What does it do?
It’s a high-capacity saddle-binding unit with feeding arrangements for inline or nearline digital presses. Uniquely it offers both wire stitching and individual sheet gluing (ISG) cold glue binding in the same machine. It produces finished booklets at speeds of up to 7,000 booklets per hour with constantly varying thickness.
Ibis Integrated Bindery Systems is a British finishing systems developer. It offers several standard configurations and a lot of options that can be specified to produce custom lines. SB3 is the standard configuration, though it sits in the middle of the range. SB1 is a reduced-speed entrylevel nearline model without ISG gluing option, SB2 is faster to run inline with web presses, also without ISG. SB-4 adds an Ibis-modified single-clamp perfect binder inline. SB-5 includes a separate perfect binder. There are also larger Smart-binder X and XW models for 2-up A5s or formats up to tabloid sizes.
When was it launched?
Originally at Drupa 2004, but there have been frequent upgrades and more options introduced over the years. The current ‘SB3 plus HS’ standard configuration was introduced in 2013. It was demonstrated at Drupa 2016 on the Domino stand, running inline with a Domino K630i monochrome inkjet web press and Kern web cutter.
What markets is it aimed at?
According to managing director John Cracknell, target markets are: “All applications for high-volume booklet production using digital print such as production of exam papers, personalised insurance policies, financial documents, newsletters, product manuals and many others.”
How does it work?
The Smart-binder receives digitally printed four-page sheets at high speed, either inline with a printer, or from a roll unwinder/cutter, or from its own pile feeder. If stapled booklets are needed then it centre-folds each sheet, collects them onto a saddle, adds a separately fed cover, if required, saddle- stitches and then three-side trims.
For ISG glue binding it centre-folds each sheet, adds a line of cold glue dots along the insider of each fold, collects them onto a saddle, adds a separately fed glued cover if needed, then presses all sheets together and three-side trims.
Every sheet can carry a printed barcode allowing individual tracking, so only correctly assembled booklets are delivered and any bad ones are automatically rejected.
Separately fed covers may be matched to the inside sheets for personalised booklets. Codes also mean that the number of pages in each booklet can be varied on the run without slowing down.
How does it differ from previous models?
The latest Smart-binder model Plus HS is faster than previous models, allowing it to run inline with web presses running at up to 180-200m/min.
What are the options?
There are well over 20 standard options, which are too many to list in full here. They include sheet and inline feeders and bridges, cover and insert sheet feeders, dynamic perforation, punch and drills, centre trimmer and post-trimmer waste removal, knife folding, edge sealing, spine squaring and booklet stacking. A perfect binder can also be fitted after the trimmer to produce hot-glue-bound books up to 60mm thick.
How fast/productive is it?
Up to 7,000 booklets per hour, with continually varying thickness.
What is the USP?
According to Cracknell, the Smart-binders are the only saddle stitchers that can run inline with a fast digital web press. The patented ISG cold gluing system is also unique to Ibis. “Compared with wire stitching it produces books that are stronger and lay much flatter, because stitching tends to open the book up, while the moisture in the glue softens the paper fibres.”
Also important are the way that sheets are folded individually, giving better fold quality, and the way book thicknesses can be varied without stopping.
How easy is it to use?
“Since book thickness changes are automatic there is little for the operator to do except take finished books off the delivery conveyor,” Cracknell says.
What support is on offer?
“Operators are trained by us to use the machine over a one- or two-day period,”
Cracknell says. “We provide a full training course to enable the end-customer or our sales agent to be able to self-support the Smart-binder system. The Ibis office in High Wycombe provides phone support, with a 24-hour hotline.”
What is the sales target, how many are installed?
“The current sales target is around 20 units pa, with the order rate having increased during this year,” says Cracknell. “140 Smart-binder systems are installed worldwide, with 12 in the UK.”
SPECIFICATIONS
Max output speed 7,000bph (1-up) or 14,000bph (2-up)
Max input sheet rate 450 sheets per minute (may contain 4, 8 or 12 pages)
Max web press speed Around 180-200m/min with extra buckle folder
Stock weight range 40-160gsm
Cover stock weight 70-300gsm (above 240gsm requires testing)
Trimmed book width 120-225mm
Spine length 210-320 mm. NB: when using trimmer centre knife then minimum spine length reduces to 100mm. The stretched model SB-XW increases max finished size to 457x280mm
Book thickness range Minimum 4 pages to maximum 10mm
Wire stitches Up to four stitch heads producing 12mm staples, 0.4-0.6mm diameter round wire.
Optional loop stitching available
Price From £125,000 inline or near-line
Contact Ibis Integrated Bindery Systems 01494 561950 www.ibis-bindery.com
ALTERNATIVES
Horizon Stitchliner 5500/6000
Described by Cracknell as the only real competitor to the Smart-binder, the Stitchliner combines flat sheet collating, scoring, folding, stitching and three-knife trimming in line. It can be used with multiple collator towers for offset sheets, or with a digital sheet feeder. Apart from greater speed, the 6000 optionally offers loop stitching on booklets up to 6mm thick (finished). It doesn’t have the ISG gluing option.
Speed up to 6,000bph
Max sheet size 350x500mm
Min sheet size 140x199mm
Stock weight range 64gsm (uncoated) or 80gsm (coated) to 201gsm
Stitch thickness Max 5mm for a 10mm booklet thickness
Max book thickness 10mm (about 50 sheets of 80gsm)
Price around £120,000
Contact IFS 020 8997 8053 www.ifsl.uk.com
Muller Martini Presto II Digital
An ‘industrial’ modular saddle stitcher that can have twin offset signature or digital feeders and an unwinder/sheeter to run inline, nearline or offline. There can be four or six stitching heads. With barcode reading and Connex controller it can switch throughout its thickness range. Covers can be fed separately. In addition to saddle stitching it can also process book blocks for perfect binding later.
Speed Governed by pagination; nominally up to 9,000cycles/hr
Max folded book size A/B feed (untrimmed) 350/290x105mm (365/315x105mm with high folio lap)
Max book thickness 10mm
Price £190,000-£350,000
Contact Muller Martini UK 0844 875 4590 www.mullermartini.com/gb
