April 25, 2003 -- Heidelberg has developed the WK 400 H, a mobile sample gluer with servo drive for the Stitchmaster ST 400 saddle-stitcher. This development means that for the first time ever it is now possible to glue cards, envelopes, booklets, chip cards and CDs onto signatures downstream of the saddle-stitcher’s chain. This means it is now possible to apply inline gluing to the even pages at the back of brochures. Till now this was only possible on the odd pages in the front of brochures. The sample gluer is equipped as standard with an image recognition system for capturing the gluing position and the product being glued. The unit can be applied easily to any point of the saddle chain like a mobile feeder. It is also possible to use several sample gluers upstream and downstream of the saddle chain. There are many advantages for bookbinders, finishing companies or full-service printshops. A broader range of services means that they can set themselves apart from the competition and boost added value through more expansive brochure design involving glued-in products or samples. Practical test successful Peter Klingler, head of finishing at the Birkhäuser+GBC AG printshop in Reinach, explains that: “For the first time ever we can use two sample gluers, both in front of the saddle chain and behind”. This printshop is the first to use the sample gluer WK 400 H. Birkhäuser+GBC is part of the Basler Mediengruppe and is one of the largest full-service sheetfed offset printshops in Switzerland. The company was the first in Switzerland to purchase the Stitchmaster ST400 and it is delighted with the saddle-stitcher’s high flexibility and the swift changeover - setup times can be cut by up to 55 percent. Peter Klinger is happy that “the sample gluer enables us to offer our customers an even better service”. Easy to use and high performance The sample gluer WK 400 H works just like a mobile feeder on the Stitchmaster ST 400 saddle-stitcher and can be deployed without any aids. Automatic synchronization with the saddle chain is possible with the servo drive. The bonding position of the product can even be adjusted on the fly. The image recognition system checks that the product is in place or signals that it is positioned incorrectly. This ensures extensive quality control. All in all, the sample gluer achieves 14,000 cycles per hour and processes formats of 40 x 60 mm to a maximum of 230 x 320 mm. It supports card (single sheet) from 80 gsm to 400 gsm, booklets up to 2 mm thick, chip cards, CDs or samples of merchandise. A hotmelt device from HHS is used for gluing (standard). However, gluing devices from Nordson or Robatech are also supported.