Wohlenberg is a fully owned subsidiary of Baumann group and its manufacturing plant is in Verden (Aller) Germany. 

 

Wohlenberg’s Lucro is the answer for book printers in countries like India, to have a robust and beneficial solution for high speed book production. The proven German technology is adapted to include features that will sustain the stress of not-so-ideal working conditions: be it the quality of substrate, the operator know-how, electrical stability and so on. And to do this, with a justifiable investment, has been the brief given by Dr Michael Euler, the managing director of Wohlenberg to his technical team.
 

Dr Michael Euler says: “We held multi-level discussions with Welbound during the past few months. We appreciate them for their in-depth understanding of the Indian market; they have also been successful in building cost-effective book binding machines plus supporting the customers with top class after-sales. Wohlenberg brings in state-of-the-art perfect binders that have a number of patented and unique features that provide an edge to the users. This partnership will make sure that this highly beneficial technology is made accessible to the Indian users. The association with Welbound will go beyond the general sales agreements. We are looking at technology partnerships to manufacture machines and accessories in India. The first such project is the Lucro 5000 – an inline perfect binding system.”
 

Christian Baumann, the president of Baumann group, who was in India as part of the NBPC, mirrored these views.

Proven efficiency 

Lucro combines the strength of the proven efficiency of the Sprinter gatherer and the City binder, with sensible and essential automation, that is foolproof. The Sprinter is a high speed automated gatherer that can run at speeds upto 8,000 books per hour, offline. 
 

P Sajith, director marketing at Welbound Worldwide, says, “The Lucro uses the patented Winjector technology that is quicker, more efficient and energy saving. The direct shaft-drive of the gatherer, without chains, ensures zero transmission loss of motion. The gathering and transportation of signatures is vertical, thereby avoiding additional elements for straightening prior to entry into the binder: again an example of saving on space and energy.” 
 

The Lucro, an inline perfect binder has a speed of 5,000 books per hour. The centralised clamp adjustment with indicators for thickness, makes changeovers simple and cost-effective at the same time.
 

Multiple milling stations are provided with a powerful dust extractor. Wohlenberg’s well known, patented, gluing stations with integrated pre-melters come as standard with the Lucro. These are on casters and can be removed and replaced with PUR, as needed. The special rotary cover feeders handle standard covers as well as gate-folds with equal elan.
 

Sajith says, “The cover feeder also operates with the Winjector technology, thereby negating the need of additional vacuum pumps. The cover scoring tools are adjustable on the fly and there are specialised tools to address the common problem of cover separating from the book-block, with the first page. The downhill delivery is compact and efficient.”
 

Sajith added, “The perfect binding line is central to the workflow of soft cover book production. Lucro delivers the advantages offered by other Wohlenberg lines – be it in handling difficult signatures, loose leaves, gate-fold covers etc.”
 

Wohlenberg Lucro follows the lineage of the Wohlenberg binders that stand out for their smart and economic use of space and energy. For a 5,000 books per hour machine, Lucro requires the lowest footprint and consumes minimum energy. 
 

The standard Lucro is offered as with a 12 station Sprinter gatherer and 15 clamp Lucro binder with a vertical stack delivery. There is also the option of adding a conveyor and a Trim-tec 45i, inline trimmer.

 

Drupa development

Wohlenberg showcased Lucro at the recently concluded Drupa. During Drupa, CDC Printers, the Kolkata-based PrintWeek India award winning commercial printer who has ventured into a new book printing project, purchased a Lucro 5000 as a binding solution.
 

Chittaranjan Chowdhary, the managing director at CDC Printers was at Drupa to give final touches to the deal. Prior to Drupa, he had visited the Welbound factory in Thiruvananthapuram to see Lucro in action.
 

Chowdhary says, “I could see government textbooks, with not-so-great quality paper and cover stock being bound to perfection, on a pallet of more than 4,500 books per hour. The machine has a smaller footprint and is very energy efficient. The special vacuum technology used by Wohlenberg ensures difficult signatures being gathered, efficiently. The Wohlenberg-Welbound team will deliver the technology and support needed in this segment. For a start up like this, it is very important.”

The contract was signed in the presence of Dr Michael Euler of Wohlenberg and P Sajith of Welbound.
 

Operation in India

Lucro is a product designed and developed by Wohlenberg. The technology for manufacturing of the same is being transferred to Welbound Worldwide, who will assemble the machine in their Thiruvananthapuram plant in Kerala. The transfer of technology, up to the component level will happen over a period of time step-by-step. 
 

A V Chandrasekhar, director at Welbound Worldwide who will manage the knowledge transfer concludes, “The Wohlenberg designs are focused to derive highest efficiency in every moving part. They go to prove that ‘simplicity is the highest level of sophistication.”


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