By DPS Staff
Part two of two
Books and booklets are key applications for the digital print market. From commercial operations looking to offer shorter runs into the mix, to the quick printer that wants the versatility to accept an order for 20 yearbooks one day and wire bind 40 presentations the next, binding options are essential.
In part one of this series, we highlighted entry-level through production offerings for wire/comb binding, case making, and booklet making. This week, we discuss perfect binders and photobook finishers.
Perfect Binders
C.P. Bourg offers a range of perfect binders, including the Bourg Binder 3002 EVA / Hotmelt, Bourg Binder 3002 PUR-Compact, Bourg Binder 3002 PUR-Nordson, Bourg Binder 3102 Series, Bourg Binder 3202 Series, and Bourg Book Factor 2005 EVA / Hotmelt.
C.P. Bourg uses the PUReONE compact adhesive system from Nordson. This solution integrates into the Bourg Binder BB3002 PUR-C to create a cost-effective and high-performing perfect binder.
The BB3002 PUR-N is designed to create perfect bound books while being user friendly. The binder is capable of automatically adapting to the thickness of each job, up to a maximum thickness of 2.36 inches.
BB3202 EVA/PUR-C is designed to operate inline, near line, or offline with digital printers and produce books without the intervention of an operator.
The Bourg Book Factory 2005 EVA / Hotmelt is a digital inline finishing solution. The fully automated perfect binder can be used inline and offline to create a productive and flexible solution. The BBF2005 is capable of synchronizing mechanically and electronically with Océ/Canon, Kodak, and Xerox printers.
Duplo offers the DB-280 Perfect binder, ideal for short-run books. It runs up to 360 cycles per hour and creates perfect bound, tape bound, and padded books.
Fastbind’s PUREVA XT is a perfect binder for hard and soft cover book binding. The solution is designed so that users can take advantage of the PUR quality with a low investment and cost. Thanks to its integrated casing-in system, PUREVA XT produces both soft and hard cover books for a more versatile product range. It also introduces a new interchangeable glue cartridge for easy PUR to EVA changes, a new PGO Microcut roughener, and a new Fastbind Contact Roller that presses the glue into the paper grain. It is especially designed for digitally printed hard or soft cover book production in small series.
KOLBUS Perfect Binders include the KM 600.A and KM 600.C. For digital printing, the KOLBUS Bookjet sequential feeder can be coupled with perfect binders and run inline with a digital press. The digitally printed signatures are processed sequentially in parallel and collected in a magazine to form a complete book block. By using two or more feeders, system performance is further increased.
The KOLBUS Bookjet – Perfect Binder KM 200 features continuous automatic adjustment—it adjusts automatically to thickness variations from product to product.
Muller Martini’s SigmaLine is the first fully integrated, commercial-quality total solution for digital book production, with which even very small runs can be produced economically—from prepress data through digital printing and processing to the finished, print product.
The SigmaBinder perfect binder processes various book sizes and thicknesses without interruption, without empty cycles and at full production speed.
For softcover books, Muller Martini integrates perfect binders, such as the Pantera and Alegro, into the complete system.
Morgana offers a range of perfect binding equipment, ranging from thermal binders to PUR binders.
Nordson BetterBook binding solutions provide hot melt bookbinding using PUR adhesive binding systems for soft and hardcover books, pamphlets, and other perfect-bound products. PUR bookbinding adhesive application is also ideal for pre-melting, side and spine gluing, and end papering for bound books or book blocks.
Palamides provides its smartliner240 perfect binder. Featuring new technology for perfect binding, the smartflat technology was developed by Ribler GmbH and is now reproduced industrially by palamides with the smartliner240. smartflat means that books can be bound in an environmentally friendly way and, at the same time, can lay perfectly flat when flipped open.
The Pro-Bind 2000 is a tabletop perfect biding system. It binds from a 0.0625- to a two-inch spine capacity with the push of a button. The cycle time is 30 seconds for a softcover book and 60 seconds for hardcover.
Spiel Associates’ Sterling Digibinder is completely self-adjusting. The pneumatic clamp and nipper adjust automatically. A compressor is included. Users can bind a thin book, then a thick book without any adjustments. The roughing blade allows for the binding of offset stock, coated stock, and stock with oil- or wax-based inks. Twin glue rollers ensure an even glue application as does a third, metering roller to smooth out the glue. The machine side glues for hinge covers and even creates a light hinge due to the nipper pressure, which is adjustable.
Standard Finishing offers several book binding solutions, including multiple and single clamp perfect binders, as well as a its Smart Binding Solution.
It’s multiple clamp perfect binding line consists of the BQ-460, BQ-470, SB-07, SB-09, SB-15 Perfect Binders, the BQ-470V Variable Perfect Binder, and CABS 4000 and 6000 Perfect Binding Systems.
Single Clamp models include BQ-160 and BQ-160 PUR Perfect Binder and Padder, BQ-280PUR Perfect Binder, BQ-270V Perfect Binder, and B-P60 Perfect Binder, Padder, and Sping Taper.
In addition to stand alone equipment, Standard Finishing, together with Horizon and Hunkeler, introduced a new lean book manufacturing solution—Smart Binding System—at Print 13. It is designed to produce variable format books of different thickness within a continuous-feed or cut-sheet print stream, with fully automated changeovers and minimal touch points.
The platform is comprised of several Horizon finishing technologies that are combined with existing, proven modules. Workflow plays a critical role.
For Print ’13, production begins with 200-inch wide rolls. Standard collaborated with Canon Solutions America and Screen USA to develop the book applications and pre-print the rolls. Each roll contains three different titles, and each title has a different format and page count. Three trade titles were pre-printed on the Océ ColorStream 3900 Inkjet Press, with matching color covers printed on the Canon imagePRESS C7010VPS.
The Hunkeler UW6 unwinds the 20-inch-wide pre-printed roll, which is then cut into parent sheets on the Hunkeler CS6-1 rotary cutter before entering the Horizon AF-566F folder for conversion into 12-page signatures. The folded signatures are then intelligently gathered—different quantity for different books, spot glued, and pressed in the Horizon BBS-40 module. The gluing process forms a unified book block, to prevent any skewing as the book block travels to the perfect binder.
Book blocks next enter the heart of the Smart Binding System, the all-new Horizon SB-09V nine-clamp variable perfect binder, which can automatically changeover between different book thicknesses on-the-fly, driven by information that is read upstream and transmitted to the binder. Readers in the SB-09V also double-check that each book is married with the intended cover. The SB-09V has been quality engineered for reliability and performance, with the ability to produce up 2,000 professional-quality books per hour.
Bound books exit the SB-09V into a smart accumulating station that uses book thickness data to calculate the correct stack height to be conveyed to the Horizon HT-1000V Three-knife Trimmer. The HT-1000V will automatically adjust for book/stack thickness and format on the fly, pulling instructions from the barcode on the book cover. Uniform 20-inch roll widths yield completely different book formats by combining intelligent job imposition with the variable trim capability of the HT-1000V. Readers at the exit end of the trimmer provide closed-loop verification and can also report production statistics.
For on demand book binding, Zechini offers the Junior PUR and JuniorBinder perfect binding solutions.
Photobook Binding
Duplo offers a series of on demand hardcover book making systems, ideal for photobooks. Mitabook is a fully automatic, hardcover casing-in machine. It provides easy operation that requires one operator to feed covers and book blocks. The Mitacase is an automatic hardcover/case maker. It produces up to eight cases per minute. Mitamax is a gluing machine that glues half-folded sheets together to produce perfectly square, lay-flat book blocks.
For photobook applications, Fastbind offers its FotoMount Binders, including the FotoMount F32, FotoMounF34, FotoMount 46e, and FotoMount F32W.
The Fastbind FotoMount product line allows printers and photographers to create premium tailor-made photo albums from photographic paper, card, laminated material, copy paper, and prints.
On Demand Machinery (ODM) offers the ability to create Panoramic TRU-Flat Photo Books. Mohawk has paired its i-Tone digital surface treatment with Convertible Solutions’ TRU-Flat binding technology for panoramic format. The ODM Sidewinder scores, folds, and presses Mohawk Panoramic papers to eanble printed images to flow seamlessly across the fold, giving digital printers of all sizes the ability to produce high-value, high-impact books and bound products without a gutter.
Powis’ Fastback 20 binding machine is engineered to give users a strong bind for glossy, coated papers. It produces binding that rivals sewing and wire stitching in strength, but with much less expense and effort.
That’s a Wrap
Finishing is an essential component to every print environment. From cutting to mailing, there are so many considerations. Depending on a print provider’s core offerings, a versatile perfect binder or a niche hardcover photobook finisher offers needed functionality. dps
Jul2014, DPS Magazine
