PrintPack: Welbound Worldwide demonstrates India's first high-speed PUR perfect binder

Welbound Worldwide, for the first time in India, demonstrated a high-speed PUR perfect binder during PrintPack India 2011.

23 Feb 2011 | By Samir Lukka

The WB3600 PUR perfect binder produced annual diaries at the show, eliminating the process involving thread sewing.

"Producing annual diaries is a challenge when it comes to testing the binding durability. Hence this was made as a test case for PUR perfect binding," said P Sajith, marketing director at Welbound. "And it passed the test."

According to Sajith, one of the key issues challenging the book printing industry in India is the necessity to thread-sew book blocks before cover pasting. At the moment, thread sewing is the only bottle-neck in bookbinding. "Welbound  realised that Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) hotmelts is the only solution for such jobs," said Sajith.

PUR, as we know, needs controlled environment, machines, applicators and know-how. For this, Welbound tied up with the world leaders in this technology – Henkel Adhesives and Robatech AG.
Welbound’s managing director K C Sanjeev is pleased with the response the PUR technology received at the show. "The response was unprecedented."

"The educational publishers are pleased that they can have ready to market books while the commercial printers are happy that they can print their brochures and books with ink or coatings spread on to the spine. Coffee table books can now be produced completely lay flat," said Sajith.

At the exhibition, the orders for the single-clamp were more than expected. "We intend to work closely with publishers and printers in order to make them adapt the new technology easily," said Sanjeev.