A Bindery Success™ subscriber recently emailed to talk about an issue he was having with perforating on their folding machine. As with most post-press problems, the more we dug into it, the more we had to peel back layers. In this case the problem which generated the inquiry is that perforator blades are wearing out too fast for the boss’ liking.
Even the simplest bindery department can be a complicated operation with a mix of post-press machinery, procedures and materials. No matter how well-trained an operator or manager, it's easy to miss something that leads to a mistake. We can all probably recall more than once getting that “uh-oh” feeling after finishing a job. You’d open a box to double-check that you had folded something the right way or kept various lots of a saddle stitched book separate.
Some time ago a Bindery Success™ reader asked us to referee a disagreement about the correct usage of the term “aggressive perforation.” He believed a more aggressive perf would tear more easily. His colleague thought 'more aggressive' meant it would be harder to tear. Who was right?
This week we have a bindery video for you about how to produce some very high quality perforations on your folding or scoring machine. Most experienced bindery operators and supervisors, when they first hear this, don’t really believe us. We can see it in their eyes…it’s like they’re indulging the whims of some kind but crazy distant family member.