Bindery - Finishing

According to Kerry Burroughs, division manager of book binding at Muller Martini: “Our customers are looking for shorter makeready and as much automation as possible to reduce labor costs. We’ve been doing motorized makeready, especially on larger lines, so the technology is already on the market to do this. If someone has a manual Normbinder that takes 45-60 minutes for makeready now, the new machines will let them do it in 15 minutes. “Of course, the price has to be low enough; most customers don’t want to spend anything, but really want to lower labor costs. For most, if they can earn back the cost

Selecting a Collator: If there is a big difference in price, there is usually a reason. It is always good to test the equipment on equal footing and speak to owners about what they like or dislike about the system they own and what drove their purchasing decision. —Bob Flinn, director of Business Development, Standard Finishing Systems Consider the reliability of both mechanical and electronic components, the number of years the manufacturer has been in business, the number of years the machine has been manufactured, the average life of the machine. Speak with other end users. If possible, visit a current user and

With on-demand printing making book production easy, in-plants are increasingly upgrading their perfect binders. Here are some of the latest models. By Elise Hacking Book Block Gluing Machine American Binding's Book Block Gluing Machine Type ID 5000 is specifically designed for the production of high-quality gauzed books. The machine is equipped with two glue trays, one for cold glue at the entrance (with infrared drying) and one with hot-melt glue and lateral gluing. Dimensions and processing of the gauze can be electronically adjusted. The ID 5000 handles paper sizes ranging from 3.9x5.9˝ to 11.8x20.5˝ in thicknesses of .11˝ to 3.2˝. www.americanbindingco.com

Printing equipment wasn't the only thing on display at the AIIM On Demand Conference and Exposition. There was plenty of bindery gear, as well. By Bob Neubauer For more than a decade now the On Demand trade show has been giving the world a look at the latest in digital printing. But an equally important part of the show has been the bindery equipment on display. Last month, IPG joined the 21,000 people who attended On Demand. As part of our mission, we sought out the latest bindery gear—a task made much more convenient by the show's relocation from New York to IPG's home

Finding and using perfect binding equipment can go a little easier with some advice from the experts. Perfect binding is a growing business for in-plants. Already 39.2 percent of in-plants have perfect binders. Many others are eying them. Before dropping any money on this equipment, though, it's important to analyze possible future business, not just current needs, so you're not stuck with an outdated machine. "Too often, people buy what they need at the moment and do not anticipate the potential for growth and new business," notes Steven Calov, Heidelberg's postpress product manager for stitching and perfect binding. He suggests asking yourself questions like these:

A collator can save you time and money. But finding the right one requires some research. Several managers offer their insights. By Gretchen Peck When Western Washington University Publishing Services first installed a collator in 1996, it eliminated some very labor-intensive processes, such as hand collating, signature folding and stitching on a manual stitcher. Last year the Bellingham, Wash., in-plant upgraded to a two-tower Duplo 4000 collating system, with 10 bins in each tower. The modular, off-line collator is used by both copying and printing staff. "Depending upon the number of pages, we are saving from 30 to 100 percent in the

Your paper cutter can make or break your printed pieces. Choose it wisely. By Erik Cagle WHAT MAKES Jeff Gordon a top driver on NASCAR's stock car driving circuit? Speed alone is hardly the reason Gordon gets to spray his pit crew with champagne. Luck and patience play roles, as does tactical positioning on the track. But even the slightest flaw in the No. 24 car's mechanical composition can mean the difference between success and a short day at the track. Similarly, a paper cutting system can, like Gordon, slice right through a straightaway. But precision handling is even more important around a

Folding machines are built to last. But many that were sold in the 1980s don't have the tools needed to handle 21st-century work. By W. Eric Martin Folding and printing go hand-in-hand. Rarely is an item delivered from the press to the end user without being manipulated: letters must fit into envelopes; brochures and magazines must be folded before being trimmed; and holiday cards must be made mantle-ready. While folding itself is fairly straightforward, knowing what you need from the equipment doing the folding can be a bit trickier. Folding equipment seems to have an amazingly long life span, creating creases for decades before

Perfect binding, saddle stitching and mechanical binding each have their places. Find out which ones are best for your in-plant. By Vincent De Franco As in-plants bring increasingly more work in-house, they're finding themselves in direct competition with commercial printers. Therefore it's crucial they have up-to-date equipment that enables them to compete. This is especially true of bindery equipment, since the binding and stitching on a booklet is often the first thing a customer notices. When shopping for bindery equipment there are three major categories from which to choose: perfect binding, saddle stitching and mechanical binding (double loop, etc.). The most common bindery process

While the price of collators remains relatively constant, manufacturers recommend considering a few things before buying. By Erik Cagle You don't have to tell Aldridge Free about the benefits of having a new collator. For years he ran an old, second-hand model at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Central Printing and put up with a host of difficulties. "We had a lot of trouble feeding certain kinds of paper," he remarks. Sometimes he would have to stop the machine after it put together two or three books and adjust it. Other times the collator wouldn't run the paper at all, and the in-plant's four