotic solutions for folding, offered by Heidelberg, provides customers with the ability to automate the transfer of folded stacks from the end of a folder to a pallet. For short- to medium-run lengths, the StackStar C autonomously picks up folded bundles and arranges them on a pallet in a pre-programmed layout. The StackStar C safely operates alongside people without the need for fixed guarding and easily can be moved between machines as needed. For high-volume folding operations, Heidelberg offers its StackStar P industrial-grade robotic system capable of moving up to 300 folded stacks per hour. It can follow customized laydown patterns and automatically insert tie sheets for improved load stability.

DePere, Wisconsin-based company Seaway currently has three StackStar P robots installed at its commercial printing facility. With the addition of the robotic technology, Seaway can run three high-performance folders with only two operators while still maintaining the company’s high standards of productivity.

According to Seaway Vice President Ian Heslin, “When Seaway installed the first StackStar P robot, the company immediately saw a boost in productivity – simply because the operator no longer had to keep up with offloading every single bundle while also managing quality checks and machine performance.” He added that the Heidelberg robotic technology has helped Seaway lower its overall manufacturing costs. “By increasing productivity and consistency in the folding arena, Seaway has maximized productivity and, in turn, the profitability of the entire value stream,” said Heslin.

Standard Finishing, a North American distributor of print finishing solutions, offers a comprehensive lineup of Horizon systems, all equipped with varying degrees of automation – folders, cutters, binders and stitchers. Its newest generation of machines features full automation and is designed to seamlessly work with robotics inline.

Horizon’s BQ-300 Perfect Binder, introduced at drupa, features full automation from feeding to nipping, with adjustments automatically made based on book block thickness. Fine adjustments easily are made with the touch of a button, eliminating manual tasks. The BQ-300 can be used in a standard set-up with an automated trimmer or configured as an end-to-end system with a sheet feeder, accumulator and robotic arm for feeding book blocks.

Dubuque noted that as book runs continue to become shorter and single-quantity orders rise, automation in processes like perfect binding greatly reduces changeover time – boosting efficiency, enhancing throughput and lowering the labor required per machine. These and other robotic solutions enable operators to focus on different areas of finishing and “shift their efforts toward tasks that have a greater impact on customer satisfaction and the bottom line,” he said.

Solutions for Packaging

Automated and robotic technologies also are making an impact in converting production processes. Kevin Koplin, managing director for American International Machinery, said, “Implementing automated processes is essential for meeting the growing demand for faster turnarounds and shorter-run production in packaging production.”

American International Machinery provides a comprehensive line of products and support services for the paperboard and corrugated converting industry. Its Signature folder-gluer line offers fully automated technology to streamline the set-up process. Operators simply input carton dimensions, select a preloaded carton style and the machine automatically shifts carriers and other components into the proper position. After a successful run, the folder-gluer records any adjustments made, which allows for even faster and more precise set-up on future runs. (The Signature folder gluer, W.H. Leary gluing and inspection system, and IMPACK packer will be operational and included in a full program/demonstration during Amplify Print, June 10-12, Chicago, Illinois). 

“Streamlining processes with automated, quick-changeover technology allows manufacturers to switch between jobs with minimal downtime,” explained Koplin. “This significantly reduces time, labor and costs – increasing production capacity and increasing profitability.”

Advanced inspection systems, such as the Signature SIG-CHECK, can be integrated into existing gluers to detect print discrepancies by comparing output to a PDF proof. Additionally, glue monitoring systems ensure precise adhesive placement, automatically rejecting and removing any cartons that do not meet specifications – maintaining production speed and ensuring consistent, high-quality products.

Green Bay Packaging’s newest Signature folder-gluers are equipped with a human-machine interface that displays production information and diagnostic tools. “This helps the operators monitor performance in real time, so they quickly can identify issues – reducing makereadies and downtime,” said Tom Vogel, vice president of operations and engineering for Green Bay Packaging, a family-owned company based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that specializes in the manufacturing of paperboard and packaging products. He added that his operators save even more time with the job recall function, which automates and streamlines job set-up.

Green Bay Packaging also is equipped with seven robots in its finishing area that automatically palletize finished products. According to Vogel, before adopting robotic technology, the company struggled to find workers for manual palletization. Now, the robots manage the workload of 12 people.

Front-End Finishing Automation

Automation doesn’t always require large machinery – many technology developers now offer front-end solutions that simplify and speed up set-up processes in finishing operations. HP’s Direct-to-Finish Digital Front End software automates the set-up of top bindery equipment from brands like Perfecta, POLAR, Horizon, Duplo and others – capturing the finishing requirements for each print job and seamlessly transferring JDF specifications to compatible finishing devices. “Direct-to-Finish saves up to 30% of production time by eliminating reprints due to errors,” said Raus, “and delivers 100% accurate, finished products.”

While much focus is on eliminating manual processes, April Lytle, global brand innovation manager for Scodix, emphasized, “the evolution of finishing automation also is about reimagining what’s possible in print embellishment.”

Scodix, specializing in digital embellishment automation, offers comprehensive solutions that reshape traditional postpress operations, providing an alternative to both digital and conventional analog embellishment methods. Its automation technology, designed for the Scodix Ultra press family, includes workflow packages like Scodix Studio, which integrates RIP architecture to eliminate bottlenecks and maximize press uptime.

The system’s intuitive interface enables operators to efficiently manage multiple enhancement effects in a single pass, including Smart High Definition (SHD) for fine details and Multi-Layer Embellishment (MLE) for 3D textures. The automated RPS (Rotate, Scale, Position) system provides intelligent media alignment across a vast range of substrates. Supporting all 16 Scodix embellishment applications, the workflow package also seamlessly integrates with Web2Print interfaces, enabling remote job submission and automated production scheduling.

“With increasing demands for faster turnaround times and growing trends toward shorter runs and personalization, traditional manual finishing processes are becoming increasingly unsustainable,” said Lytle. “The company’s digital automation solution significantly reduces labor requirements while reducing waste compared to conventional methods.”

Truly Engaging, a direct-to-customer digital printer specializing in customizable invitations and other print products, adopted Scodix solutions to eliminate the need for outsourcing some of its finishing processes. According to Chief Revenue Officer Jason Rollo, “As a digital printer, bringing finishing and embellishment in-house had to align with the digital workflow. Scodix enabled Truly Engaging to enhance its capabilities without requiring specialized labor, like the skilled manpower needed for in-house foil stamping.” Thanks to the platform’s automation and user-friendly interface, Rollo added, the company was able to expand its embellishment capabilities without needing to increase headcount.

Impact to the Operators

While the shrinking labor force is a well-known challenge and automation offers clear benefits to the bottom line, many questions remain about how automated and robotic technologies will affect finishing operators both now and in the future. “Rather than replacing jobs, automation improves workforce efficiency by moving workers into more specialized roles,” explained Koplin.

Automation, by eliminating repetitive, physically demanding tasks, not only reduces workplace injuries and absenteeism but also lowers associated costs. Operators then can focus on higher-value tasks like job management and quality optimization, making their work more engaging. “This shift creates opportunities for businesses to offer roles that are more appealing to younger generations, fostering long-term industry growth,” he added.

Skilled operators remain essential, but automation maximizes machine efficiency, helping “level the playing field” as new operators enter the workforce and experienced ones begin to retire. Raus contended that automation, “delivers higher throughput with the same staff and number of shifts – making second and third shifts as productive as the first shift – even with less skilled operators.”

The Future of Automation

As robotics and automation continue to advance, the industry is seeing a shift from individual solutions to fully integrated, connected systems. In October 2024, Horizon hosted its Think Smart Factory event in Takashima, Japan, presenting a forward-looking vision of the production floor of the future. The event highlighted a collaboration between Horizon, Screen and Hunkeler – showcasing an end-to-end, print-on-demand book production system. This system efficiently transformed blank web into perfect-bound books in a single pass, entirely without manual intervention, including the automated transport of finished books to the shipping area via automated guided vehicles.

“It was exciting to see how all of these different technologies can come together to transform not only a production floor but the entire industry,” said Dubuque.

The concept of automation and robotics can spark concerns about job displacement, but these technological advancements are essential for companies to remain competitive, enhance operational efficiency and future-proof their businesses. While there may be a significant initial investment, the long-term benefits are obvious and make it a worthwhile consideration for any organization focused on growth and innovation.

For Heslin, the message is clear, “Machines are becoming so advanced that human touchpoints are more likely to introduce issues than add value. That’s why we’re committed to continuing to identify ways to automate any repetitive tasks. Seaway firmly believes that full automation across the manufacturing process is the key to driving growth and staying ahead in this highly competitive field.”