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Production Printing

How Command Companies Reduced Labor Costs With Four FlexBook 22s

Results At A Glance:

700+ FPM
Sustained book block handling with automatic, non-stop format changeovers.
3 Shifts
Wage-reduction goals achieved on every shift through automated book block handling.
4 Lines
Repeat investment scaling single- and dual-stream output without added downtime.

Challenges

Command Companies had a fast press floor held back by slow, manual finishing. Every format change meant waste, overtime, and idle press time, while three shifts of manual book block handling drove up labor costs across a demanding mixed-job floor.

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Key challenges Command Companies needed to solve

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  • Press output outpacing finishing — million-dollar capacity throttled by slower downstream binding
  • Manual format changeovers burning through make-ready waste, overtime, and idle press time on a mixed-job floor
  • High labor cost across three shifts, five days a week
  • Need to handle both single- and dual-stream book block production without added touchpoints or downtime
Production Printing

The FlexBook 22 allowed us to achieve wage reductions on all 3 shifts with book block handling at speeds over 700 fpm.

Wes Conley, Executive Vice President

Command Companies
Project Image
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Approach

Command Companies standardized on Magnum's FlexBook 22, ultimately deploying four lines. Barcode-driven automation reconfigures the entire line on the fly, while automated stacking and enhanced gluing remove manual touchpoints — all built on offset-grade hardware engineered for nonstop three-shift production.

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The core approach we took:

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  • Deployed four Magnum FlexBook 22 lines, running inline/near-line at 700+ fpm
  • Automatic, non-stop format changeovers driven by a single barcode — job recognition, cut length, gluing, and batching reconfigure without stopping the line
  • Enhanced book block gluing for consistent quality across formats
  • Automated book block stacker to remove manual handling at the delivery end
  • Offset-grade build quality for reliable three-shift operation with minimal downtime‍

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Results

The system closed the gap between press and bindery. Command Companies hit its labor targets on every shift while sustaining high-speed output with dependable single- and dual-stream delivery — proven enough that they returned to add a fourth line within a year.

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Outcome highlights:

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  • Achieved wage-reduction goals on each of three shifts via automated book block handling
  • Sustained book block handling at speeds over 700 fpm
  • Reliable single- and dual-stream delivery with no reported issues
  • Fourth Magnum line added in 12 months — a repeat investment reflecting proven ROI
Production Demo

See the solution live on the production floor.

 
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