Perfect binders

Perfect binders are used in the process of either sheets or signatures (a sheet with multiple pages printed and then folded) are bound together using a glue with a wrap-around cover which creates a square-shaped spine.

There are many different perfect binding types, all called soft cover books. Mainly you can split them in sewn soft cover books and normal soft cover books. A sewn book will first be sewed and then fed into the binder to get his cover.

For normal perfect bound books you have to gather the book block, which you can do with an in- or off line gatherer. Then you go through a milling station to get a rough surface in order for the glue to hold better, after milling you have several options for spine preparation all depending to kind of glue and paper. After the milling you go apply the spine glue and side glue. This can be Hot melt, PUR or cold glue.

Mekes sells perfect binders mainly from Muller Martini, Kolbus and Wohlenberg. There are many different models, variating in set-up time, production speed and sizes. From Muller Martini the Normbinder is still very popular. It is designed in 1970 and build till 2000, a very strong build machine. Due to the modular design of Muller Martini we can modify perfect binder machines to the customer wishes. So we can add a gauzing station or change the glue system.

Three knife trimmers

Three knife trimmers are a type of cutting device (similar to a guillotine cutter) comprising of three knifes, two parallel knives and one right-angle knife, used to trim three sides of a book simultaneously. You use three-knife-trimmers to cut brochures, soft cover books and bookblocks for hard cover production. Change-over time and production speed are the two important factors to decide which trimmer you need. Most comment manufactures are Wohlenberg (44FM50, 44FS50, Trimtec 56i, etc), Muller Martini (Merit, Zenith, Orbit),  Kolbus (HD 143P, 151P, 152P, 153P).  Behind a three-knife-trimmer you can place a delivery belt, or a stacker.