Quality

Importance of Workflow Software for Binding/Finishing

December 11, 2023

Edited by Erin La Row, editor, PostPress

Investing in workflow management software to connect binding/finishing operations helps streamline specific tasks of the production processes, increasing efficiency and minimizing the chance for costly errors.

PostPress posed questions to these industry experts – Andrew Bailes-Collins, head of product management, Ultimate TechnoGraphics, Inc.; Yashi Potdar, workflow solutions analyst, Standard Finishing Systems; Carlo Ruas, partner, Taktiful Software Solutions; and Mauro Valle, solutions manager, SigmaLine & Connex Workflow, Müller Martini – to gain a better understanding of how workflow management software is helping to improve outcomes from the printing to the finishing/binding environments.

Improving communication

The development of these applications mainly was triggered by the prepress departments that were being modernized and digitized quickly, Ruas explained. Workflow management software could help prevent or avoid errors along the processes, which were mainly caused by human factors. “It is well known that errors in prepress will have a direct impact on subsequent processes, such as printing or finishing, since all three are interrelated,” he said. “It is for this reason that the evolution of these developments has maintained among its principles the automation with which production errors are minimized by seeking to anticipate them.”

Bailes-Collins agreed. “It could be argued that prepress is more important than the actual press in a lot of scenarios. As the prepress department imposes the pages for the press, it’s the information that’s generated by prepress that is used to set up the finishing equipment, including embellishment, and this normally is achieved by JDF [job definition format]communication or by placing barcodes on the printed media.”

The development of new finishing systems is a challenge for workflow software today. These technologies are not yet compatible with XJDF [exchange job definition format, which is a subset of JDF], which keeps them excluded from management software and means the processes involved for the adjustment and set-up of the equipment still are manual and prone to errors. “The challenges that these new finishing technologies pose in terms of their integration into a workflow still are very varied since it is necessary to first document and define the variables of the processes involved so that they can be integrated into the XJDF format,” Potdar said.

Many print providers identify the finishing process as a bottleneck in their operations, especially as job runs get shorter, he added. Finishing equipment often doesn’t run at press speed, and there often are multiple machines that need to be set up to complete the finishing on a job – such as a booklet application requiring cutting, cover sheet insertion, saddlestitching and trimming.

“When the printing environment isn’t communicating with the finishing environment, it places more burden on operators to keep track of which jobs are being processed and when. This introduces inefficiencies in the form of wasted time and human error, especially as experienced operators become scarcer,” Potdar said. “When the press and the finishing are in communication through workflow software, there is less friction in processing applications.”

Valle said with shorter production runs, makeready times become more crucial by passing the information from the digitally printed product to the binding equipment. He added “You drastically reduce the makeready times by eliminating operator input.”

Important considerations

Compatibility is the most important element of workflow software for communicating between the printing and binding/finishing processes, according to Potdar. She said manufacturers incorporate proprietary software within their equipment that can manage the workflow within that specific piece of equipment.

“A press may use one type of software and the finishing equipment may use another. For an end-to-end workflow solution, the workflow software must be able to communicate with all these different machines,” Potdar said. “Luckily, this isn’t as complicated as it once was. Advancements in workflow software have improved compatibility across systems so providers can implement a true end-to-end workflow.”

Another factor that plays a role in why the adoption of finishing automation through workflow management software still is slow compared to the adoption of other technologies is that many print shops still have older finishing equipment that is not compatible with JDF.

“It is no less important to highlight the need to continue with the dissemination and training of XJDF to catalyze its adoption, which will indirectly promote new finishing developments to also include compatibility with the XJDF format in their systems,” Ruas said.

Bailes-Collins believes connectivity and open communication are key considerations. The ability to work with open standards is important, he said, as all of the individual applications in a print production workflow need to communicate with each other using standards such as JDF, XJDF, XML (extensible markup language), JMF (job messaging format) APIs (application programming interface) and JSON (JavaScript object notation). “To be honest, a company doesn’t need to understand these formats as they are under the hood and transparent to the users – they just ‘work,’” He said. “But as they are the building blocks of connected workflow solutions, companies should ensure anything they buy is ‘open’ and they are not locking themselves into a single solution or vendor.”

“So-called ‘islands of automation,’ where solutions provide automation within themselves but cannot openly communicate with other software or hardware in the production environment, are to be avoided,” Bailes-Collins said. “Open end-to-end communication is what the market is demanding. Proprietary systems and formats can create dead ends in modern production. If you are buying a new piece of finishing equipment, ask if it can be connected to your network, if it’s driven externally by JDF or some other method, and about integrations that already exist at customer sites. Prepare for the future.”

Overcoming challenges

Companies get overwhelmed when talking about software tools, Potdar said. “Introducing a new workflow solution into an operation will require training operators and staff, which intimidates many print providers. Also, setting up end-to-end integration is a large, though cost-effective, investment, and it requires buy-in from executives and managers from across an organization to work to its fullest potential,” she added.

Even with improvements in software compatibility, some organizations will still require some manual customization from their software providers to automate all their processes, which can further affect costs.

Ruas explained that equipment manufacturers are free to integrate into their workflow software proprietary data exchange formats for intercommunication of their systems, and it is quite possible that they could deliver some additional features to those that XDJF could naturally deliver. However, he added, this would only be feasible when a printer has decided to work with systems from the same brand/manufacturer.

“The real challenge faced when implementing workflow management software would not directly be related to manufacturers’ proprietary interchange formats,” Ruas said. “An example worth mentioning is the rapid adoption of the PDF format which, since it became available in 1993, has rapidly replaced other formats used in prepress environments and now is accepted as the standard format for sending electronic files for printing. The modernization of the installed plant of prepress devices and their compatibility with the PDF format allowed this file format to be integrated as a technical standard.”

Valle said he has observed that as companies try to move into the digital space, not many people have embraced the JDF standard. “Many customers do not have the required upfront data to push downstream to optimize their production runs. This means that they still are leaving a lot of manual work for operators,” he said.

In some cases, automation can be viewed as a threat if not explained properly. “Any automation project requires a change of mindset,” Bailes-Collins said. “The whole team should feel that they are involved in the project. Automation is a company-wide initiative, so everyone should be included with clear messaging about why it’s happening and what the goals are.”

Recommendations

As companies begin the implementation process, it’s important to set clear goals for the company and include representation from each department on the implementation team. Bailes-Collins advised, “Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew. And don’t overcomplicate things.” Any automation project is best done in small, bite-sized pieces, he said, adding that “Too often the focus is too small and, when you want to achieve end-to-end automation, you can end up having to replace small pieces if you don’t keep the end goal in sight. Automate in step but with a clear end goal in mind.”

Valle said a lot depends on and starts from the customer entry and the file submission that is going to be printed. “It is important to have that data upfront. Knowing how the product will be finished (such as paper type, binding methods, etc.) and having a good management information system (MIS) are crucial to passing all the information downstream to the bindery,” he said. “Having the ability to receive feedback from the printing and post-press equipment also is important.”

Potdar said the most important thing is for companies to look at their entire operation holistically, from intake to shipping, adding, “Many companies try to simply connect existing, separate workflows, and this is where problems can arise. A holistic view of operations not only helps identify inefficiencies and redundancies up front but allows companies to build in capacity and capabilities for the future instead of only working with what already exists in their shop.”

Take a holistic view but then focus on one area, perhaps the biggest bottleneck or the place where the company will get the greatest return on investment. “Do that first and then move on to the next area and so on,” Bailes-Collins said. “Learn as you go. Keep the scope of project tightly focused and don’t fall into the trap of adding and adding functionality. You will never finish your first step if you do that.”

Another tip is to nominate an “automation champion” in the company to drive the project forward and manage it. “Give that person the time to step outside his or her daily work to focus on the project and make it happen,” Bailes-Collins advised.

Whether or not there’s a benefit of having a workflow software platform for separate trade binding/finishing operations depends on the company, according to Potdar, who said print service providers that do high-volume, long-run applications will benefit the most from end-to-end automation and workflow solutions. Smaller print service providers that work on a lot of short-run jobs may find that separate workflow solutions work best for their operations.

“Incorporating workflow automation software even in just binding/finishing can automate the finishing process, including machine set-up, which is helpful to reduce dependency on skilled labor, reduce errors and improve overall production,” she said. “Again, the key is to evaluate the entire operation when considering the addition of workflow solutions to find the best configuration for each specific business.”

Future of workflow management

Valle foresees a better MIS in the future. “I think the impact is going to be a better MIS system that fully understands the process from order entry to printing, binding and down to shipping, where they can utilize and take advantage of the available standards, such as JDF and JMF,” he said.

“The current trend in the adoption of artificial intelligence tools across industries undoubtedly will have an impact and future changes on what we currently know of as XJDF,” Ruas said. “Workflow tools will be able to anticipate with greater certainty problems related to finishing processes which would help production processes to be further optimized.”

Also not new, but a growing trend Bailes-Collins sees is the ability for two-way communication between the finishing and the upstream systems. “Whether this is related to analytics relating to machine performance, or information regarding the progress and status of each job, this will enable real-time status data for managers, production planners and even customers to know what is where, if it’s on schedule or late,” he said.

As a work mix becomes more dynamic on the press and runs get shorter, Bailes-Collins said finishing automation also must be more dynamic in set-up and operation.

“Therefore, we expect to see more JDF automation, as a JDF set of instructions is job-specific and does not rely on a set-up on the finishing device,” he said. “In short, you won’t need any set-ups, and each job can have a different finishing set-up that automatically is controlled by accompanying JDF instructions.”

Potdar said she expects to see further improvements in compatibility to make integrations even more painless and cost effective. Many software providers are moving to cloud-based models so that print service providers can access data from anywhere, even across multiple business locations, to optimize operations on the go. She added, “We expect both print manufacturers and finishing manufacturers to continue to incorporate even more advanced automation, including robotics, predictive maintenance and data analytics, into their equipment and software to push the capabilities of workflow solutions even further.”

PostPress would like to thank Andrew Bailes-Collins with Ultimate TechnoGraphics, Inc., www.imposition.com; Yashi Potdar with Standard Finishing Systems, www.sdmc.com; Carlo Ruas with Taktiful, www.taktiful.com; and Mauro Valle with Müller Martini, www.mullermartini.com, for their assistance with this article.

PDF Files Can Help Streamline the Embellishment Process

March 15, 2023

By Andrew Bailes-Collins, head of product management, Ultimate TechnoGraphics, and technical officer, Ghent Workgroup

Digital embellishment is a really hot topic in the world of printing and finishing these days – and with good reason. The ability to differentiate oneself from competitors and increase the services offered to potential or existing customers are reasons enough. But increasing margin and profitability on each printed piece makes an investment in digital embellishment a no-brainer for a lot of print service providers.

The return on investment is not always about the ability to offer digital embellishment as a service, but also in capturing costs that currently are incurred by outsourcing embellishment to third parties. It’s now totally feasible to bring embellishment technology in-house. Even labor is not an issue. After a training course, almost anybody can run a digital embellishment device – previous printing or prepress knowledge is not required.

The ISO processing steps standard encourages the use of special layers in PDF files. There is metadata attached to each layer that the user cannot see. Image courtesy of Ghent Workgroup.

What is important, especially with regard to workflow efficiency, automation and capturing that increased margin, is making sure that customer-supplied PDF files are submitted correctly. Don’t eat into profitability by spending additional time in prepress fixing files to make them usable for embellishment!

The following information is part of a presentation I originally gave at Amplify Print in June 2022. It’s based on work done by the Ghent PDF Workgroup (www.gwg.org), which now is an ISO standard (ISO 19593-1). That standard provides the basis for the recommendations that follow, but certain parts of the specification have been ignored to focus on the specific requirements for digital embellishment and to provide some best practices that can be achieved with standard desktop applications like Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator.

Different embellishment devices have different guidelines on how PDF files should be created, and different printing companies have different workflows and ways of handling embellishment files. But what follows are some recommendations for creating PDF files for embellishment that will work in any digital workflow scenario and also are applicable for analog embellishment techniques.

Workflow

There are two main workflow scenarios for handling PDF files for embellishment. The first is that the PDF file in its entirety is moved through the workflow, and the front end of the embellishment device can take the parts it needs from the PDF by utilizing PDF layers and ignoring the unneeded content. The second way of working is that the PDF file is broken down into several different PDF files – one for each required process. Think printing, cutting, varnish and foil, for example.

The optimal scenario would be that customer-created files could be received, pass quality control and then be imposed or nested, sometimes with PDF files from other customers, and then be output without any manual intervention, problems or correction.

The more likely situation is that received files require some degree of correction or editing, preferably automatically. But even that requires the incoming PDF files to already meet a certain quality and be created in a way that they are editable in the first place.

Object stack

When creating PDF files for print that are having embellishments added to them, creators should have a mindset that they are creating two separate jobs in one PDF file. They initially should create the design to be printed and then, on top of that, add the elements to be embellished. There are some recommendations on how to do that.

A PDF file contains what is called an “object stack.” This represents the stack of objects in the file, one object on top of the other. Some of these objects can be seen – like text, graphics and images – and some are not visible – like masks and forms and other content – that, all combined, make the PDF view and print as it was intended.

The objects in an object stack interact with each other by knocking out, overprinting or blending together using transparency effects, like “multiply.”

A basic rule for creating files for embellishment is that the embellishment objects should be at the top of the object stack. The objects that will be printed should be at the bottom of the object stack. There should be separate objects for printing and for embellishment – no object should do both!

The embellishment objects should overprint and not interact in any way with the objects to be printed that are underneath. There almost should be an invisible wall between the print objects and the embellishment objects. The embellishment objects should not knock out or use transparency effects at all. All of the embellishment objects should be able to be deleted, and the printed file remain unchanged in appearance.

Spot color separations

Spot color separations is a fundamental way of working; it’s a technique that pre-dates PDF and digital workflows.

The embellishment file should overprint the print file.

In the case of embellishments, each object that needs the type of embellishment is colored with an overprinting spot color with a unique name that represents the embellishment it is for – emboss, spot varnish and foil, for example. There should be only one color separation for each embellishment type.

Some embellishment devices require strict separation naming conventions that describe the effect required, but these names easily can be corrected in preflight software or even in the embellishment device front-end software. Multi-color inks, such as CMYK+, that involve embellishment objects should be avoided at all costs. These will cause separation problems and require extra manual work to correct.

Typically, embellishment objects should be solid colors, 100% of the required spot color. The only exception to this would be objects that are going to utilize the “3D varnish” effects that some embellishment devices can produce. For these effects, tints are used to define the different levels of thickness of the varnish. This is the only case where tints should be used to define embellishment effects.

Layers in PDF

With the release of PDF version 1.5, layers – or to give them their correct name, optional content groups – became part of the PDF specification. Using them with production PDF files has become a common workflow practice. They especially are useful for complex files, such as packaging that contains not only print content, but also structural, cutting and finishing information. The use of layers also is recommended for PDF files containing embellishment – they are an addition to the use of color separations, not an alternative.

The use of layers starts in desktop design applications. Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, for example, both allow creators to work with layers, making the grouping, moving and hiding of objects very convenient for the designer. In desktop applications, a layer also represents the position in the object stack of the objects on it – this is not the case for PDF files as layers have a different purpose in PDFs.

In PDF files, layers mainly are used to show or hide objects in the PDF. As a result, they are extremely useful for soft proofing as a customer can turn the layers on and off to see the file with and without the embellishment objects. Even the free Adobe Acrobat Reader version supports the use of layers, so this approach is popular, easy and affordable.

One thing to know is that PDFs only support the use of layers in PDF version 1.5 and above, so when the customer is exporting a design with layers to a PDF, the correct PDF version must be selected or the layers will be flattened on export. If the customer specifies the PDF/X ISO standard for incoming PDF files, then PDF/X1a or PDF/X-3 will not be suitable. They do not support layers. The customer must request a PDF/X-4 file or higher.

Potential pitfalls

If a customer is working with images and wishes to pick out parts of an image with embellishment, then it is likely being done with an application like Adobe Photoshop. The temptation when doing this is that the customer will save the file as one CMYK+ image. This is not what production wants.

Typically, embellishment objects should be solid colors, 100% of the required spot color.

What is required is that the customer makes two images – one for the print and one for the embellishment – and combines them in the page layout application with the embellishment file overprinting the printing one. This approach means the PDF file can be separated properly and will work correctly with layers. With the layered approach, the entire object is assigned to a layer. It is not possible to put just parts of an image on a layer. Hence the need for a separate image for embellishment.

Another thing to watch with images is that they have hard edges. Soft, feathered edges do not work well with embellishment. Images also should have a good resolution, especially if they contain fine elements like text or thin lines.

White knockout

I talked a little before about knockout and overprint. In PDF, when an object overlaps another object, the default behavior is that the uppermost object knocks through all objects underneath it. This can be used in a design to create certain effects. For example, it may be desirable for a foil or varnish to sit directly on the substrate, not on any ink or toner. Allowing it to knock out everything underneath it will achieve that effect.

In such a situation, it would be easy to create the knockout effect simply by using the embellishment object as a knockout, but that is not the correct way to do it. Remember that the print design still should remain intact if the embellishment objects are removed, and there should be no interaction between the printing objects and the embellishment ones.

The correct approach is that the designer should create an additional white printing object that creates the knockout needed, rather than relying on any embellishment objects to do that.

There is a trick for times when the designer actually requires embellishment objects to knock out each other. If they are overprinting each other, how can that be achieved? The trick is to use a 0% tint of the overprinting embellishment separation color. Using that approach, the 0% color gives the visual appearance of a knockout white hole, while still overprinting the other objects beneath it.

Future

In the future, there are several things that would help aid the adoption of embellishment by the design community. The first would be to make it easier to create embellishments when designing a job, and by this, I mean in the desktop design applications. If tools were available to make visualizing and creating embellishment designs easier, I think that would help adoption.

In addition, within the packaging community, there is increased adoption of the ISO processing steps standard (ISO 19593-1) by software vendors. Packaging files can be extremely complex and difficult to communicate about and automate, especially internationally. This standard encourages the use of special layers in PDF files, but the clever part is that there is metadata attached to each layer that the user cannot see. This metadata identifies the layer, so any software can read it and know what the objects on the layer are meant to be. They could be the dieline, the emboss, the foil or any one of many other finishing or embellishment processes. The name of the layer itself actually becomes irrelevant as it’s no longer needed for the production of the job.

This standard provides a standard way of working, creating PDF files and supplying PDF files, which improves communication and increases the opportunity for automation.

For this to happen requires the ability for designers to implement this standard during the creation of the job. This means the functionality has to be available to support it in the desktop applications, and it must be easy to use. To support the complete production chain, the standard also has to be adopted by the finishing and embellishment manufacturers. It’s already included in the Rips/DFEs from Adobe and Global Graphics that drive print engines, and the Ghent Workgroup already has been working on this topic, creating preflight standards and defining best practices to support the standard and help drive its adoption.

It remains to be seen if this standard will be able to make the jump from the prepress arena into finishing, but it would be hugely beneficial to the industry if it could. If interested in more information on this topic, a white paper about it can be downloaded at www.gwg.org/technical-specifications/processing-steps.

Andrew Bailes-Collins is the head of product management at Ultimate TechnoGraphics, a leader in imposition and finishing automation software based in Montreal, Canada. He also is the technical officer of the Ghent Workgroup and an evangelist of PDF best practices, standards and automation, with over 40 years of experience in the printing industry.

Working Through Challenges with Today’s Paper Stocks and Coatings

September 9, 2021

Compiled by PostPress Staff

Paper stocks and coatings usually are the culprits of potential challenges with foil stamping and embossing. Foil and/or embossing can be a smooth process when the proper stocks and coatings are used, but when there is not communication about the selection of stocks and coatings to match the foiling and/or embossing, roadblocks can occur.

Communication is the key to matching foils to the right coatings or paper stock. Greg Faddis, direct sales professional with UEI Group, which supplies dies and foils through Universal Engraving, Inc. and Infinity Foils, Inc., shared that the substrates chosen and the coatings used can pose problems. These problems especially occur when the print finisher plans a job with the expectation that the finishing will be applied to virgin or uncoated stock, but learns only when the job arrives for processing that a coated stock has been used. In addition, Faddis noted that pairing the stock with the correct foil is essential, especially when wide coverage is involved. “Fineline detail type is great, but when you get into the large panels and it’s on a coated sheet, air entrapment becomes an issue,” he said. To avoid these kinds of surprises and problems, “We encourage our customers to send us a sample of their sheet, or we can supply samples of our foils for the customers’ own testing. We also have worked with paper suppliers, arranging for them to send us developmental products to test before they hit the market.”

Sean Hurley, vice president of sales for MCD, Inc., a Madison, Wisconsin-based print finisher, added his own take on problematic coatings. “We definitely have seen challenges,” he said. “A lot of soft touch is being used inline, and it seems to never be the same. You would like to say that soft touch is soft touch, but that is not necessarily the case because different printers have different chemistries.” Hurley also has seen challenges posed by inline specialty coatings. “We benefit from doing offline UV coating because we understand the coating side, which then helps us deal with challenging coating-related issues,” he explained.

Dave Leyrer, finishing department manager with Orlando, Florida-based SunDance, echoed that soft-touch coating and laminates can be problematic. “Everybody seems to just love the soft touch, which is great,” Leyrer said, “but it can be pretty challenging to foil stamp on, whether it is a laminate or coating. It seems like we will use a coating on one job and it works beautifully, and three days later we will coat another job with the same coating and we have issues. It’s daunting to try to figure out what exactly the right combinations are.” Suppliers, however, are introducing coatings and laminates that work better with foil stamping. “The soft touch in particular has become much, much better,” he said. “One vendor has come out with a soft touch plus, and it is wonderful for applying coatings and also for foil.”

Derrick Unger, field service manager for BOBST North America, was asked if he has seen soft-touch coatings create challenges on larger platen presses. “The first time I ever ran into soft touch, it was a coating and not a laminate,” said Under, “it blew my mind because it felt exactly the same as the lamination.” While he hasn’t seen specific problems with soft touch, he pointed out that coating, in general, is an element that requires thorough understanding and close attention. “As far as the coating aspect goes, along with UV coating and over-stampable UV coating, what I see most is cross-contamination.” This occurs, he said, when proper cleaning has not been done between jobs or during coating changes. Unger would like to see coating companies and print press manufacturers collaborate to provide training on crossover and change-out of coatings so that cross-contamination is avoided.

Faddis noted that his team always uses a dyne pen to test whether a substrate will accept foil stamping. This device can be sourced online by searching for a dyne surface energy testing pen. “The minimum dyne pen level that we have found to accept foil is a level 38,” said Faddis. “It is important to do a dyne test because then you know what coatings will accept foil or won’t accept foil.” This is a great insurance policy to check that a coating is foil stampable.

Saving a Job

There are many times that a UV-coated foil stamping job comes to the print finisher and there was no communication between the printer and finisher in using the correct coating. Leyrer recommended that print finishers carefully pair coatings with compatible paper stocks. “In careful selection of the coating,” Leyrer said, “you want to work closely with your coating manufacturers and your paper manufacturers to make sure you are using products that are compatible with each other.” That, however, isn’t the end of it. “There always is a lot of testing involved at the final stage in production,” he said. “And keep really good notes on your testing; it is very useful for future jobs.”

Unger offered a method for saving a hot foiling job when the substrate unexpectedly is difficult to stamp with a coating on it. “For some coatings and surfaces, a way to break the surface tension is to use good old 400-grit sandpaper,” said Unger. This method involves putting a piece of sandpaper over the die area, running the sheets through with the sandpaper in place, then removing the sandpaper and running the sheets through again to add foil. “In order to save the job,” said Under, “you have to run it twice but many, many times that does work.”

“Another option to break up the surface tension of the sheet is by using a corona treater, although that’s more common in the label industry than it is in sheet-fed,” stated Faddis. Some finishers have a corona treatment tower on their press, and this allows them to fracture the coating to create pores, which will allow the foil to stick.”

MCD’s Sean Hurley weighed in on the issue: “We foil stamp over the top of UV coatings on a regular basis. We work closely with printers to make sure they are using coatings that are considered glueable and stampable, and they understand the importance of handling the coatings properly. A good press cleaning is critical in preventing contamination.” Hurley described how his team proceeds with problem coatings. “When we see a job where the dyne level is low, say a level of 32, we try to bring the dyne level up so we can get the foil to stick,” he said. “One way to do that is to try corona treating the sheets. We also might try to flash sheets to get the surface energy to change. If we find that the dyne level is very low to start, we know that the wrong UV was used or somehow contaminated. At that point, we will definitely look for a foil that is manufactured for UV coatings, apply corona treatment, or do something with a sandpaper pass.”

Substrate Tips

Today, there are a large variety of substrates on the market, including coated, uncoated and synthetic papers, as well as plastics sheets and film.

Faddis shared a simple tip when testing a stock for embossing. “Take the corner of the substrate, fold it against itself and let it fall back,” he said. “If it falls back past a 90-degree angle while trying to return to its original state, the stock’s ‘memory’ is weak and it is something that will not hold the embossing well.” He explained that any stock that stays closer to where it was folded to – less than a 90-degree angle – is a substrate that will accept embossing very well.

“As for foil stamping,” Faddis continued, “it is one of those things where it has to be tested.” Faddis noted that stocks with a high cotton content are difficult to successfully foil stamp. “It’s very soft, it’s very airy,” he said, “and so when you stamp it – or any textured substrate – you are trying to get a level foil stamp. With any substrate that has a lot of hills and valleys, I would try and stay away from it, only because you are not going to get a consistent look. The higher portions are going to look great, but on the lower portions the foil is going to easily come off because it is not completely foil stamped in the valley area of the substrate.”

“In reference to those valleys,” said Unger, “with certain linen stocks, I’ve seen them be inconsistent. You really have to smash them pretty hard to bring the top layer to a flat level when flat stamping. You still get to see that texture in the sheet.” Unger also noted that paper stock is dramatically affected by the environment. The relative humidity of a paper stock, for example, starts at a certain level in the pulp factory, but depending on its transport, where the rolls of paper are stored and sheeted, and the finisher’s in-house climate control, the humidity level might change radically and repeatedly. Maintaining a consistent environment for paper stock leads to a better result.

In Leyrer’s experience, “Every time somebody hands me a stock that feels velvety, like soft touch, I kind of shiver a little bit.” His company has had bad experiences with some stocks that were just not right for the job. “With a stock like Neenah’s Touche®, you can’t really foil stamp with a combo die or do a foil emboss on it; it doesn’t work very well,” stated Leyrer. “But you can flat stamp it and then emboss it and it works beautifully.”

There are certain cover stocks, especially those that have a leather-type look, that may obtain plasticizers that can cause problems with the foil a few months after the foil stamping. “We had real challenges getting foil to lay down on a cover stock, and we thought we finally got it working,” explained Leyrer. “But three months later, when we looked back at the product, the foil had bled out – the pigment had bled out into the materials.”

Neenah’s Touche® paper stock is easily foil stampable if the correct foil and makeready are used. Testing always is recommended before beginning the job.

Hurley agreed that Touche® can be a tough substrate to work with, but it is foil stampable with the right foil and makeready. “Another stock like Touche® is Plike®, which has a plastic-like surface and can create challenges with foil,” stated Hurley. “We also have seen some of the translucent stocks be problematic with embossing and foil stamping.”

It is important for foil stampers to stay abreast of new stock offerings and novel ways to use traditional stocks. Communicate with vendors and suppliers to learn about their products’ strengths and weaknesses. Then communicate with printers so that they understand the possibilities and limitations of the stocks so they provide complete descriptions of materials they are supplying for finishing. In addition, avoiding difficult stocks when possible also can help a foil stamping job go smoothly.

Lastly, the best advice for both paper stocks and coatings is to test all processes before the final production run. Of course, this is not always possible, but when time allows, testing first can save an enormous number of headaches down the road.

This article was based on a panel presentation – “Working Through Challenges with Today’s Paper Stocks and Coatings,” – which was part of FSEA’s Online Spring Summit in the summer of 2021. Thank you to panel members Greg Faddis, Universal Engraving, Inc.; Sean Hurley, MCD, Incorporated; Dave Leyrer, SunDance and Derrick Unger, BOBST.

Don’t Forget to Finish It!

June 11, 2021

By Mark DiMattei, manager, Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends

Virtually every printed document requires some type of finishing. Finishing documents with cutting, folding, binding and other methods is crucial to the production of any application. The expanding array of digital printing methods has changed the nature of finishing from large-scale devices focused on offset printing to automated methods that often occur alongside a production digital printer. To reach its true potential, the role of finishing must evolve as well. Recent research from Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends offers important insights on how print service providers (PSPs) can leverage finishing to win business and drive profitability, in the following ways:

Finishing plays an important role in service differentiation and sales revenue.
Quick turnaround is the most important differentiator associated with finishing, but offering options and the ability to be creative are great ways to stand out from the competition.
Tracking the cost of finishing is vital for understanding its value.
Respondents preferred to combine their offset presses and production digital print operations so they could use the same finishing equipment and, thereby, maximize their investments.

Finishing closes deals

2020-03-12-kp-Finishing-1 — Deals Lost Due to Finishing Requirements: N = 120 Print Service Providers in the US and Canada
Source: Market Trends in Print Finishing, Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends 2020

According to the Market Trends in Print Finishing study, many PSPs report that finishing has helped them to win deals. In fact, only 11% of respondents reported that they had ever lost a deal due to finishing requirements. Among those respondents who had lost deals because of finishing requirements, the most common reasons included not having the required finishing capabilities, followed by price and turnaround time. All three of these factors can feed upon one another. If shops don’t have the right capabilities, price and turnaround time can be impacted.

Finishing creates market differentiation

In addition to closing deals, finishing also can serve as a differentiator. Not surprisingly, respondents to the survey ranked quick turnaround and quality as the key differentiators of finishing. The ability to quickly complete a quality job grows in importance as run lengths decrease and customers demand ever-shorter delivery times. At the same time, however, it also is worth noting that a variety of finishing options and the ability to offer creative ideas also were important differentiators. Diverse, creative options enable PSPs to stand out from their competitors and grab the attention of consumers and clients.

Offset vs. digital

Finishing Differences: N = 120 Print Service Providers in the US and Canada Source: Market Trends in Print Finishing, Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends 2020

Offset and digital finishing options often are at odds. Longer offset runs tend to be better suited for finishing through dedicated manufacturing tools. Meanwhile, shorter runs and requirements for quick turnaround, naturally, do not lend themselves well to devices that take a long time to set up. Additionally, with the growing prevalence of high-speed inkjet digital printing systems, many PSPs find there is a requirement for higher volume and productive finishing tools that have new capabilities for finishing workflow and automation (offline or inline).

According to research, 80% of respondents that had digital print and offset press technologies generally preferred to use the same finishing equipment for both. Only 11% preferred to keep offset and digital production separate, while another 9% reported that combining digital and offset was not possible due to format and other requirements.

Regardless, there are benefits to co-locating digital print and offset printing capabilities.

Next steps

It is all well and good to consider the statistics of finishing options, but there are some actions PSPs can take to ensure that they’re getting the most out of finishing, including the following:

Get a grip on current options. Evaluate how to leverage finishing in current offerings. Focus on the applications that require finishing (e.g., folded brochures, bound books or diecut promotional items).
Keep an eye on costs. The only way to truly determine how valuable finishing can be is to keep track of all the related costs. Are budgeted hourly rates being used? Is finishing being charged separately? Once there is a thorough understanding of how finishing is accounted for, a better go-forward strategy can be developed.
Budget for future purchases. Having a plan for additional equipment purchases ensures tracking of the investments required to sustain, build and grow the business. Even if finishing purchases only show up occasionally on a multi-year purchasing cycle, it always is a good idea to have a plan.
Don’t forget to account for finishing when making digital print purchases. Printing solutions typically involve a substantial investment, but hidden costs sometimes are overlooked. It is important to consider the role that finishing will play when a new production digital print system is purchased.

The bottom line

Finishing may be one of the final steps for many print applications, but it should not be ignored until the end of the process. Although respondents to Keypoint Intelligence’s survey clearly believe that finishing capabilities can differentiate their businesses and contribute significantly to sales revenues, this does not necessarily mean that all PSPs are paying enough attention to finishing.

There still is work to be done, but most PSPs understand the value and benefits that finishing can deliver. Now is the time to think about how finishing can be applied to other business decisions – especially when making new investments in equipment.

Mark DiMattei is the manager of Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends’ publishing, editing and news department. This article originally appeared on WhatTheyThink.com. WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry’s leading market intelligence resource. Copyright ©2020 WhatTheyThink. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

Understanding the How and Why for Quality Creasing Outcomes

March 12, 2021

By Joe McDowell, vice president, Channel Creasing Matrix/CCM Die Supply

fibrous-material — Fibrous material generally is used in the folding carton and printing industry. These materials generally are diecut using flat steel-rule dies on either a platen-style press or cylinder-style type.

It is important in most everything to understand both the how and why to solve issues and teach people the best solutions. As it relates to creating a quality crease during diecutting, a better understanding of how and why a crease forms in various substrates can lead to better outcomes. Although the results will vary based on specific conditions and situations, most people can achieve the same result if they simply follow the proven formulas and communicate.

With the many changes in substrates on the market today, there still are three basic ways to crease materials during the diecutting process – matrix, phenolic counter or steel counter plate. Which of these is the best way to crease the product? The answer could be all of them, depending on the substrate qualities and characteristics. To be clear, this article only is addressing flat diecutting. Rotary diecutting is something completely different. To simplify, it may be helpful to categorize the substrates into three categories.

Fibrous material – This would encompass any material made up of paper fibers that are compressed together to form a sheeted material. These generally are known by some of the following names: SBS, CCNB, chip, Kraft back, recycled board, etc. These are the materials seen every day in cartons, folders, mailings, etc.
Fluted materials – Generally known as corrugated or cardboard. This material usually is a Kraft material either found in brown box form or, more and more, in shelf-ready display or POP display. Many times, these fluted materials can be found either printed directly on or laminated with a label or fiber board material. This can cause many problems depending on the material laminated.
Plastic cartons – People are looking at this style of carton for a variety of reasons, one of them being the visualization of the contents, readily seen with the simplicity of the print. Another positive about this type of product is the virtual lack of moisture degradation that occurs if it gets wet. Creasing of this type of material normally is not done with a counter material. It can be, but normally it is done with a form of slitting or by perforating the plastic.

There are many determining factors when trying to crease fiber board. The following are a few considerations:

The design of the finished product. Finding the proximity of the creases to each other and the cutting rule can lead to variations in the die manufacture and counter used.
The substrate to be used. Various substrates have different characteristics, and they all will have unique attributes that need to be handled accordingly.
The type of press to be used. Is it a platen style or a cylinder press? Many people ask if it really makes a difference. The answer is: Absolutely. There are many ways to get around the differences, but they all entail a little work, and, if not done correctly, can cause more problems on press that may not seem to be, but can be, related to creasing.
The length of the run of the product. Some counter materials are made for short runs of 15,000 or less, while others can run hundreds of thousands of impressions.

If these items are not discussed in more than a passing conversation, it is guaranteed there will be a problem during the diecutting process. Sometimes that problem is taken as status quo. For example, a long makeready may seem like standard practice; however, it doesn’t have to be.

In many cases, the problem lies in the communication, or lack thereof, between the diemaker and the diecutter. If a diecutter would tell the diemaker about the problems that are occurring, the diemaker may make some suggestions or changes. On the other side of that coin, the diemaker needs to ask some of these questions to make sure the best tooling possible is being made.

Understanding folds

To understand why fiberous material folds the way it does, it is important to look at the makeup of the material.

With a common SBS board, the fibers are bonded together and run in the same direction. Thus, the material can be creased with grain (creasing in the same direction as the grain) or cross grain (where the crease runs perpendicular to the grain direction). The proper way to get a good crease is to break or delaminate these fibers while stretching the upper and lower liners of the material. How fibrous paper reacts under pressure and what causes the material to delaminate has been studied – not only the vertical pressure of the crease rule but the lateral pressure as well. This lateral pressure comes from the material being forced into a narrow channel. In the old days, the formula used to be 2 x the paper thickness + the crease rule width. This formula would put a line in a piece of paper, allowing it to fold. The problem came as the quality of print increased, different types of printing became available and the drying of the materials evolved. Many of the drying techniques have changed for inks today, and the quality of the material has changed with much of it being recycled. The newer methods of drying have added challenges in the diecutting/creasing processes.

Originally, the creasing rule was 2 x the paper thickness. However, using this formula and trying to fold or bend the paper over without changing the dynamics of the paper (displacing materials) will stretch the face or front liner over a greater surface area, which is created by the mass of material meeting at the crease area. When this happens, there will be cracking all through the crease. The formula used today is 1.75 x material thickness + crease rule width. This formula is based on the principle that proper creasing is created by delaminating the fibers.

This is achieved when the channel that the paper is forced into is narrower than the original formula. This causes the material to pinch at the top of the channel, stretching the upper and lower liners slightly and breaking the bond between the fibers. Now when the item is folded, the lower liner and the fibers that were delaminated move out of the way, and the top liner stretches around a smaller surface area.

As the fibers move out of the way, the face or top liner can wrap around the material without cracking. This is how a crease in fiber material should work, and most times it does. However, there are times when the coating was dried at a greater temperature so it would dry faster, and this causes a dry stock or dry print. This, in turn, may look as if the board is cracking when in fact it is the ink.

Grain direction

fiber-holes-clusters — When creasing with the grain, fibers have a tendency to cluster.

Which way is best to run the crease? Across grain will give a more stable crease than with grain. The reason for this can be found when looking at the way in which the delamination occurs. The material will delaminate in long lines when creasing across grain. However, when creasing in grain direction, a different type of delamination occurs. Imagine the fibers as a bunch of straws in a glass. Now put something in that glass, and the straws will separate but remain in clusters. This is what happens when creasing in grain direction. The fibers have a tendency to cluster.

The delamination is a series of holes or pockets. If these pockets or clusters move too close in the same direction, there may be some cracking, even if the channel width is the same in both directions (with and cross grain). To eliminate this, narrow the channel to the matrix that is the next size down. This will break the clusters down even more. This allows the material to move evenly when folded and not to cluster in the same place.

Another common issue is how to make the crease wider. This can be done by plugging the thickness of the crease rule into the formula. However, this should be done with caution. Although it will provide a quality crease (as far as delaminating), it also will deliver a ropey, wide crease that will not fold squarely. One side or the other of the crease will become dominant, and this dominance will switch from side to side, not remaining constant. A good rule to follow is that the channel width used should be no greater than between three to four times the thickness of the material being diecut. There have been times where 4 ½ is acceptable, but the general rule is three to four times.

Crease rule height

Channel width is very imperative for correct delamination; however, it is not the only factor in obtaining the proper crease. The height of the crease rule also must be considered. The height is calculated by using the following formula: (cutting rule – material being diecut) – (membrane thickness).

The membrane is the material used to hold the matrix together and is present in between the channels. If the material is metal, it is approximately .010″ thick. If it is Mylar or plastic, it usually is .005″ thick. Some believe there is no need to reduce the height of the membrane, but this is not true.

The industry has acceptable tolerances for the materials that go into the diecutting process. Cutting rule and crease rule is +/- .001″. This is potentially a .002″ difference. The cutting plate is +/- .002″, which is potentially another .004″ difference from end to end. In essence, there could be a .003″ difference between the rule and the plate when adding the tolerances together in any given area. Over the length of the plate there can be a difference of .006″. Now the argument will be made to makeready the low areas. This is true but only for the cutting rules.

Back to the formula for the height of the crease rule: Take into consideration the tolerances mentioned in the previous paragraph. If the membrane is not taken out when figuring the crease rule height, it can bottom out on the crease leaving what is called standoff in the cut areas near a crease. The membrane still is in the channel, so the crease rule would push the paper in the thickness of the material, and the membrane, still being intact, would then act as a barrier from the cutting rule making a full cycle. In this case, the diecutter might believe the die is not right, the cutting rule is bad or that it is necessary to stop the press and do makeready. Worse yet, the diecutter adds pressure and forces the cut while the crease cracks. All of these could be avoided if the formula had been followed.

When using a phenolic counter, it is important to know how much material is left in the membrane of the channel. The difference can create challenges with the crease and the cut, as well as cause the problem of standoff.

Many diemakers today have settled at .006″. If the membrane is not taken into consideration, a few different problems can occur. First, the cut doesn’t go all the way through and the product doesn’t strip at all. Second, the product cuts but only in certain areas and ends up with a checking problem (where the bottom ink seems to strip off in pieces). Nicks can become stronger, making blanking or stripping a tougher task and a major makeready delay. And, of course, the crease will be cracked either on the surface or under the ink and can surface on the folder-gluer, if not on delivery.

Common types of cracks

There are several types of cracks normally seen when trying to crease certain papers. Some of the results and causes are discussed in the following:

Cracking on the sides of the crease (usually noticed on delivery before folding). This usually is caused because the channel is too narrow.
Cracking on the bottom of the crease (usually noticed on delivery before folding). This is the result of the crease rule being too high.
Cracking on the folder-gluer, where the crease looks nice on delivery but cracks when folded. Proper delamination has not occurred and too much material is in the way of the top liner. This generally is caused by a crease rule that is too low.

These problems can be avoided by following the formulas and with proper communication between the diemaker and diecutter. There are many other problems that occur because people do not follow formulas nor take into account the collateral damage that can happen when focused on only the problem at hand. When it comes to creasing, some subtle changes can make major impacts on profitability in the diecutting job.

Joe McDowell is vice president of Channel Creasing Matrix/CCM Die Supply. He has been in the converting industry for 30 years and has been studying the effects of creasing on paper and corrugated for the last 25 years. CCM is part of the C&T group of matrix companies. For more information, visit www.ccmdie.com.

Quality Control Systems Key to Folder-Gluer Production Success

June 5, 2020

By Richard Pallante, president USA and Canada, Baumer hhs

Quality control systems are not new to the folding/gluing and finishing industry, but there have been continued improvements in recent years, and the need for these types of systems is as important now as ever before. PostPress asked the experts at Baumer hhs for their input on the importance of quality control systems and what customers should look for when including quality control on new equipment or adding it to existing equipment.

What benefits do advanced quality control systems provide folder-gluers?

Verification systems might use sensors or cameras to process data for quality control.

Suppliers that offer advanced quality control systems are providing a key competitive advantage to OEMs and their end customers. The ability to confirm to customers that their production runs have been checked for product accuracy and gluing accuracy reduces stress on all sides. With reduced access to trained labor, there are simply not as many experienced folding/gluing operators as in the past. Additionally, operators have many more responsibilities than just running the folder-gluer. A quality control system will catch issues that can arise from unintentional operator errors in set-up or operations and prevent incorrectly manufactured cartons from being shipped to a customer.

This is extremely important for the pharmaceutical industry where quality control validation is required as there can be severe legal and human ramifications if a product is mislabeled or improperly packaged. Additionally, manufacturing has changed. Long carton runs on the same machine no longer are the norm. Shorter runs with multiple set-ups per day are the new norm and can allow for more opportunities for possible errors. An advanced quality control system can provide that additional level of security to protect the operator, reduce waste and provide ultimate customer satisfaction. It truly becomes more economical to have a quality control system than not to have one, and consulting with a knowledgeable, experienced glue dispensing and verification system manufacturer can help customers find the best technology for their applications.

What features should customers be looking for when installing a quality control system?

It certainly is recommended that customers do their homework and talk to others in the industry who have purchased a QC system or have one that was included with their original folder-gluer. A reputation in the market is a good first cut on who to consider working with before purchasing a quality control solution. If the QC system is difficult to use, then end users are not going to get the full benefits from it and operators are going to try and bypass it instead of using it. Companies should be looking for ways that they can validate that the products are properly manufactured.

The following are some key questions to ask before investing in a quality control system:

Who offers the most solutions (glue detection, code detection, camera-based detection)?
Can verification data be downloaded and shared
with the customer?
Can the faulty product in the production process be traced?
Can the sensors differentiate between wet glue and
cured glue?
Is the operator able to validate presence and placement of adhesive or a code?

Customers need to know how the system works and how it processes the data. Just knowing that the product did not kick out does not always mean it is good. How the operator sets up the system and what parameters are being measured need to be understood. Verification systems only are beneficial if the user finds value in using them.

Are different types of systems and sensors needed for hot melt glue vs. cold glue?

Cold glue and hot melt both are adhesives but have different makeup and characteristics. Cold glue is an emulsion where the glue is carried in another medium, such as water. When detecting cold glue, quality control companies will try and detect the water medium or will add another ingredient, such as an ultraviolet (UV) tracer. So, for a cold glue system, the glue itself is not really being detected but rather the carrier or additives used for it. A cold glue QC system could use a moisture sensor to detect the amount of water. These are small sensors and widely used in the industry. Typically, the sensor shines a light into the glue bead and measures the spectrum of light that reflects back to the sensor that is not absorbed by the cold glue. It compares this absorption with the background. If the background is damp or wet, it can skew the readings, resulting in inaccurate verification results. Fortunately, wet or damp cartons are not the norm.

UV tracers have their own challenges. With the increased use of UV inks and specialty UV coatings, the UV additives make the board indiscernible from the UV tracer in the glue, so the UV sensors cannot tell the difference between the two. This can create all types of challenges on the folder-gluer.

Hot melt detection is done with a thermopile detector. The sensor is looking for the temperature difference between the paperboard and the glue and is typically placed close to where the hot melt is dispensed from the hot melt applicator to achieve the largest temperature difference possible. The sensors need to be kept at least 30 mm away from the heated hot melt gun in order not to affect the functionality of the hot melt sensor. Some hot melt sensors can limit the line speed of the folder-gluer machine as it can become saturated and no longer process the temperature difference. This limitation needs to be discussed before choosing a hot melt sensor.

Besides cold glue and hot melt sensors, camera systems can be used as well. Cameras can take a digital picture of each product and compare it with a baseline picture where the patterns or codes have been verified. If a picture varies from the original picture, the product is identified as non-conforming and is marked or mechanically removed from the production line. Camera systems also have traceability capability, so if a product is found to be faulty after delivery to the customer, if marked or time coded, it can be traced back to time of production, the machine it was processed on and the operator involved. These additional capabilities bring a great deal of value, and, therefore, camera-based quality control systems are more expensive than standard sensor-based systems.

When is adding a camera system on the glue line suggested? What added advantages does it offer?

When choosing a camera vs. a sensor-based quality control solution, it comes down to the following issues:

Economics/number of glue lines – A beverage carrier can require 16 cold glue guns to glue the carrier. This means there are 16 separate lines of glue patterns that must be verified. In a sensor-based system, 16 individual sensors are required, where a single camera could provide the needed verification. So, in this scenario, a camera system can be determined to be a very feasible option for quality control. Considering the opposite scenario with a single gun, straight-line system only requiring a single sensor, a camera-based system could be an over-investment. Because of the wide variation in patterns, cartons, operator preference and set-ups, there unfortunately is not an easy way to say there is a general tipping point where the decision goes from sensor to camera. The decision is best discussed with a gluing and QC specialist.
Set-up time/makeready – Adhesive sensors are quick to set up. They usually are mounted directly to the dispensing guns and follow where they are mounted on the machine. They require a simple teaching function where they memorize the correct pattern and tolerances and monitor them through the run. A camera system will require proper lighting and mounting that allows it to see the entire pattern. If a new carton is run, a completely new set-up needs to be undertaken, adding time to the set-up. So, the length of the normal runs by the customer can have an impact on the decision between a camera system and using sensors. If a customer is changing over continuously, a camera system may not be very feasible. However, if a machine is running a particular job over and over, it may well be worth the investment.
Traceability – A camera system will store a picture of each carton and can allow the operator to trace a potential issue all the way back to the actual creation of that carton. A sensor system will not be able to provide a visual output of what was good or bad about the carton. If the customer received a series of bad cartons, a picture can show what the cause was while a sensor-based system will require the manufacturer to tear open the carton and play sleuth to figure out what happened.

What projects or industries are best suited to take advantage of a quality control system?

Almost all types of cartons or other folding/gluing work can benefit from a quality control system, but it really comes down to who is willing to pay for it. It is similar to buying insurance in that hopefully it never needs to be used, but it is good to have if something goes wrong. How much does it cost to get a semi-trailer full of pallets of cartons back because some of them were not glued? Doing this once may not equal the amount invested in a quality control system, but how much is the manufacturer’s name worth? Is it worth the risk of having the quality of the shop questioned?

There are specific industries that benefit the most from a quality control system. Pharmaceutical, food processing, and health and beauty are good candidates. Each company could be critically impacted if a product were mixed, not sealed or incorrectly packaged. A mistake could prove fatal. While it is unlikely to happen, it is not worth the risk.

Baumer hhs is a leading supplier of glue extrusion and quality control systems for the folding carton and print finishing industries. For more information, visit www.baumerhhs.com.

Quality Stitching Wire Matters

March 10, 2017

by Kristopher Shaw, sales manager, WCJ Pilgrim Wire

Stitching wire is one of the last items a printer or binder thinks about; however, there have been some interesting changes with stitching wire in the last few years, including the increase in the use of colored stitching wires (PET coated and alloys) and the use of stainless steel wires used in specialty production runs. The wires used in binding or finishing departments are in the form of saddlestitching, loop stitching, bookletmaking, side stitching, inline press stitching and corner stitching.

As the industry has evolved, so has stitching wire. Quality of wire, path of wire, wire delivery, spool sizes and de-spooling equipment are all major factors in how stitching wire is going to perform in the field. With the continued demand for increased run speeds and overall profit, high-quality stitching wire and proper machine set-up are a must for today’s binding/finishing departments.

Quality of wire

An ideal wire is chrome-like in appearance with special friction-reducing additives to resist peeling and flaking. It provides a superior workability while forming into a staple.

Stitching wire is not straight. Each wire package has a desired curvature of the wire. The radial or circular curvature is known as “cast.” Cast is measured as the diameter of a free turn of wire. The axial component is referred to as “camber.” Camber is measured at the offset in the ends of one turn of freely hanging wire. Larger cast and smaller camber are characteristics of a high-quality wire. This allows the wire to go into the stitching head more smoothly, producing less drag, and will provide fewer dropped stitches. In turn, the stitching head will work more efficiently with less energy and with less maintenance. So, checking on the straightness of the wire can be very important.

Path of wire

A clean path for the stitching wire from the spool to the stitching head is critical in getting a positive stitching outcome. The coating can be easily chipped, scraped or damaged by running the wire past an unprotected steel bracket, worn wire guides, spring tubes or dirty felt pads. The felt pads must be checked frequently, oiled and rotated, or replaced, on a regular schedule. Wire guide springs and felt pads are a normal wear part on any stitching head. Flat spots on guides and springs, along with a dirty felt pad wiping system, can cause flaking issues that will jam the stitching head, stop production and cause additional maintenance and repair costs.

The right size wire for the job

The majority of stitching wires used in today’s binderies and inline stitching operations are 24 and 25 gauge. These two gauge sizes amount to a 21.3 percent difference in product yield, which translates into 21.3 percent more staples when using a 25 gauge over 24 gauge. In simpler terms, imagine if a staple or stitch is one inch: that would allow for 2,304 more staples by using the 25 gauge wire over 24 gauge.

Recommended stitching wire gauge

25 gauge stitching wire is the recommended thickness for work that is 1/16 to 7/32 of an inch.
24 gauge stitching wire is the recommended thickness for work that is 1/16 to ¼ of an inch.

These are only suggestions as paper type, density, coatings and stitcher set-up can change the stitching wire size required. Larger diameter wire substantially affects the yield of the wire, along with the increase in the amount that will be paid in postage.

Spool sizes, de-spooling equipment and winding

Stitching wire comes in many different packages and generally ranges from 5lbs to 1,000lbs in size. Primary usage and machine type determines the size of spool required, but running speeds and space availability also play a crucial role.

Standalone stitchers that are hand fed usually use five or 10lb spools. Collators with stitchers used for short-runs of five to 10,000 books also can use this type of spool. Saddlestitchers for longer, mid-range runs will use 35, 40 and 70lb spools. High-speed collator/stitchers and web operations using inline stitchers will use 200lb, 650lb smart-drum and even larger 1,000lb smart-pull wire systems.

A larger spool or drum has economical and production advantages. Larger packages cost less per pound of stitching wire to manufacture, and larger packages require fewer spool changes during the manufacturing process.

Utilizing larger wire packages will reduce spool changes, thus increasing the output of books per hour. A normal spool change averages two minutes per spool changed, and generally a saddlestitcher runs anywhere from two to four stitcher heads at a time. With four stitcher heads running a job of over 100,000 pieces with 5lb spools, a saddlestitcher would be stopped for spool changes a minimum of 16 minutes alone. Changing to a 35lb or 40lb spool would wipe this changeover time to zero.

Different size packages have different characteristics that can give the end user advantages. For instance, as stated earlier, a larger circle diameter improves the performance of stitching heads with less friction due to less straightening required and fewer dropped stitches. The larger diameter packages, such as the 650lb smart-drum and 1,000lb smart-pull spools, have larger circle diameters to improve stitcher head performance since less straightening is required.

Proper de-spooling equipment is essential to complement the high-quality wire being used. Matching the correct de-spooler with the spool is essential to problem-free production.

Kristopher Shaw is the sales manager for WCJ Pilgrim Wire. To learn more on WCJ Pilgrim’s full line of stitching wire and related products, visit www.wcjwire.com.

Quality Assurance: Equipment and Operators Work Together

June 17, 2015

by Jen Clark, PostPress

The Standard Hunkeler WI6 Web Inspection System uses state-of-the-art digital camera technology to scan the full width of the web, capturing high-resolution images of printed output for various types of quality and integrity analysis.

In today’s hyper-competitive postpress marketplace, mistakes – even small ones – can be costly. When items are shipped and don’t meet client expectations, binders and print finishers alike can lose more than just money through added labor costs and re-runs. Unhappy clients can lead to the loss of current and future business. Ensuring quality products get delivered to the customer is paramount.

In the bindery, the need for human interaction with the product still puts the onus for quality on the operator. Rickard Bindery, Chicago, Illinois, specializes in providing solutions to challenging folding, saddlestitching, gluing and other bindery jobs. For it, quality assurance begins with preflight and continues through production with an extensive set of checks and balances to ensure a high-quality product is returned to the customer. “It begins with obtaining the right information about what needs to be done, how it should be done and what acceptable quality standards are for each client,” said Kevin Rickard, vice president of operations.

Some in the print finishing industry, though, are utilizing equipment that has become more and more automated. MCD, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, is known for making imagination become reality through foil stamping, embossing and diecutting complex projects, as well as specializing in lamination, UV coatings, HoloBright and folding/gluing. The company recently added its first camera-based inspection system and is looking to add additional units, said Glenn Gauger, manufacturing engineer manager. “It identifies codes between components to ensure that we match all tip-on pieces to the correct base,” he said. “We have a detailed report to assure the customer of 100-percent matching. Our accuracy has greatly improved while reducing complaints.”

Equipment manufacturers respond to changing marketplace

The increasing amount of automation in the print finishing industry has led equipment manufacturers to develop inspection systems that are more intelligent and operator-friendly. The W.H. Leary Company, Tinley Park, Illinois, engineers and manufactures quality assurance, glue application and mechanical solutions for the packaging industry. “As automation has increased, so has line speeds, and 100-percent manual inspection often is not only cost-prohibitive, but often impossible,” said Andrew Sims, director of engineering. “Inspection systems increasingly are being used to guarantee product quality without increasing labor costs. When used effectively, quality assurance systems also can prevent large amounts of product waste by identifying defects earlier in the process.”

Standard Finishing Systems, Andover, Massachusetts, distributes Horizon folders, saddlestitchers, bookletmakers, collators, cutters, perfect binders and diecutters, as well as Hunkeler unwinders, rewinders, cutters, stackers, folders and perforators for continuous-feed digital and inkjet print engines. Automation leads to more hands-off operation, said Standard’s Johan Laurent, business manager, Hunkeler. “Inspection systems remove the need for an operator to thumb through stacks of printed material,” he said. “But there are other reasons why print providers are installing inspection systems at a higher rate. For example, higher speed presses make it less convenient to spot check by hand. When presses are installed roll-to-roll, there no longer is an opportunity for a visual check, so you want to catch errors automatically, before the web is rewound.”

As an example, Sims relayed a recent experience with one W.H. Leary customer. “Our customer had installed a LearyVIEW™ Print full carton inspection system for a critical job and found that the spoilage was at five percent after installing the system – higher than they were expecting – but found all the rejects were genuine and the printer hadn’t realized it was sending products that were out of spec,” he said. As a result, the printer used the information from the inspection system to correct the root cause of the errors and spoilage reduced to the level it was at before the inspection system was installed. Now W.H. Leary’s customer was able to guarantee 100-percent quality to the brand owner, which enabled this customer to win several new contracts.

Camera-based inspection captures images of every page

The use of camera-based technology is available on almost any type of print finishing equipment. It allows systems to perform verification of material imprinted with virtually any standard symbology, including 1D and 2D code, OCR characters, MICR, addresses, Blob, images (pattern match) or even OMR markings at the click of a mouse or via touchscreen. Quality inspection systems serve two main purposes, Standard’s Laurent said. “The first one is the check print quality, such as jet outs, smearing, color density, registration or readability of bar codes,” he explained. “The other one is to verify that everything is printing, in the correct order, without duplicates.”

A camera-based inspection system can handle both, by capturing images of every printed page. These images then are compared, in real-time, to the master image and the database. If there is an issue, the quality inspection system simply can alert the operator that something is off and mark individual pages or sets for removal from the print stream at a later time, for example, in the bindery or inserter area. “In an extreme case, the web inspection system can automatically stop the line,” he said.

Standard Finishing and W.H. Leary offer standalone inspection systems and units that can be integrated into existing finishing lines. Standard’s Hunkeler product line offers the WI6 web inspection system that features color or monochrome cameras that can check one or both sides of the web. It can be integrated into any existing finishing line from any manufacturer. “Hunkeler’s top-of-the-line system can inspect every single page printed on a 40″ wide press at speeds of 800fpm,” Laurent said. “In addition, we offer a range of software options, depending on the type of inspection required, and integration with print management systems.” Standard’s VIVA product line is an automated integrity and inspection system that can be deployed across a range of Horizon finishing solutions, including perfect binding, folding, bookletmaking and saddlestitching, and it provides quality control, tracking, end-to-end system control and production reporting.

Sims said the W.H. Leary units range from basic bar code reading for mixed copy detection to advanced, multi-channel quality assurance systems with multiple high-end vision cameras detecting a range of quality defects. “A large portion of Leary’s business is selling retro-fit systems that enable printers with older machinery to increase productivity and compete in today’s marketplace without having to invest in new machinery,” he said. “Leary systems are designed to be expandable and are ready to accept new sensor and camera technologies as they become available, ensuring the quality assurance systems purchased do not become obsolete in a short period of time.”

Operator inspection plays an important role

At MCD, one of the largest graphics arts and finishing companies in the Midwest, quality assurance is two-fold. There is a formal process of two-person makeready approvals and running retains of products, as well as traceability on all products run. “A spot check of retains can offer indication if additional inspection is needed,” Gauger said. “We also spot check final product before it leaves the building, when appropriate.”

A quality inspection system was added to MCD’s existing folder-gluer line, allowing the inspection system to take advantage of the automation. “The most important aspect of the system is its ability to learn, in addition to setting variable inspect options and integration into a running piece of equipment, as well as reporting data,” Gauger said.

Although MCD is looking into adding additional inspection units, Gauger said visual inspection still plays a role in the company’s print finishing process. “The ability to ensure our customers 100-percent accuracy is very important to us,” he said. “We strive to deliver top-quality products and services, which in turn, develops long-term relationships.”

Rickard Bindery utilizes a camera-based inspection system for pharmaceutical products. The importance of having the right drug information warrants having a camera inspection system, Rickard said. “The penalties are astronomical. If you get a pharmaceutical piece that goes through and isn’t printed on one side… that would be devastating.”

About a quarter of Rickard Bindery’s business involves some aspect of the pharmaceutical industry. “We have a presence of ink detector,” Rickard said. “So if a double-sided print comes through that only has print on one side, we have electronic eyes on the folders that read the sheet on the top and bottom of the machine. If there is a blank side to the sheet, it will stop the machine automatically, the sheet is removed and discarded and the machine is restarted.”

Rickard said he is unaware of any camera systems that could be used for his company’s high-speed folding work. Within its 80,000-square-foot facility, there are about 80 folding machines, of which 30-40 can be running at any given time, he said. “There are too many variables for electronic devices to be programmed to keep track of,” Rickard said. “You have things like bend-overs that can happen inside that an electronic device cannot see or feel.”

Rickard Bindery utilizes visual inspection throughout the process – in cutting, folding, stitching and, of course, coming off the folder. “The big issue is you don’t want to ever remove the burden of inspection from the employees,” Rickard said. “You don’t want them to become complacent and assume a machine is going to catch everything or do the job of inspection for them. It really needs to have a human touch to physically jog it up, feel it, look at it, open it up by hand and look inside to examine the piece properly.”

Quality assurance starts when a job comes in the door. “We create a job jacket and an order, which then go out into the factory to the supervisors,” Rickard explained. “They assign a mechanic who sets up the job according to the specifications and the customer sample. Once he has a job set up, he gets four OKs from different supervisors to ensure the product we are about to produce matches the customer sample. Once it is running, our procedure is to pull one piece every hour and have it time-stamped and saved.”

At the end of a shift, at least eight samples will be collected and looked at again by the quality control manager. The actual number of pieces pulled for a job depends on several factors, including customer requests to increase hourly pulls – some want as many as five pulls per hour – while others want two samples pulled – one for Rickard Bindery’s records and one for theirs. “It really depends on the customer how many and how often pieces get pulled,” Rickard said.

Regardless of the number, those samples are held for three months. “For every job we run, we have a piece from every hour that it was running,” he said. “If there was a problem, we can go back and have a complete history of the job running and be able to identify when and where the problem happened based on the time stamp and machine number that is on it.”

If a quality issue arises during a run, Rickard Bindery’s machine operators are empowered to shut down a machine or even an inline system if a predetermined standard of excellence isn’t met. “More errors are caught when operators develop “ownership” of their job performance and when additional sets of trained eyes look at each job,” he said.

Maintaining this standard-of-excellence is paramount, Rickard said, because the risk-reward ratio on each job is so large. “We are the last people to touch everything – we aren’t a printer, so 90 percent of the value already is in the piece. To make $10 in profit, we are exposing ourselves to $1,000 worth of risk because of the value of the piece. If something goes wrong, the cost of reprinting is huge to us. Errors cannot happen.”

But if an error does make it through the process, Rickard Bindery stands by its work. “When mistakes have happened in the past, we have stood behind our work 100 percent,” Rickard said. “We have had to reprint things, but we do always make it right.” The extensive amount of documentation for the job then becomes a training tool so the error doesn’t happen again, he added. “We use the work-flow analysis of what happened to put features in place so that it doesn’t happen again. Sometimes customers will ask that specific paperwork gets filled out that identifies what happened and identifies how we will prevent it from happening again.”

Manufacturers expect growth for inspection systems

Officials at Standard see a bright future for quality inspection systems, Laurent said. “It is all about efficiency,” he said. “With a good quality inspection system and the right integration, print providers will have the information they need to make their shops more efficient.”

W.H. Leary’s largest volume-producing customers are using fully-automated lines with reel-fed machines, Sims said. “Products are being printed, diecut, folded, glued, packed and palletized without any human interaction,” he explained. “As line speeds and automation increase, customers are relying more and more on quality assurance systems to maintain product quality, and brand owners are coming to expect 100-percent inline inspection of their products. This trend will continue to rise in the future.”

While visual inspections have become less practical, they still play a role in quality assurance measures. Sims noted some customers use visual inspection as part of their overall quality process because they aren’t using automatic inspection for every type of defect. “However, for customers striving for complete automation, today’s highest end quality assurance systems mean that manual inspection is no longer a necessity,” he said.

Added Laurent: “Visual checks provide an extra layer of security. Both printing and binding still have an emotional and tactile appeal, and it takes a human to fully appreciate that. Not everything can be automated – yet.”

Q&A: Preventing Transit Marking

February 28, 2014

by Kevin Rickard, Rickard Bindery

The Kraft surface of a corrugated carton is a very abrasive paper product. Separating unprotected finished product from Kraft surfaces is important whenever movement is possible.

The most discouraging thing about transit marking is it happens after jobs have been beautifully produced. Transit marking is just as its name implies – unwanted marking that occurs during shipping. Unless preventative measures are undertaken, abrasive paper surfaces can rub against each other and cause markings as products are jostled around in trucks. The presence of microscopic grit, such as press powder or carton debris, can cause unattractive scratching in a paper’s surface.

Product movement within a box during shipping is the major cause of transit marking and happens on many types of printed products, including brochures, saddlestitched projects and books. Although there is no way to predict with certainty which jobs will experience transit marking, preventative steps can and should be implemented to minimize the likelihood of problems.

Question: How do you determine if a job is at risk for transit marking?
Answer: If the outside sheets have moderate or heavy ink coverage and lack any paper coating (i.e., UV coating, varnish, aqueous or film lamination), extra care should be taken in packing the product. Before your bindery begins working on a job that may transit mark, check for wet ink by running your hand across sheets, searching for tackiness. Unfortunately, even if your ink is dry and the job has been flood varnished, there is still no guarantee that transit marking won’t happen – especially if dull varnish was used. Generally speaking, you’re less likely to have marking problems if gloss varnish is applied “dry trap” (a separate press run) instead of “wet trap” (the same press run as the ink).

For saddlestitched books, consider the physical characteristics of the book itself. High gloss enamel stock reduces ink penetration and causes ink to rest high on the papers surface and can be easily scratched or chipped off. Heavy books with unvarnished enamel covers are highly susceptible to transit marking. If products have diecut areas, pockets, half-size sheets or any other uneven surface levels, marking may occur along raised edges after pressure is applied – much like a brass rubbing.

Be careful of printed products with heavy dark ink coverage on one side and light coverage on the other. Any time heavy ink rests against light ink after packing, the chances of markings increase. If reflex blue ink is present, then the problem becomes worse because it dries so slowly. Other inks to be careful of include red, purple and metallics.

General weather conditions also are a significant factor. High humidity is problematic because it can hinder the drying process of both ink and varnish. Also, high heat may moisten ink, increasing its tendency to scratch. Even if weather conditions are good in your area at the time of shipment, consider where the job is to be shipped. In the Midwest, the weather can change within hours. In general, as the distance of the final destination increases, so does the likelihood of transit marking.

Question: Is there a means of testing printed materials to see if transit marking will be a problem?
Answer: Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to guarantee the prevention of transit marking. A simple test is to rub sheets together with moderate pressure by hand and look for ink either flaking off or transferring to the opposing sheet. If this happens, the odds are that there will be shipping problems, unless counteracted. For a better test, bind and pack enough books to completely fill a box and place it in a jogger for a while. Afterwards, if there isn’t any sign of transit marking, the job probably will be OK.

Question: How can transit marking be prevented?
Answer: Tightly packed, properly coated finished products that don’t slip when jostled should successfully ship without transit marking. The first step in avoiding unwanted marks is to choose the proper carton size and have product within the carton tightly bundled, whether it is via paper bands, shrink wrapping, poly-tying or rubber banding. Printed products should fit snugly without corners being damaged and filled to the top of the box. Loosely packed products will slide around in cartons and mark easily. If gaps within boxes are unavoidable, your bindery should add substantial packing or filler materials to remove the voids. Wadded paper at the top of an under-packed carton is next to useless. Fortunately, there are a lot of options to fight the war against transit marking including the following:

Shrinkwrapping. Shrinkwrapping is the best way to prevent marking, as well as dust, dirt and foreign contamination, but it’s expensive. It offers excellent protection because shrinkwrapped contents don’t shift. In addition, it allows removal of a portion of the contents.
Paper banding and poly-tying. Paper banding and poly-tying are among the best forms of bundle containment. Like shrinkwrapping, properly banded and poly-tied products dont move during shipping. These are good, low cost methods that prevent many marking problems.
Rubber banding. Rubber banding is very useful for miniature products. However, this method has the tendency to cut at the point where it holds the sheet.
UV coating and film lamination. Both UV coating and film lamination seal ink behind a durable, scuff resistant coating.
Aqueous coating and dry trap varnish. Press-applied aqueous coating offers more protection than varnish, but less than UV coating and lamination. If you use varnish, apply it “dry trap” (separate pass) for better protection against scuffing.
Slip-sheeting books. Slip-sheets absorb excess friction and significantly help prevent marking. Unfortunately, slip-sheeting is expensive because additional packers are needed at the end of production lines. If slip-sheets are used, make sure that they are exactly the same size as the finished product.
Separate products and cartons. The Kraft surface of a corrugated carton is a very abrasive paper product. Separating unprotected finished product from Kraft surfaces is important whenever movement is possible. Laying a smooth sheet of paper on the bottom of a carton before inserting product will help prevent scratching. Laying another smooth sheet on top of product before sealing the carton is even more important because items at the top of cartons are more subject to slippage.
Skid wrapping. It’s important to keep cartons secure on skids during shipment. Transit marking shouldn’t occur if boxes are well packed and skids are stable as trucks start, stop and make sharp turns.

The best way to prevent transit marking is to take the time to predict which jobs are the most likely to mark and then develop a plan to combat the problem once identified. Choose a binding partner knowledgeable about transit marking and work together to adopt preventative measures on a job-to-job basis. With a good game plan, your customers won’t be rubbed the wrong way.

Rickard Bindery specializes in discovering solutions to challenging folding, saddlestitching, gluing and other bindery jobs. For more information, call 800.747.1389 or visit www.rickardbindery.com.

Increase Stacking Capability without Compromise

November 15, 2013

by Ken Troemel and Kevin Coldren, Simco-Ion

Two charging bars installed on opposing sides of an incline stacker

For years, electrostatic pinning (or tacking) has been an important tool for the printer and an integral part of efficient bindery operation. Effective and consistent pinning reduces run times and labor costs. Until now, the tools and strategies employed for electrostatic pinning have remained largely unchanged while the operations around them change continuously. Now, by remotely managing and monitoring output current and choosing, locating and maintaining the correct electrostatic charge bar, pinning systems can keep up with the changes to deliver consistent and cost-effective results.

The theory of electrostatic pinning is quite simple – current is pushed through a charge bar and then the resulting high voltage is used to create a surface charge on various materials. This surface charge then acts as a temporary binding agent. In real world printing applications, however, it is not so simple. Many interrelated factors will affect the charging application. This article provides an overview of the charging process as it relates to the bindery, and it also identifies practices and products designed to increase the effectiveness of electrostatic pinning systems.

Incline stack tacking challenges

Despite the fact that the latest perfect binders and saddlestitchers can process up to 360 books per minute, it is not always easy to achieve that rated speed. Bottlenecks can occur in compensating stackers where publications are conveyed up the stacker, dropped into the compensator and stacked to varying heights. Magazine stacks must move quickly in order to keep up with upstream equipment. When stacks are pushed out onto the conveyor or rollers leading to the packaging equipment, the mechanical forces that kept the stack straight no longer are present. As a result, the magazines and catalogs may shift, creating uneven bundles. The USPS can reject such bundles, forcing the bindery to separate and re-run the magazines offline.

Making the process more of a challenge, perfect bound or saddlestitched publications with UV-coated covers have slippery surfaces that make them prone to shifting. High page count saddlestitched magazines also are difficult since the spine edge is thicker, causing books to slide toward the open edge and “shingle over” as they exit the compensator.

Unfortunately, the entire line must slow down if the stacker does not produce neat, true stacks, and additional personnel may be required to manually straighten the stacks. While oval strappers can be used, the strapping material can damage the books and the post office may need to route individual magazines to their destinations.

Use of electrostatics in the incline feeder

Incline Stacking Tacking systems typically use a pair of charging bars, with one placed above and one placed below the publication’s path into the stacker. The bars normally are aligned with each other. Positive voltage is applied to one bar and negative voltage to the other bar using a high voltage bi-polar charging generator. The distance between the bars should be three inches for 30kV generators operating in voltage mode (see Figure 1 on previous page). However, this distance can be less at lower voltages or in current mode.

When publications pass between the bars, the flow of negative and positive ions is interrupted, leaving the front and back covers oppositely charged. The bound product is compressed by the electrostatic force and when the charged book is dropped into the stacker, it lands with its back cover on top of the front cover of the previous magazine. Opposing charges on the magazines cause them to adhere together and keep the magazines from shifting before they enter the shrinkwrap tunnel.

The result of static tacking can be quite dramatic. With certain books, production speeds on a typical finishing machine without incline tacking typically are only 175 to 200 per minute. When an electrostatic system is properly installed on the same machine, throughput can exceed 300 books per minute.

Special bracket allows bar to pivot up for easy pin cleaning

Maintenance of charging bars is an important component of any charging system. Dust or dirt around the emitter pins will reduce the effectiveness of a charging bar; therefore, periodic cleaning is recommended to prevent deposits from accumulating on the bar. A clean nylon brush with isopropyl alcohol applied is preferred. However, check with the manufacturer for specifics. Figure 2 (see page 26) shows a special bracket designed for use on the stacker application. The bracket allows access to Superbars installed on the stacker for easy cleaning and maintenance. It also provides a safe mounting structure to prevent operator shocks or voltage leakage and arcing conditions that can occur with conductive mounting materials.

Selecting and using electrostatic systems in incline feeders

Since there are many electrostatic systems available for incline tacking, it is important for a printer or binder to understand how the system functions and how to select the most efficient charging equipment.

The most effective tacking is obtained when using charging generators that feature current control operation. With current control, the generator automatically adjusts the voltage to maintain a preset current. The system maintains stable and strong pinning power, lowering the output when there is open space between the magazines and extending the life of the charging bar. Charging generators with current control also adjust the voltage to compensate for changes in the line speeds, ambient conditions or paper dust buildup on the ionizing electrodes. Charging generators with current control operation eliminate the need for operators to constantly adjust the charging system to maintain the required pinning performance.

However, not all current control power supplies are created equal. In addition to remote control and monitoring, it is important that the power supply has enough available current to handle whatever job is being run. Some jobs can be run with a minimal amount of current, while larger stacks or thick UV-coated books often will require more than 1mA of current. Selecting the correct power supply results in a more cost-effective and efficient bindery operation.

Similarly, there are several choices available when it comes to electrostatic charging bars. Bar construction (the resistor, number of pins and pin material), sizing and placement are essential for successful pinning. In the bindery, bars with resistors are preferred. The resistor ensures that the bar operates steadily and reliably without arcing.

While a tried and true technology, electrostatic tacking continues to evolve to meet the challenges imposed by today’s printer. Many electrostatic charging systems are designed for simplified integration into a printing or bindery line. Additionally, charging generators are becoming more compact in size, with features like low 24-volt input power. These newer advances are becoming a standard when selecting charging systems, as this provides for quick installation without the need to run high-voltage cables. Charging bars also are being fitted with tungsten emitter pins, which provide continuous performance and can significantly extend the life of the charging bar without the maintenance of replaceable pins. The latest innovations include a serviceable integrated static charging generator and bar in one system, which makes the system ideal for use in a variety of pinning and roll-to roll applications.

Electrostatic charging can significantly enhance printing and bindery operations. Successful applications require a thorough understanding of charging technology and all the interrelated details, ranging from the charging equipment to the printing and bindery process itself.

Ken Troemel is the western regional sales manager for Simco-Ion, Industrial Group. He has many years of combined experience in creating effective electrostatic solutions for various printing and bindery applications, with prior work experience with Tantec Inc. and MKS Ion Industrial. In 2010, Troemel joined Simco-Ion and transitioned into his current role where he is responsible for supporting all western sales representatives and distributors. Kevin Coldren is the eastern regional sales manager for Simco-Ion, Industrial Group. He joined Simco-Ion in 2000 and has over a decade of experience in solving static-related problems in various industries and applications. Coldren is responsible for supporting all eastern sales representatives and distributors. For more information, email [email protected], call 800.203.3419 or visit www.Simco-Ion.com.