Welcome to our Award Winning Bindery Success Blog!

What do bindery equipment, loud music, gunshots and power tools have in common?

Drilling holes in paper can be easy and trouble-free…if you practice the right habits. The drilling concept is simple but like most things in bindery and print finishing, there are more factors to consider than initially meet the eye. These include type of paper stock, size of hole, number of holes, type of drill bit and coating, drilling blocks, drill bit depth adjustment, table speed and lubrication.

One of my colleagues in the world of marketing, Bob Bly, has a file of marketing resources that I must have sub-consciously kept to myself over the years. (Note: if you own or manage a printing, bindery or other business, you ARE in the world of marketing, like it or not.)

For web printers in search of in-line micro perforating solutions, here’s a sneak preview of the new alternative in high-speed perforating designed specifically for web presses.

Web presses are in some ways more complex than their sheet-fed brethren by virtue of their high speeds, by web tension and by heating and chilling variables, in addition to the usual ink, paper and plate issues. Perforating and scoring accessories that perform just fine in a sheet-fed printing environment might fail under the different demands of web printing.

Here's one of those "why didn't I think of that" kind of tips. Jimmy Myers of Progress Printers in MI found himself struggling with sheet registration on the digital jobs they were scoring on their Rollem.

In a moment of inspiration, Jimmy installed a delivery wheel from his folding machine on the Rollem infeed, just before the smoother guard. (see photos) The wheel rides on top of the green belts and is positioned wherever there is curl is on the sheet. Jimmy says that instantly all their register problems disappeared.

by guest author Dan Kennedy
There is an old joke about the Farm Bureau agent trying to convince the grizzled farmer to attend the upcoming educational conference being put on by the Bureau. The resistant farmer says: "Aw, no need. I ain't usin' half of what I already know."

I was trained on a paper cutter that I'm certain was possessed. This big, ugly, leaky, noisy, old cutter (which shall remain nameless but is similar to the photo) had "safeties" which were anything but safe. Yes, you had to have both hands on the buttons to cycle the machine---but you didn't have to keep them there. As soon as the cycle started I could pull my hands away to grab stock. Yes, the knife would stop at the top of the cycle like it should have...as long as I let go of the buttons at the exact right split second (I got very good at that!) Otherwise it would stop a little bit past the top with the knife edge exposed past the clamp.

Some days, it would just start cycling on it's own. I could be jogging stock when out of nowhere the knife would come down, cycling faster and faster without stopping, cutting through whatever was on the table until we could cut power. After it stopped, we'd reset the clutch and it was 'safe' again.

Which brings me to a very important point that could affect your printing operation: According to the Printing Industries of America, "OSHA has announced three enforcement efforts that impose increased obligations on employers and result in increased penalties for violations." You can read all the details here on the PIA website.

OSHA is taking this three-pronged approach due to "persistent high levels of amputations." Two of the new rules apply to persistent violators but the third applies to ALL printing employers. "Under the rule, OSHA would require employers to create a plan for identifying and remedying risks associated with hazards and OSHA violations." Penalties under the new rules are skyrocketing, with OSHA saying the average penalty for a serious violation will go from $1000 to the $3-4,000 range! The catch is that their definition of a serious violation has changed...it's broader, and it might now include many unsuspecting printing and bindery operations. Don't let this one slide. Printing Industries of America can help.

And by the way, after many unsuccessful attempts at repairing the demon cutter, we did replace her with a beautiful, computerized...and safe... Polar.

Technifold and IPEX 2010 Busier Than Expected

 In what we hope is a positive indicator for printing and print finishing business everywhere,
Tech-ni-fold's IPEX 2010 exhibit had much more traffic than anticipated, as did the show overall. We had the opportunity to help out for two days during the weeklong show and it was tough to catch a coffee break! There was no shortage of help either, with booth staff comprised of the UK contingent plus numerous Technifold dealers from around the world including Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the USA, the Czech Republic, Spain and more.

by guest author Dan Kennedy
I happen to be a politics junkie and, therefore, a news junkie. I even write political columns, so I have to pay attention daily. But I learned years ago that it is the news media's job to make every problem a crisis, every item of earth-shaking, life-altering importance. Few news events actually are. As a matter of fact, most things wind up being about as important as you permit them to be.