Binding - Saddle-Stitch

WESTAMPTON, NJ—In another positive sign that things are turning around for the better in the graphic arts, a special customer expo conducted here recently by MBO America and Muller Martini attracted more than 250 participants. Held in early June at MBO America's Westampton headquarters, the exposition was attended by key executives and technicians from facilities that operate or plan to run binderies. Their focus was on a variety of finishing solutions that were operated continuously throughout the event. Werner Naegeli, president and CEO of Muller Martini, headed the team representing his company at the event. "It's always great to meet face-to-face with bindery

New technology abounds in today's saddle stitchers, making them faster and easier to use. Here is a look at what manufacturers are now offering: The Heidelberg USA Stitchmaster ST 400 is designed to ensure maximum production flexibility. The ST 400 offers an output of up to 14,000 cph and is able to handle up to an A3-oversize format. Features include a color display with a touchscreen and touch-sensitive keyboard, missing stitch detection and automatic format presetting. Efficient controls allow for reliable product and quality monitoring. Circle No. 411 on Reader Service Card The Standard Horizon StitchLiner, from Standard Finishing, consists of the SpeedVAC collator,

By Caroline Miller When it comes to saddle stitching, every printer or trade finisher has a different set of needs. Some are looking for increased speed; for others, it is ease of operation or fast make-ready capabilities. And there are those in need of a stitcher that can integrate easily into a larger in-line system. Vendors of production saddle stitchers are responding to all of those needs thanks to a new generation of technology. "We've just seen a quantum leap in technology," says Chris Azbill, vice president at United Litho, a short-run publication printer that recently installed a Muller Martini Tempo saddle stitcher. When

BY CAROLINE MILLER In the world of saddle stitchers and bookletmakers, machinery is king. "The emphasis is on the equipment," reports Ron Bowman, vice president of sales and marketing for Rosback. Ease-of-use, automation, reliability, flexibility, versatility and productivity are just a few of the advances touted by saddle stitcher and bookletmaker manufacturers these days. Many of these innovations have come as a result of the growing industry trend of putting relatively unskilled employees in the bindery, while still demanding that the products they produce be as perfect as possible, reveals Bowman. Rosback offers the Setmaster Stitch/Fold and Trim bookletmaker, an in-line or off-line unit

BY ERIK CAGLE Freedom of choice, from a consumer standpoint, is a double-edged sword when your pool of choices is a veritable ocean. Anyone in the graphic arts industry knows what it means to have an unlimited array of manufacturers. It's the old deer-in-the-headlights syndrome—there are far too many choices and simply not enough time in the day to do sufficient homework that would yield an educated choice. At the end of the day during Graph Expo, printers riding the shuttle from the exhibition hall back to the hotel frequently wonder aloud, "You know, I looked at so many systems today—and I still

BY ERIK CAGLE The evolution of book publishing has some parallels with that of the computer. Smaller and quicker are the operative words in this comparison. Before the PC became a household fixture, computers were hulking boxes with reel-to-reel tapes and other round objects that made those cute little concentric circles. And they weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, boasting the processing speed of a can opener. Book publishing was also big and scarry—1,000-page megatomes were loaded onto presses to churn out millions of copies. "War and Peace" was followed by hundreds of thousands of 500-page copies of biology books. Obviously, they

BY ERIK CAGLE When is a floor model saddle stitcher not a saddle stitcher? When does it become a perfect binder? Ask Bob Morton, president of Best Graphics, one of the nation's leading bindery product distributors. Best Graphics will be introducing the Best Osako 612 UB 'reverse stitcher' to the U.S. market later this year. The innovative machine will produce books that appear to be perfect bound, despite the fact they are produced on a stitcher. In essence, it's the look of a perfectly bound book at saddle stitcher cost; but there's more to it than the bottom line. The reverse stitcher is designed

BY T.J. TEDESCO Different operating circumstances require different business strategies. For example, three trade binderies in three different states each have different plans and methods of doing business. Who's right? Maybe, they all are. In today's rough and tumble graphic arts world, excellent performance is not optional. To successfully compete over the long haul, companies must consistently say what they do, and do what they say. Yesterday's recipe for success—service, quality and fair prices—is just the starting point. Carefully evaluating business factors, such as geographic location, customer attitudes toward outsourcing, management strengths and weaknesses, and company core competencies, is essential. Then, implementing the right game plan

The finishing end of the entire on-demand printed product workflow is the poor stepchild of the digital family, watching in envy as the prepress and printing sides get the technological pony for Christmas. But it shouldn't and doesn't have to be that way.

BY CHARLOTTE MILLS SELIGMAN Milt Vine, president and CEO of Seattle Bindery, is often asked why he chose to acquire a trade bindery, particularly given his background as a CPA with one of the Big Five accounting firms. When he purchased a tabbing operation in 1991, and then a letterpress shop a few years later, folks pretty much fell silent on the subject, thinking Vine had some secret formula for success. "Well, I don't," contends Vine. "I've just been around long enough to know that all the trends analysis in the world can't predict success. I also know that while some printing companies may, in fact,