| |
|
|
|
 |
In-line
OR off-line operation |
|
Does IBIS recommend operation
in-line with a digital printer, off-line from a pile feeder or
near-line from a roll-unwinder and web-cutter? |
|
In-line
AND off-line operation |
|
Can a Smart-binder be
configured to run in-line with a digital printer as well as off-line
fed from a sheet pile feeder (with sheets from a different printer)?
|
|
Max
& min book thickness |
|
What are the
maximum and minimum book thicknesses that the Smart-binder
can produce? |
|
Max
speeds & efficiencies |
|
What
system operating speed and efficiency
can be expected? |
|
Perfect-bound
books
(SB-4 or SB-5) |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
perfect-bound books (using hot glue) and what advantages does
the Smart-binder have over other systems when making these types
of books? |
|
Signatures
for Perfect Binding |
|
How is the Smart-binder
used to produce signatures for perfect binding |
|
Small-format
books in-line with a web printer |
|
How can smaller book format
sizes be best produced when running in-line with a digital web
printer? |
|
Light
weight paper stock |
|
What is the lightest weight
paper stock that the Smart-binder can handle? |
|
Personalized
books |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
personalized saddle-bound books with a constantly changing number
of pages (without stopping for adjustment)? |
|
Personalized
covers (or cut-out windows) |
|
Can the Smart-binder saddle-stitcher
handle personalized book covers or covers with cutout windows?
|
|
ISG
cold glue |
|
What are the benefits and/or
risks of using IBIS’s unique ISG cold-glue system instead
of wire staples to make saddle-bound booklets? |
|
Cost
of cold glue |
|
How does the cost of cold
glue compare with the cost of wire staples? |
|
Multiple
covers and insert sheets |
|
Can the Smart-binder saddle-stitcher
change covers automatically on-the-run and/or feed insert sheets
inside the book? |
|
Reloading
cover feeder pile |
|
How frequently must the
cover pile be replenished? |
|
Reloading
sheet pile feeder |
|
How much time is needed
to reload the SB-095 or SB-097 sheet pile feeders and how frequently
must they be reloaded? |
|
Perforated
sheets |
|
Can the Smart-binder saddle-stitcher
produce books with tear-out pages? |
|
Hole
punching/drilling |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
books with holes? |
|
Loop
stitching |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
books with loop stitches to fit into ring binders? |
|
Book
Stacking, wrapping and/or banding |
|
Can the Smart-binder be
fitted with an automatic book stacker, bander and/or wrapper?
|
|
Spine
squaring |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
saddle-bound books whose spines that have been pressed into a
square shape? |
|
Two-up
production |
|
Can saddle-bound booklets
be made two-up by using a trimmer center knife and what are the
restrictions when using the center knife? |
|
Min
book format size |
|
What is the minimum book
spine length and width? |
|
Max
book format size |
|
What is the maximum book
spine length and width? |
|
A5
booklets 2-up |
|
Can the Smart-binder produce
A5 booklets 2-up |
|
Trimmer
waste removal |
|
What are the options for
removing trimmer waste? |
|
Electric
power supply voltage |
|
What supply voltage is
needed for the Smart-binder? |
|
Spine
corner tearing |
|
How can the normal tearing
of the spine corners be avoided when making very thick books?
|
|
In-line
connection to cut-sheet printers |
|
Can the Smart-binder be
used in-line with cut-sheet printers? |
|
Sheet
buffering when running in-line |
|
When running a Smart-binder
system in-line with a digital printer, then is it possible to
‘buffer’ the sheets so that the Smart-binder input speed
does not always have to be exactly the same as the Printer speed? |
In-line OR off-line operation: Does IBIS
recommend operation in-line with the digital printer or off-line from
a pile feeder or near line from a roll unwinder and web-cutter?
Answer: There are many factors to consider in order to make
this decision. However, as a general rule operation in-line with
the printer/web cutter or the web unwinder/cutter is recommended
if the booklet format size changes infrequently. Off-line operation
from a pile feeder is recommended if a range of different book format
sizes is needed.
In-line operation may be made more attractive with the use of the
optional SBS-100 sheet buffer module. Refer to section 8.2 of our
Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information.
All Questions
In-line AND off-line operation: Can
a Smart-binder system be configured to run in-line with a digital
printer, but also have the capability of being fed from sheets coming
from other printers?
Answer: Yes. This is done by selecting the feeder option
SB-097 which provides the ability to feed the machine from a sheet
pile feeder while retaining the ability to alternatively run in-line
from the web cutter. Refer to sections 8.2.4, 6.15.2 and 11.5 of
our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information.
All
Questions
What are the maximum and minimum book
thicknesses that the Smart-binder can produce?
Answer: The maximum book thickness is 60mm (2.36mm”).
However this is only possible with the SB-4 or SB-5 (using PB-600
or PB-1200 perfect binder). The Smart-binder saddle-binder is limited
to 10 mm (0.4”) max book thickness.
The minimum book thickness is one folded sheet (4 pages),
but producing very thin books may require the maximum sheet input
rate to be greatly reduced in order to avoid exceeding the maximum
Smart-binder output rate. Good quality paper stock, min 80 gsm (with
grain parallel to spine), must be used if running single folded
sheets (4 pages) through the Smart-binder to produce a document
containing only 4 pages.
The use of options such as Loop stitching (LST-100), Folder (F-100
or RF-100), Center-knife option (CKN-100) and/or the Spine squaring
option (SM-100) will reduce maximum book thickness.
All
Questions
What maximum system operating speed and efficiency
can be expected?
Answer: The maximum input web speed (in-line
or near-line operation) is 130 meters/min without an extra buckle
folder (4-page increments) This can be increased to around
180 -200 meters/min with extra F-100/F-101 buckle folder (8-page
increments). The F-200 selective folder is available to enable high
web speeds while retaining 4 page increments.
The maximum speed when running off-line (from a sheet pile feeder)
is around 450 sheets/min (a sheet normally contains 4 –pages,
but may alternatively contain 8 or 12 pages if the extra F-100/F101/F200
folder is selected.).
The maximum Smart-binder cycling speed for saddle-stitching is 7,000
cycles/hour or 14,000 books/hour (2-up). The actual
booklet output rate is the sheet input rate divided by the number
of sheets in the book (excluding a separately-fed cover sheet),
providing this does not exceed 7000 cycles/hour.. See performance
table in section 6.30.2 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information.
The system efficiency depends on the complexity of the system (how
many different elements are in use). For the Smart-binder itself,
we suggest to plan on an operating efficiency of about 85 -90%,
unless it is being used to produce an unusual or difficult job which
may reduce this running efficiency. Efficiencies in excess of 90%
are achievable with some in-line Smart-binders running straightforward
job applications, since an in-line system requires no stops for
sheet feeder reloading.
All Questions
Perfect-Bound books (SB-4 or SB-5):
Can the Smart-binder produce perfect-bound books (using hot glue)
and what advantages does the Smart-binder have over other systems
when making these types of books?
Answer: The SB-4 can create ISG cold-glued ‘signatures’
containing typically 16- 28 pages (variable) and collect these
signatures together automatically in the SCF. Hot-glue (EVA or PUR)
is applied to the book spine and the cover is attached, resulting
in very strong books. Because the signatures are pre-glued
the spines do not need to be cut off in the binder clamp. This avoids
dust/noise being created and makes the process more operator-friendly.
The ISG cold glue may in some cases be better than hot-glue for
use with hot, dry digitally-printer papers, but may not provide
such good adhesion as hot-glue when using heavily coated papers.
The model SB-5 produces conventional perfect-bound books
from stacks of loose sheets (hot- glue only).
All
Questions
Perfect Binding Signatures: How is
the Smart-binder used to produce signatures for perfect binding?
Answer: The Smart-binder can produce book blocks for subsequent
perfect binding by delivering a stream of signatures. These signatures
typically contain 20- 28 pages (variable to minimise the number
of blank pages in the book) and then sheets within each signature
may be either ISG cold glue bound together (to avoid the need for
milling the in the perfect binding) or folded together with no binding
(in which case binder milling is needed).
The Smart-binder requires additional bar code digits to detect that
each signature arrives in the correct sequence and to know which
is the last signature in the book. It will then deliver all the
signatures in a shingle and automatically create a gap between the
last signature of one book and the first signature of the next book.
This enables the operator to easily pick up complete sets of signatures
(book block) from the delivery conveyor. We recommend that a black
mark is printed on the spine of each signature, in a different position
on each signature, so the operator can glance at each book block
before loading it into the binder clamp to check all the black marks
are present and ensure the book is complete (since occasionally
the Smart-binder may automatically reject a signature). If/when
the Smart-binder rejects a signature then we can add an extra warning
light/sound to indicate to the operator that there is a sig missing
in the set.
Alternatively the signatures may be automatically stacked (under
bar code control) into book blocks and then fed automatically into
the binder clamp if using our PB-600 or PB-1200 perfect binders.
We call this our SB-4 system.
All Questions
How can smaller book format sizes be
best produced when running in-line with a digital web printer?
Answer: Small book formats can be easily produced in-line with
a digital web printer by using a web which is double the book width
(plus a little extra to allow for trim-off). However this
web width may be much narrower than the printer maximum so it is
more efficient to run the printer with a normal ‘wide’
web and fold the resulting large sheets more than once to produce
a small book format. The folder option ‘RF-100’ rotates
and folds each sheet prior to entry into the Smart-binder infeed
in order to make small format books from a normal width printer
web.
Refer to section 6.12 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information about the RF-100.
All Questions
What is the lightest weight paper stock
that the Smart-binder can handle?
Answer: Paper stocks as light as 40 gsm are possible, but sheets
lighter than 50 gsm must be buckle-folded first using the optional
in-line F-100/F-101 folder, before entering the Smart-binder infeed.
The optional ASS-100 anti-static system is also recommended for
lightweight sheets.
Maximum speeds may have to be reduced if running paper stocks between
50 and 60 gsm without using the extra buckle folder. Refer
to section 6.18.3 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information about using lightweight
paper.
All
Questions
Personalized books: Can the Smart-binder
produce personalized saddle-bound books with a constantly changing
number of pages (without stopping for adjustment)?
Answer: Yes. The Smart-binder saddle-binder was designed
to continually vary book thickness on-the-run and track each page
using bar codes to ensure page sequence security. Each book can
contain a different number of pages in between 8 and 200 (if using
IBIS ISG cold glue system) or within a range of about plus/minus
30 pages (if using wire stitching). The optional ASA-100 system
allows for on-the-run stitch variation if make large changes in
book thickness
All
Questions
Can the Smart-binder handle personalized book
covers (or covers with cutout windows)?
Answer: Yes, refer to section 6.9 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide. The Smart-binder cover feeder can be fitted
with an optional Bar code reader (or 2D code reader) to ensure than
each personalized cover sheet contains the same unique book ID number
as the content sheets coming from the digital printer. If there
is a cover mismatch then the Smart-binder will automatically stop
and the touch screen will inform the operator of the reason why.
After such a stop the operator must manually recover the correct
cover sequence which will cause extra machine downtime. It is sometimes
preferred therefore to feed covers with cutout windows which allow
the personalized name and address to show through the window from
the digital print on the first inside page. This ‘personalizes’
the booklet from the outside without requiring a personalized cover
sheet.
Optional Cover-matching control systems are also available for
the Sprint-binder perfect binder.
All Questions
ISG cold glue: What are the benefits
and/or risks of using IBIS’s unique ISG cold-glue system instead
of wire staples to make saddle-bound booklets?
Multi-part answer:
- Cold gluing results in a much high page pull strength, particularly
on the outside and middle sheets. (However, note that ISG glue strength
may be reduced if using coated and non-absorbent papers).
- Cold glued books lie much flatter than wire-stitched books because
wire-stitching crushes and opens up the book spine, and because
the moisture in the cold glue weakens the glue fibers resulting
in a much tighter ‘set to the fold sheet folds. Flat lying
books are extremely important if envelope-inserting these booklets
after binding.
- Cold gluing is easier to use than wire-stitching because no adjustments
are needed when changing book size or thickness.
- Cold glued books are easier to recycle compared with wire-stitched
books
- Cold glued books look better and contain no risk of damage to
a child’s fingers (as can exist with wire staples).
- An optical sensor constantly monitors the glue application and
stops the machine immediately if the glue is not being applied to
the book
- The cold glue system requires less maintenance than stitching
heads
Note: For these reasons many Smart-binder users prefer to use ISG
cold glue instead of wire-staples.
All Questions
How does the cost of cold glue compare
with the cost of wire staples?
Wire stitching
The cost of wire to produce 1000 wire-stitched booklets is about
GBP £0.74 (GB Pounds). This cost does not vary much
between a thin and a thick booklet.
ISG cold gluing
The cost of ISG cold-glue binding depends on the number of sheets
in the booklet. The cost of Eukalin cold-glue (specification
R5183-L50) needed to produce 1000 A4 booklets is as follows:
|
Number of sheets in booklet
|
Number of pages in booklet
|
Cost of ISG (GB Pounds)
|
|
4
|
16
|
£0.30
|
|
10
|
40
|
£0.90
|
|
30
|
120
|
£2.90
|
Note 1: If the booklets are A5 size then the
cost of glue shown above is reduced by 30%
Note 2: The ISG cold glue system is easier and less
expensive to maintain than the wire stapling system. This
may offset the slightly higher glue cost compared with stapling
when making thick booklets. Also, ISG glued booklets are stronger
and lay flatter than wire stapled booklets
All
Questions
Multiple covers and insert-sheets: Can
the Smart-binder saddle-stitcher change covers automatically on-the-run
and/or feed insert sheets inside the book?
Answer: Yes the Smart-binder saddle-stitcher may be fitted
with multiple cover feeders. Feeder #2 may be loaded with the next
cover while the current cover is feeding from feeder #1.
Alternatively, the additional cover feeder may be used to feed
a pre-printed insert sheet at any position inside the book.
Note: if the insert must be in the center
of the book then there must be a gap large enough between sheets
coming from the printer into which to feed the insert.
Note: any inserted sheets will be bound into the book. If a loose
insert is required then this must be inserted into the book using
a separate post-trimmer inserter machine.
All
Questions
How frequently must the cover pile be replenished
Answer: It depends on whether the optional CAL-101 ‘Cover
Autoloader’ is fitted or not. Without the Autoloader
(see section 6.8) the max pile height is about 20mm, but this increases
to about 200mm if the Autoloader is used, thereby greatly increasing
the time between reloads. The actual time between reloads depends
on the running speed and the average number of pages in the booklets.
The thinner the booklet the faster the covers must be fed and the
feeder must then be reloaded more frequently.
All
Questions
How much time is needed to reload the SB-095
or SB-097 sheet pile feeders and how
frequently must they be reloaded?
Answer: These feeders can accept up to about 7,000 sheets.
The time between reloads depends on how fast the machine is running
and the average number of pages in the booklets. The Smart-binder
must be stopped to reload the sheet pile feeder. The reload time
depends on whether the optional PLT-100 loading trolley system is
used or not: allow for a few minutes to reload without the trolley
system, or about 35 secs with the trolley system (providing the
trolley is already loaded in advance).
All
Questions
Perforated sheets: Can the Smart-binder
saddle-stitcher produce books with tear-out pages?
Answer: Yes. The optional DMP-100 Dynamic micro-perforator
system may be integrated just before the Smart-binder folder. This
allows any sheet to receive a perforation (perf) line at any position
parallel to the sheet flow direction. A bar-code digit on each sheet
controls whether that sheet is to receive a perf line or not. Each
perf wheel is individually controlled so a sheet may receive a perf
line on one side, but not the other side, or both sides together.
The DMP-101 system offers 4 perf heads instead of 2.
See section 6.17 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information
All Questions
Can the Smart-binder produce books with holes?
Answer: Yes. Both hole drilling and (lower cost) hole punching
modules are available to be connected on-line with the Smart-binder
delivery.
A single corner hold punch (CHP-100) is available to be installed
inside the standard SB trimmer
All
Questions
Can the Smart-binder produce books with loop stitches to fit into
ring binders?
Answer: Yes. The standard wire stitched heads may be exchanged
for loop-stitch heads. In this case the stitcher drive upgrade must
also be selected because loop heads require additional drive force.
See sections 6.14 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information
All Questions
Can the Smart-binder be fitted with an automatic
book stacker, bander and/or wrapper?
Answer: Yes. A variety of stacking, wrapping and/or banding
modules are available for direct connection to the Smart-binder
delivery. See section 6.18 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information
All Questions
Spine squaring: Can the Smart-binder
produce saddle-bound books with spines that have been pressed into
a 'square' shape?
Answer: IBIS’s optional SM-100 module can press book
spines into a square shape and can be fitted directly to the Smart-binder
delivery conveyor.. However this process is not recommended for
books thicker than 3 – 4 mm and the maximum SM-100 throughput
rate is 23 books/min. It is also not recommended to be used for
ISG glued booklets (only wire-stitched booklets).
See section 7.4 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information
All Questions
Two-up production: Can saddle-bound
booklets be made two-up by using a trimmer center knife and what are
the restrictions when using the center knife?
Answer: Yes. The Smart-binder has an optional center-knife
system (6.3 or 9.5mm width) which results in two small format books
being delivered side by side. The minimum book spine length when
using the 9.5mm trimmer center knife is 95mm. The maximum book thickness
when using the trimmer center knife is about 3- 4mm. If using the
trimmer center knife when wire-stitching, then two extra stitch
heads are normally required.
See section 6.16 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information
All Questions
What is the minimum book spine length and
minimum book width?
Answer: For normal one-up production the minimum spine length
is 200mm. When using the optional center-knife for 2-up production
(see above), then the minimum spine length is 95mm. The stretched
model SB-x must be used if spine lengths are in between 150 and
210mm.
The minimum book width is normally 120mm, but a special modification
is available to reduce this dimension (refer to IBIS if needed)
All Questions
What is the maximum book spine length and
width?
Answer: The standard Smart-binder can produce a maximum
finished book size of 320mm (spine) x 230mm.
The stretched model Smart-binder model SB-XW is available to increase
the maximum book size to 450mm (spine length) x 270mm (width).
All
Questions
Can the Smart-binder produce A5 booklets
2-up?
Answer: The standard Smart-binder can produce A5 landscape
(or Digest oblong) 2-up using the optional trimmer center-knife.
The Smart-binder SB-X can produce A5 portrait or Digest portrait
booklets 2-up using the optional trimmer center-knife.
All Questions
What are the options for removing trimmer
waste?
Answer: The normal waste removal system is a simple inclined
conveyor which delivers the trim-off paper strips into a customer-supplied
collection bin. Two different conveyor systems are available,
for delivery into either a small bin (TWC-100) or a large bin (TWC-101).
If the customer has a factory vacuum waste extract system, then
it is preferred to connect the Smart-binder to this instead of using
the normal waste conveyor. In this case we supply a waste collection
‘chute’ with a circular outlet for piping connection to
customers extract system
All
Questions
What electrical power supply voltage
is needed for the Smart-binder?
Answer: Any 3 phase voltage supply may be used, but voltages
outside the 380 – 420 Volt range require the optional voltage
transformer TFR-100 to be selected. See section 11.8.1 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for more information.
All Questions
How can the normal tearing of the spine corners
be avoided when making very thick books?
Answer: The Smart-binder can be fitted with an optional
book clamp system (Option TCA-100) that reduces or eliminates spine
corner tearing. This assembly is customized to suit a particular
book width, so the book width must be specified when ordering this
option.
All
Questions
Can the Smart-binder be used in-line with
cut-sheet printers?
Answer: Yes. The Smart-binder SB-1 range is intended for
use with slower speed printers, such as cut-sheet printers. A sheet
rotator and/or roller table may be needed in between the printer
and the Smart-binder. Note: Cut-sheet printers normally deliver
large sheets short-edge leading and small sheets long-edge leading.
The Smart-binder must receive sheets long-edge leading (for normal
portrait format booklet production).
All
Questions
Sheet buffering: When running a Smart-binder
system in-line with a digital printer is it possible to ‘buffer’
the sheets so that the Smart-binder input speed does not always have
to be exactly the same as the Printer speed?
Answer: Yes, we offer the optional SBS-100
buffer for this purpose (see 6.29 of our Smart
Binder Product Guide for details). This SBS-100 module
allows some very thin booklets to be produced without reducing the
in-line printer speed. It also allows the Smart-binder to stop and
start (i.e. to clear a paper jam) without stopping the in-line web
printer.
All Questions
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