FINISHLINE: Gluebind Fits for Demand Print

Of all the finishing operations associated with the on-demand digital market, adhesive and perfect binding are, perhaps, the most common. Perfect binding used to be a fairly costly finishing option, with big trade binders and publication plants using large and expensive machines for the job. A typical adhesive binder had a gathering section (for collating signatures), a transfer section to the binder, the binder itself and a lay down and connection to the trimmer. Successfully operating one of these took a lot of expertise. The learning curve was not short, and operators spent many months learning to make consistently good books at high speeds.

The steady growth of digital has changed this picture considerably. The fantastic rise of fulfillment operations, service bureaus' large “document factories” and short-run book printers has created a very strong market for soft-cover perfect binders capable of turning out “runs of one” with no more than a half-day's training (or less) for the operator. Additionally, these machines must produce quality books, with little or no waste. In other words, they can't be toys.

The common denominator in both mid-sized offset printing and digital is that minimum job and run lengths these days really emphasize the “minimum.” Firms such as Lightning Source, BookSurge (a unit of Amazon.com), ColorCentric and photo album publisher Shutterfly average between 1.5 and 1.9 books per order. To achieve this type of workflow, these binding devices need to be highly automated and able to set up in a few minutes or less. Additionally, digital work poses special challenges due to the various coatings and fusing oil formulations used by the digital print vendors.

The heavyweights in this new sector are Muller Martini and Standard Finishing. Muller's SigmaBinder is the Porsche of this machine type. Built in the U.S., SigmaBinder has gone through several evolutions. It might be the most sophisticated short-run binder for digital and offset production.

The infeed features a laser-driven station that will take an accurate measurement (in three dimensions) of the incoming book block, then automatically adjust clamp pressure, cover scoring, side gluing and several other key settings. SigmaBinder features sophisticated milling and notching optimized for loose-sheet digital input. It has side applicator disks, for precise side gluing, and four-line cover scoring. The cover feeder loads from the top but feeds from the bottom for non-stop loading. It has true cover nipping, with a cam-operated mechanism.

What sets the SigmaBinder apart from its brethren is its inline capacity. A special Shuttleworth connection conveyor can link to a range of high-speed continuous digital web printers for true inline operation. Muller has several installations with this link in place. The output rating is 1,000 books/hour. SigmaBinder is normally sold with the SigmaTower for cooling and buffering, and with either the Esprit or Sigma trimmer.

Standard Horizon, whose BQ-270 single-clamp binder has been the flagship for some time, upped the ante with the BQ-470. It has four clamps arranged along a vertical track and is rated at 1,350 books per hour. It features quick-change adhesive modules that permit the binder to run with either EVA or PUR adhesive. PUR has proven to be in demand for coated and full-bleed digital work, as well as for media subjected to extreme temperatures.

The machine was designed to be fully JDF-enabled. In addition to the usual automation, the BQ-470 offers “first-book-out” quality and zero waste.

Duplo USA offers the single-clamp DPB-500 perfect binder. Fully automatic, it outputs at speeds up to 525 cycles per hour. On the desktop, the company upgraded its model DB250 to the DB280. It produces up to 200 books per hour for on-demand bookmaking. It also can switch to padding applications.

C.P. Bourg, long a Xerox finishing partner with its inline bookletmakers, has the BB3002—a potent combination of simple design with a lot of automation. A single-clamp design, the operator simply enters the spine-to-face dimension at the touch-screen. The binder has an auto mode where the clamp actually performs the book block thickness measurement when the block is loaded into the clamp. This sets the cover feed and scoring mechanism.

The BB3002 uses a platen cover-scoring system, which is controlled by stepper motors. The operator can set multiple scores on a cover (up to 13), permitting intricate cover work such as gatefolds.

On Demand Machinery offers a complete line of lower-cost, function-specific machinery for short-run work. It makes a Casemaker, Book Smasher, Board (case) Cover de-warping straightener, Sewer, Building-In Module and Case Stenciler.

Although these individual modules do not make a fully automated casing-in system, they are affordable and can be arranged to make up an “assembly line” that easily deals with very short hardcover runs. ODM got a jump start in digital by consulting with vendors such as Xerox early on to ascertain what this market needed.

Also worth looking into are Wohlenburg gluebinders, now handled by Colter & Peterson, well known as a source for cutters. The company offers the five-clamp Quickbinder, capable of handling PVA or PUR adhesives. It runs at speeds from 500 to 2,000 cycles/hr. and handles thicknesses from .08´´ up to 2.75´´.

There are new, high-speed continuous digital color printers coming from Océ, Kodak, Xerox and others, so finishing requirements will be changing yet again.