Kolbus UK managing director Robert Flather says: “This is arguably the leading casemaker in the world and we are proud to have the significant market share in the UK.” There have been 10 UK installations and a small, but growing, global secondhand market is slowly emerging.

From singles to doubles
The first ever Kolbus casemaker was sold at the beginning of the 1900s, as a single-headed machine. It was not until 1967 that the DA36, the world’s first double-headed casemaker, was brought to the market and soon became very much the industry standard. The number 36 denoted the number of cycles that could be done in a minute, which was double the speed of previous machines.

Launched in the late 1980s, the DA240 increased speed to 50 cases a minute. Makeready times also decreased with each new model, as fewer and fewer parts were required to be changed. With early models, the cloth and board had to be stopped on the machine after each book went through. The DA232 has been the fastest model to date, capable of 85 cases per minute.

Best bits
“The DA270 was a totally blank canvas for us,” Flather explains. “We have 150 designers working for us and they took all of the best bits from other Kolbus equipment and amalgamated them to produce the best possible product.” Consequently, Kolbus took features from other models among its offering, such as a cloth feeder from a gathering machine and the gluing system from the DA232 – to make what became the DA270.

“This time, there are no changing parts needed at all, meaning that the makeready times are the fastest yet,” says Flather. The makeready on a 270 model is reduced to 10 minutes, from the 15 to 20 minutes that previous models would have required. The makeready time mainly consists of bringing the loads in and out and not the changing of any of the parts. Optional extras on the DA270 include board cutting and the ability to make asymmetrical cases. Quarter binding can also be achieved. A new DA270 can be bought for around £300,000.

A unique feature of this machine is that it can be used with hot-melt glue, as apposed to just hot animal glue; this allows the casemaker to run both faster and cleaner. According to Potter, it can be extremely difficult to run the machine using hot animal glue if the temperature gets too high. Extra fans or air conditioning is required in the room during the warm summer months, in order to maintain a constant temperature. This, however, is not the case when using hot-melt glues, which can be used without problems even in an environment of fluctuating temperatures.

Buying secondhand
Kolbus does not sell secondhand models directly, however, it does stock a full range of spare parts at its Milton Keynes warehouse. It will also send engineers out to look at any models, even if they have been bought from a dealer. “We have engineers still servicing machines that have been in use since the 1950s,” notes Flather.

Buckinghamshire-based Printing & Graphics Machinery sells secondhand casemakers and often refurbishes and sells Kolbus models. Sales director Stephen Glasgow says: “Many people have already upgraded to the faster and newer models, which means there are not too many coming onto the market at the moment.”

Printing & Graphics did sell one DA270 earlier this year – a 2003 model that fetched £170,000. “The DA270 is a very good purchase for larger binding houses, however, some companies with lower turnarounds will still go for a DA36,” says Glasgow. “Often people will start off by trying a secondhand or slower model first and then upgrade if demand improves.”

As the DA270 is still relatively new, no major problems have been discovered on secondhand models. Far older Kolbus machines have come onto the market still in very good condition, but with any used purchase, Glasgow recommends checking the service history and looking at the gears and bearings to make sure there is not premature wearing.

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SPECIFICATIONS
Min size
• 205x140mm
Max size
• 670x390mm
Speed
• 65 cycles per min
Max stacking height
• Counter stacker 100mm
• Cloth feeder 160mm
Price
• DA270 new £300,000
• Used 2003 £170,000
What to look for
• Maintenance history
• Wear to the gears and bearings