Perfect Binding

Adhesives in the Bindery: An Overview

February 1, 2010

by: Ken Kroeger, Ph.D.

Adhesives are used in many different operations in the bindery. In a pejorative sense, adhesives are the Rodney Dangerfield of the bindery (they get no respect) because while adhesive performance is very critical to finished product quality, adhesives are almost always a very low cost component. For example, in the production of an 800-page college textbook, the total cost of adhesives is approximately $0.06:

$0.0134 for animal-glue casemaking adhesive to wrap and bond the cover to the chip board
$0.0025 for hot melt for back lining to reinforce the spine
$0.0082 for hot melt for gluing off to flexibly reinforce the book block after sewing
$0.0092 for a liquid resin adhesive for end-sheet tipping
$0.0264 for a liquid resin adhesive for casing-in, in which the book block and end sheets are bonded to the cover

This six cents is just a fraction of the total material cost (including the paper, printing inks, cover wrap, chip board, etc.), but the performance of the adhesives is as important as any of the components to the quality of the finished textbook.

In this first part of a two-part series about adhesives in the bindery, an overview is presented of the three major categories of adhesives used: animal glues, resin emulsions and hot melts.

Animal Glues

Animal glues are the adhesives with the oldest historical record of use. Evidence of their use is dated at least to 1350 B.C. and, indeed, animal glue was used to bond wooden decorations on the tomb of King Tutankhamun! Animal glues (an unfortunate moniker) also are commonly called hide glues in the dehydrated form, gelatin-based adhesives, and cake glues since they are usually produced in a gelled cake form (see Figure 1). Animal glues are water-based adhesives using gelatin protein as their adhesive polymer. Gelatin is the same material used to make Jell-O™, marshmallows, and pharmaceutical capsules. It is produced industrially by the chemical treatment (hydrolysis) of collagen protein contained in the hides and bones of cattle and pigs.

Simple mixtures of gelatin (hide glue) and water have been used in woodworking for thousands of years and in book binding for at least 200 years. Modern animal glues contain not only gelatin and water but also performance modifiers such as plasticizers, sugars, salts, surfactants, defoamers, and biocides. These glues are sold in gelled cake form and are liquefied for use by heating to 150°F. The performance of modern animal glue formulations is much improved over the simple gelatin/water mixtures of the past. The formulations are tailored for each application by modifying parameters such as the level of tack, open time (speed of set), and viscosity. For example, L.D. Davis Industries produces over 100 different animal-glue formulations with open times ranging from two seconds to three minutes.

In the bindery, animal glues are used in hardcover case making, perfect binding, and back lining. The major advantage of animal glues, and the reason they’re still being used 60 years after the advent of synthetic adhesives, is that they possess excellent initial wet tack. In other words, when an animal-glue adhesive film is applied, it is immediately very tacky. This property allows the use of animal glues when a glued turned edge is needed. The major limitation of animal glues is their lack of specific adhesion. Animal glues form only mechanical bonds. This means that they adhere well to porous surfaces but poorly to some coatings and all nonporous substrates such as metals and plastics. Animal glues are outperformed in some ways by synthetic adhesives but persist because of their unique property of excellent wet tack, which remains unmatched by any synthetic aqueous adhesive.

Resin Emulsions

Adhesives based on resin emulsions have a very brief history compared to that of animal glues. Up until the 1940s, the major adhesives in use were natural polymers dispersed in water such as starches, dextrins, and animal glues. After World War II, scientists extended the technology for the emulsion polymerization of synthetic rubber (developed for the war effort) to the production of plastics. This gave birth to adhesives based on resin emulsions. These adhesives are commonly called liquid glues, white glues, or cold glues because of their appearance (see Figure 1) and use at ambient temperature. Resin emulsions are stable dispersions of polymer microparticles (0.1-1.0 micrometer in size) in water. In other words, they are mixtures of tiny plastic particles in water. The polymer microparticles can be composed of “homopolymer,” which is usually polyvinyl acetate produced by the polymerization of vinyl acetate. Alternatively, the polymer microparticles can be composed of “copolymer,” which is formed when vinyl acetate is copolymerized with ethylene (vinyl acetate ethylene) or an acrylate (vinyl acetate acrylate). The copolymers possess better adhesive properties and are more flexible than the homopolymer, but they are more expensive to produce. In addition, rubber-based polymer emulsions can be used to formulate pressure-sensitive adhesives.

Resin emulsions adhesives are formulated by blending one or more resin emulsions with modifiers such as plasticizers, surfactants, defoamers, polyvinyl alcohols, thickeners, fillers, adhesion promoters, and biocides. Various types of adhesives can be tailored in this way for properties such as speed of set, viscosity based on the application method (roller, extrusion nozzle, spray, silk screen, or brush), specific adhesion required, and level of lay-flat needed to avoid warping. The most common uses for these adhesives in the bindery are casing-in and end-sheet tipping. The major advantages of these liquid glues are their good specific adhesion to many surfaces and the ease of use due to their ambient application temperature. The major drawbacks are the lack of immediate wet tack and the need for at least one of the two bonding surfaces to be absorbent. When a bonding situation is encountered where excellent wet tack is not necessary and the surfaces are absorbent, liquid glues are usually the best choice.

Hot Melts

Hot melts also have a relatively brief history, with commercial use limited to the past 50-60 years. Hot melt adhesives are polymer-based and are 100 percent solids (contain no solvents or water). They are thermoplastic, which means they are solids at room temperature but liquefy upon heating and solidify again upon cooling. This property gives hot melts a fast setting speed if desired. The lack of water and solvents allows hot melts to attain peak bonding strength very quickly (as soon as they cool).

Hot melts are typically composed of four major components: polymer, tackifying resin, wax, and antioxidant. The polymers used for most hot melts utilized in the bindery are ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and styrene block copolymer (SBC, for pressure-sensitive hot melts). The polymer component of a hot melt determines its strength, toughness, and flexibility. Tackifying resins control the adhesion and hot tack properties of hot melts. They can be synthetic hydrocarbons or natural pine rosin or rosin derivatives. Waxes are selected for controlling the open time and set speed of the hot melt. Antioxidants are added to improve the pot life (preventing charring and other oxidation reactions). Plasticizers and/or diluents also are sometimes added to improve the flow characteristics and modify the viscosity and open time of the hot melt. Hot melts are normally applied at a temperature of 350°F, but lower temperature versions are available and can be applied as low as 250°F. Application methods include roller, extrusion nozzle, and spray. Hot melts bond mainly by mechanical means in that the polymeric components wet out and penetrate the bonding surfaces prior to solidifying as they cool. When adhering to thermoplastic surfaces (plastics, polyolefin laminates, and some coatings), bonding is very similar to welding due to the temperature of the hot melt when it’s applied.

PUR (reactive polyurethane) hot melts are a more recent development for perfect binding and are largely different from the EVA and SBC hot melts described above. They polymerize when applied so that they form much stronger bonds than traditional hot melts. They also possess superior flexibility and can withstand a larger range of temperatures. PUR is currently much more expensive than traditional EVA hot melts (2-4X), but application rates are much lower.

The most common uses for these adhesives in the bindery are perfect binding spine glue, side glue, gluing off/up, and back lining. The major advantages of hot melts are the excellent immediate (green) tack, the quick achievement of final bond strength, very good adhesion to many surfaces, and excellent shelf life. The major limitations for hot melts are the suspect nature of the hot melt bond at temperatures over 150°F due to its thermoplasticity and safety issues due to the use of high temperatures. Hot melt adhesives are an excellent choice when bonding difficult substrates where immediate tack is needed.

Conclusion

Since World War II there has been a great development of adhesive technology, providing the bindery with a large variety of adhesives – an embarrassment of riches. For every adhesive need in the bindery, an animal glue, resin emulsion, or hot melt can be selected to meet all desired criteria for tack level, open time, set speed, flexibility, bond strength, application method, and temperature stability.

In part two of this series, we’ll investigate the environmental impact of adhesive use in the bindery.

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Kevin Rodeck of IFS Industries for his assistance.

Dr. Ken Kroeger has been the research and development manager for L.D. Davis Industries for the past thirteen years and is an adjunct professor of chemistry and physics at Wingate University. He has an undergraduate chemistry degree from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In addition to adhesives, Dr. Kroeger has experience working in the fields of macromolecular X-ray crystallography, atmospheric chemistry, isotope separation, and explosive and pyrotechnic chemistry. L.D. Davis Industries, Inc. is an 84 year-old family-owned company manufacturing both animal glues and resin emulsion adhesives, as well as distributing multiple lines of hot melts for the graphic arts, rigid box, packaging, and other industries. For more information, call (800)883-6199 or visit www.lddavis.com.

Perfect Binding Technology Follows the Digital Flow

August 21, 2009

by: James Tressler, C.P. Bourg, Inc.

Nothing has changed the face of perfect binding technology faster or more completely than the digital technologies used to create, prepare and print pages.

Page layout and text editing software, digital photography and image editing, Internet distribution, job prep, and short-run digital printing – all are powerful forces pushing the limits of what can be perfect bound. In turn, perfect binding technology has risen to meet these market challenges with advances in products, processes and adhesives that will spur the market to bind more – and more kinds – of books better, faster and less expensively than ever before.

The technologies underlying these changes have been at work since the 1980s. But it is only recently that we have reached a tipping point, where market forces spurred by the convergence of multiple digital technologies all of a sudden seem to have quickly and conclusively leapfrogged traditional binding methods.

The Commoditization of Print

For example, the market for on demand book publishing is soaring. Bowker¹, the official International Standard Book Number (ISBN) agency for the U.S., recently projected that 285,394 titles were produced in the U.S. in 2008 on demand, a “staggering” 132 percent increase over the 2007 total of 123,276 titles. Equally startling, the 2008 level reflected the second consecutive year of triple-digit growth in the on demand segment, rising 462 percent above 2006 levels.

Based on the preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker said 2008 could prove to be a “watershed year” in which titles produced on-demand and short-run – which it defines as print runs of less than 100 – exceeded the number of traditional book titles entering the marketplace. And that’s before adding consumer and corporate titles that often escape ISBN classification.

Data gathered for the Printing Industries of America Digital Printing Council² bear this trend out:

Between 1980 and 2007, the number of commercial publishers mushroomed from 10,000 to nearly 95,000.
During that time, the average number of books per order dropped from 18,963 to 3,055.
By 2007, 30 percent of all books published were printed digitally.
From 2000 to 2007 the publishing market grew almost 50 percent, from $21 billion to nearly $33 billion.

Clearly, book run lengths are collapsing while the number of titles – and the overall market – is expanding, if not exploding. Consider the experience of Tennessee book manufacturer Lightning Source, Inc., which claims that from its inception in 1997 to 2008 it delivered more than 50 million books on demand with an average run length of 1.8 copies.³

This evidence is not surprising when you consider that books printed digitally don’t need to be inventoried or warehoused, never go out of print, can be produced on demand in whatever quantity needed, and can be requested, sold, and distributed through more channels.

Digital Impact

The trend toward digital is reflected in diverse ways – from the business habits of corporate enterprises looking for ways to showcase their image or streamline their operations, to the increasing numbers of “micro publishers” and vanity press, to average consumers flooding printing e-tailers with requests for a few photo books of the family vacation.

Digital printing has unique characteristics that significantly affect binding and finishing technology:

Dramatically shorter runs. Although average run length is between 100 and 300 copies, books of one are commonplace, as evidenced by the experience of companies like Lightning Source, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Lulu.
Different processes. Unlike offset inks, which are absorbed into the paper’s fibers, digital inks and toners in effect are less durable coatings placed or fused onto the surface of the paper.
Different papers. Digital production increasingly involves color ink or toner printed on coated, double-sided (C2S) covers and coated text stocks of varying weights.
Different sizes. Even though digital formats are smaller than offset (at max 14.33 x 22.5 inches), their range is optimal for one-up page production and adequate for 2-up and 4-up production of longer-run, smaller format documents.
Collated output. The bindery needs to keep digital output in sequence or risk ruining an entire output stack.
Variety. Digital printing is able to print any number of books and pages one after another on demand for almost any purpose imaginable – from college course packs to corporate histories, product manuals to weekly in-store shopping guides, and photo books to family genealogies.

The Internet also is exerting influence by making it possible to sell, accept, track, arrange to ship, and bill jobs electronically. Meanwhile, the more challenging economics of the past decade have translated into generally higher costs for everything from labor and energy to storage and shipping – everything except for printing, which has become a commodity.

Finishing Just in Time

So, what do these trends have to do with binding and finishing in general, and with perfect binding in particular?

For print buyers, print on demand is more efficient, less costly, and lower risk. With digital printing, economies of scale are largely irrelevant so there’s little reason to produce more copies than needed – a boon for companies trying to eliminate storage costs. The resulting phenomenon of smaller runs and just-in-time manufacturing to avoid overstocks and remainders is being repeated at publishers, retailers, and corporations across the country.

Meanwhile, consumers as comfortable handling computers and digital cameras as they are a perfect bound copy of National Geographic or a John Grisham paperback now see the practicality of instant self expression in self-publishing photo books and family genealogies.

With the commoditization of digital printing and consumer demand on a collision course, the bindery is emerging as a “value added” service – whether it’s found in a corporate, commercial, or trade setting. The bindery able to offer “finishing on demand” offers something they never had or needed before: opportunity.

Within this context, perfect binding has emerged as a familiar, quick-turnaround, professional-looking bookbinding method that has a future as bright as a camera’s flash.

Nimble Equipment and Automated Processes

What’s new in perfect binding technology to meet these market challenges?

The fast pace and individuality of digital printing technology demands equally nimble binding and finishing technology. The biggest beneficiaries are systems able to bind or finish documents efficiently in short runs from one copy to several hundred.

On-line variations following the debut of the Xerox DocuTech actually emerged before off-line units. The first on-line signature booklet maker (the C.P. Bourg SBM-1) was introduced in 1990; the first single-clamp perfect binder (Bourg’s BBF2005) appeared in 1995. On-line systems are matched to the output from the digital printer and by definition are fully automated to allow a single person to operate the print and finishing operation. Since then, a number of off-line single-clamp systems have appeared.

With print run lengths tumbling and experienced help harder to find, automated job setup and changeovers are important features for any binder, but they’re critically important for systems used for producing short-runs, and especially books of one.

On these systems, computer technology married with advanced mechanical engineering techniques have produced systems capable of automatic operation such as milling and jogging, and measuring the thickness and length of each book block both to determine glue application and automatically center covers of different sizes one after another. Touch-screen terminals with icon-driven operating menus for fast and easy job setup are now the norm, and job changeovers have evolved beyond the need for adjustment tools.

Rounding out the equipment advances are closer attention to operator ergonomics and safety features that keep hands safely away.

Aggressive Adhesives

Polyurethane reactive (PUR) adhesive is the big story here. A tenacious, hot-melt, solvent-free adhesive that reacts to moisture in the air, PUR is resistant to a wide variety of inks, varnishes, oils, and solvents, as well as temperature extremes, and handles lay -flat applications with ease.

Although PUR was developed in the 1980s, the technology was recently reformulated, making it better suited to quickly and aggressively bind the coated stocks and delicate inks and toners used in color digital printing. Reformulated PUR pull-strength and flexibility is superior to other adhesives. And even though full strength is reached in eight to 24 hours, books bound with the new PUR formulation can be trimmed within two minutes and shipped the same day. In short, PUR is perfect for binding longer-life books that use heavier weight, larger size, or specialty papers and have heavier ink or toner coverage.

The more aggressive PUR adhesive requires a sealed glue tank to prevent unwanted contact with moisture in the air and a tightly controlled precision delivery system, both to prevent premature curing and to avoid waste and cleanup associated with misapplication.

PUR also is more expensive than other adhesives. Pound for pound, polyvinyl acetate (PVA) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) can bind almost twice as many books as PUR. However, because PUR is more effective for binding color digital printing smothered with toner, inks, or fuser oil and “knits” much better to the fibers of coated papers, it allows the bindery to charge considerably more per bind.

What’s in Store for the Future?

With short runs increasing, look for automation to affect every aspect of binding and finishing equipment, as well as binding and finishing workflow. For off-line production, content and cover-driven workflows will gain prominence. And with demand for PUR on the rise, look for fully automated in-line PUR perfect binders with the ability to handle larger page formats and thicker spines than those currently available.

With digital production driving nearly every aspect of binding and finishing today, it’s a good time to ask where your customers are headed and how you plan to track them. Now more than ever, binderies need to be looking to non-traditional suppliers, markets, and approaches to find the binding edge.

James Tressler is director of branch operations and Mid-Atlantic regional sales manager at C.P. Bourg, Inc., a leading technology developer and supplier of in-line and near-line document feeding, binding, and finishing equipment. His career in the binding industry spans nearly 20 years. C.P. Bourg can be found on the web at www.cpbourg.com.

References

Bowker Reports U.S. Book Production Declines 3% in 2008, but On Demand Publishing More than Doubles – (http://www.bowker.com/index.php/press-releases).
PIA Digital Printing Council “Marketing 4 Digital” Report on Book Publishing, 2007.
See Case Study at oceusa.com.

Q&A: Challenges in Perfect Binding

May 1, 2007

The Binding Edge

Perfect binding is an economical, attractive way to present information in a bound book format with both short and long runs. Once looked at as a binding method for thick books or publications only, perfect binding equipment can now work with minimum page counts as low as 24 and thicknesses as small as 1/16 of an inch. This, coupled with advancements in equipment, has caused perfect binding to become a popular option. However, it doesn’t come without challenges.

Knowing where the potential problems lie can help operators allow extra time for set-up or run-time difficulties; and can help customer service staff and sales teams guide the customers in creating appropriate expectations.

The Binding Edge contacted three companies for insights on the challenges in perfect binding. Contributors include Jody Harrison, product manager of book and publication binding, Muller Martini; Jim Kaeli, division manager of book and publication binding, Muller Martini; David Young, Technical Sales, Deluxe Stitcher; and Don Dubuque, Marketing Manager, Standard Finishing Systems.

Question: What challenges are there when doing layouts for perfect binding jobs? How are they overcome?

There are some things that are just understood when it comes to layout for perfect binding jobs. Page counts must be divisible by four. Binding on the landscape side can cause problems with certain machines. Glue adhesion is generally best if the product doesn’t have a spine of more than three inches.

One of the most common challenges with layout comes when there is a read-across section (where the image must align across two consecutive pages), particularly if they are in two different signatures. It is recommended to try to avoid this if possible by working with the layout and moving pages so the read-across falls in the same signature.

Also, when you are working with gate folded pages and the image on the gate is the same as underneath (or similar), very accurate folding is required.?If this takes place, it is best to try to ensure that the margin area where the match must be made does not have very precise tolerances, since there would be detailed images or print that would clearly show off-fold register. Paper grain is another key to successful perfect binding. Cross-grain pages can cause waves or cracking at the spine, or reduced spine strength. Less paper fiber also is exposed during milling, leading to less-than-optimal glue adhesion. Again, working with this during the layout stage can help decrease a lot of problems during the perfect binding process.

Question: What difficulties arise when a binder needs to accommodate a customer’s request for inserts? (CDs, pull-outs, etc)

From the point of view of layout, the location of the insert in the book can create issues, and the type of carrier can create a “hard to bind” situation. It is suggested to avoid the placement of multiple inserts in a book in the same relative location since that creates significant localized buildup of thickness.

In addition, when running inserts or “gimmicks” (as they are sometimes called), much more time and effort is required to get a machine ready to run. There is usually a pre-determined slow down percentage allowed for the production run, including more time to ramp up to an acceptable running speed. This makes production numbers much harder to reach. Each machine has certain limits of what type of paper, cards, CDs, etc., that it will run, and more and more printers are accepting difficult work. Every printer wants to make the customer’s advertisement look unique, and the customer continues to push the envelope so its advertisement stands out in a book or magazine, making more modification and adjustments to the perfect binding process necessary.

Question: How does stock thickness / spine thickness affect the way a perfect bound job is done?

Stock thickness can greatly affect the run speeds of the machine used to produce it, with thicker books requiring slower speeds and greater accuracy in setting up the trimmer. Thicker paper stocks usually run a bit easier, but the machine requires more workers to keep it full as it can run out of stock much faster. This may not be an issue for shorter runs, but thicker paper can certainly add time and cost to larger runs.

Generally, the spongier the stock, the more of a challenge it can be to perfect bind as it does not compress well unless under pressure (in a clamp for example). For thicker products, this can be an issue and cause multiple passes on the perfect binder. It is recommended to consider this when selecting the paper stock and avoid the more spongy stocks for thicker books or publications.

Question: When are glue adhesion issues most likely to occur?

Referring back to the previous question, stock thickness also affects adhesive selection. Heavyweight coated stocks will make using a PUR adhesive more attractive. PUR adhesives are many times more costly, but may be necessary for certain applications. In addition, cross grain signatures can cause adhesion issues, and other issues can be caused when printers/designers do not allow for the proper masking off of the spine area on covers when varnishes and heavy ink coverage is being used. This refers back to the first question where these issues can be avoided if the layout is properly done.

Stock or covers with slick coated surfaces make surface adhesion of the adhesive more difficult as well. Often, running a quick binding test will determine if the paper will need extra attention.

Question: What benefits does automation bring to perfect bound jobs?

Automation in perfect binding equipment is driven by a decline in run lengths, quicker turnaround requirements, and the need to easily train workers. As run lengths get shorter, set-up time becomes a bigger percentage of total job time, driving up labor cost per unit produced.

In addition, short production runs leave little margin for error or on-the-fly equipment adjustments. That’s where new software makes a difference. Touchscreen technology guides equipment operators through each step of the setup procedure, reducing the likelihood of waste due to errors. Advanced automated systems deliver shorter set-ups, less set-up waste, and faster turnaround, which translates into higher profits.

With today’s run lengths becoming shorter and shorter, binderies and printers must look at newer, more automated equipment to decrease downtime and set-up time from job to job.

Perfect Binding Equipment Answers Need for Speed and Flexibility

February 1, 2006

by: Staff

With increasing pressure for faster production and turnaround times, as well as changes that on-demand printing has created in the graphics world, new equipment developments in perfect binding has changed as well. Manufacturers have rolled out machinery to perfect bind papers at a variety of speeds and in a variety of manufacturing environments, from desktop to the large high-speed equipment on the bindery floor.

BindIt has recently released the PERFECTBIND II desktop perfect binding machine. The PERFECTBIND II is designed to create professionally bound presentations and reports in small office settings. The PERFECTBIND II features a compact stream-lined design that binds up to 250 sheets. The machine contains auto shut-off, visual and audio indicators, a built-in cooling rack, and a selector button for normal or high capacity. Unique U-channel technology assures firm adhesion of all sheets.

Rosback Company has two perfect binders on the market, the 850 and the 882. The Rosback 850 perfect binder is ideal for the short-run, on-demand market. The 850’s heavy-duty single clamp adjusts in seconds for spines from 4 sheets up to 2′ thick. In-line notching produces the strongest binds by allowing adhesive to penetrate the spine. Notching can be turned off with one switch and pads can be produced with equal efficiency. The 850s precise cover nipper adjusts to the book thickness automatically to produce square, tight spines on books up to 15′ long. The Rosback 882 includes the best features of its predecessor, the 880 Book Binding unit, such as the unique ability to produce consistent, strong square spines, fast cycling speeds, and a hefty 2′ clamp capacity. The 882 adds a new operator interface that provides a central master control for quick setup and total system monitoring. The 882 includes cover joggers, a self-adjusting nipper, and an integrated book counter.

PRINT 05 in Chicago marked the world premier of the Standard Horizon BQ-470 fully automated four-clamp perfect binder from Standard Finishing Systems. The BQ-470 requires minimal operator training and produces up to 1,350 perfect bound books per hour, with four clamps that travel on a vertical elliptical track. The BQ-470 binder’s 10.4′ LCD touch-screen is used to provide servomotor-controlled automation to the professional-quality mid-range binding market. The BQ-470 can bind books up to 2.5′ thick and optional interchangeable glue tanks support both EVA and PUR adhesives to meet varying customer requirements.

The new generation of KOLBUS perfect binders offers the ideal solution for a variety of production requirements, including the binding of special products or large commercial runs. Economic efficiency, quality, and versatility are the distinctive features of KOLBUS perfect binders. Included in the KOLBUS line is the Perfect Binder KM 470, which runs at 6,000 cycles per hour and includes 21 or 27 clamps. This model includes fast format changes due to manual adjustment aids to meet practical requirements, as well as an optional gripper carriage delivery to carefully handle delicate products. The KM 473 has the capabilities of running at 8,000 cycles per hour and includes fully automated adjustments. It also includes touch screen, graphic operator guidance, and a remote diagnosis. The KOLBUS KM 411 is the high-production model that runs at 12,000 to 15,000 cycles per hour. It includes a fully automated format and block hang out adjustment. It has a central input and operating unit as well as touch-screens conveniently located around the machine for easy operation. All KOLBUS binders can be equipped with cold, hotmelt, or PUR glue pots. The KM 473 and KM 411 binders also include KOLBUS’s new spine processing technology. The 8, 12, and 15 thousand cycle per hour perfect binders are controlled by the Copilot System. The operator is guided through the operating procedure by an interactive dialogue.

New from Baum is the BaumBinder 1500 Perfect Binder, featuring a top-loading, bottom-feeding cover feeder and a two-part conveyor system for flexibility of finished book delivery. The BaumBinder 1500 offers efficiency and accuracy from clamping, spine preparation, and glue application, through delivery. A multi-tooth milling blade handles spine preparation and the thermostat-controlled glue tank features an application roller and back spinner. The BaumBinder 1500 operates at 1,500 cycles per hour.

Muller Martini perfect binding systems deliver advantages to bookbinding operations of all sizes. The company-s latest innovation is the 8,000 cycle per hour Model 3028 Bolero, introduced at PRINT 05. Bolero raises the production efficiency bar to a new notch, providing the highest levels of automation ever offered in a Muller Martini perfect binder, including the ability to perform its own makereadies. In addition, the Corona line is now available in three speeds – 12,000, 15,000, or 18,000 c/hr. The Corona C18 has a new generation touchscreen and is now more user-friendly. The CoronaCompact C12 is engineered for limited spaces. The Muller Martini family of perfect binding technologies also include the Acoro A7 (7,000 c/hr) and Acoro A5 (5,000 c/hr), each allowing timesaving on-the-fly adjustments of individual machine settings; the Tigra (3,500 c/hr), featuring menu-guided controls for easy operation and rapid makeready; and the AmigoPlus (1,500 c/hr) for short runs.

Perfect binding equipment continues to change and improve, driven by the needs of customers who want a professionally bound product in the fast-paced printing environment of today.

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