Chicago – Taking a page from its pioneering achievements with in-line digital book manufacturing and recent innovations in near-line PUR perfect binding, C.P. Bourg is giving attendees at PRINT 09 in Chicago a glimpse into the future of short-run, on-demand color book production with the live demonstration of a fully automated production line using the latest in polyurethane reactive (PUR) perfect binding technology.
 
PUR is an aggressive adhesive that provides better wetting of paper fiber than conventional "hot melt" adhesive, resulting in greater page pull-strength and higher quality for digital color printed pages on coated stocks. It also produces books with a lay-flat binding that won't crack and that can be trimmed and packed within minutes.
 
This industry-first demonstration using PUR technology for fully automatic in-line book production will take place in the C.P. Bourg Booth (#3400) at PRINT 09, September 11-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and will show how customers can take advantage of PUR perfect binding to maximize productivity of on-demand book manufacturing while reducing overall cost.
 
This "PUR book factory" will showcase the Xerox iGen4 Press connected to a C.P. Bourg modular finishing production line featuring a single-clamp Bourg BB3002 PUR Perfect Binder modified for in-line production and outfitted with a tightly integrated conveyor system, sheet accumulator and book transfer system.
 
In the demonstration, sheets printed 2-up by the Xerox iGen4 Press are sent to a Bourg BPRFx Perforating Rotating Folder, then travel down the conveyor and are stacked in the transfer system. The folded and stacked signatures are then automatically placed into the BB3002 PUR Perfect Binder clamp. The BB3002 PUR Binder then jogs the book block and mills the folded edge while uniquely measuring thickness and length to calculate the exact amount of PUR needed to bind each book. The BB3002 then applies the adhesive, wraps a cover around the pages and delivers the bound book to a Challenge CMT 330 Trimmer for three-sided trimming – all within minutes of being printed.
 
The entire production sequence is monitored and tracked using book manufacturing integrity software developed by C.P. Bourg strategic partner Productive Solutions, Inc. This software, which uniquely keeps track of all components of each book manufactured in addition to tracking each job, monitors the book block coming into the BB3002 PUR binder and ensures the correct cover will be applied in the correct orientation, thereby eliminating waste and unnecessary rework.
 
As each untrimmed book is fed into the CMT-330, a barcode reader detects its dimensions and the software is used to automatically adjust the three-knife cut.  This step also allows the software to track the entire production process and confirm the integrity of the finished product.
 

Running at Rated Speed
The production line at the show will be capable of running at the full rated speed of the Xerox iGen4 digital print engine, producing books from 3.5 x 3.9 inches to 12.59 x 15.15 inches. Covers up to 27.9 x 15.5 inches are loaded and fed automatically from the BB3002 integrated cover feeder to bind books up to 2.36 inches thick – the largest produced today by a single-clamp binder.
 
Providing context to the demonstration, C.P. Bourg Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Trapilo commented, "The number of books being printed and reprinted digitally compared to traditional methods is increasing dramatically. At the same time, PUR is proving to be the best adhesive to bind color covers and pages printed digitally. This convergence of trends and technologies makes a strong case for a fully automated PUR perfect binding system that can be tied directly to digital printing engines.
 
"With this type of production system," he continued, "commercial printers, corporate in-plants and trade binderies have significantly expanded options. Books of virtually any standard type or size – from pocket size to thick catalogs to vividly printed photo books in quantities of one or hundreds – can be digitally printed, trimmed and shipped the same day.
 
"Our demonstration builds on many innovations that C.P. Bourg has contributed to in-line and off-line book finishing over the years – many of which were ahead of their time and remain at the head of their class even today," Trapilo noted.
 
"It also attests to the feasibility of using our existing PUR binder technology in-line to achieve fast, economical and high-quality results, and serves to showcase the continuing strength of our relationship as a Xerox Business Partner."
 
An award-winning supplier and Xerox Business Partner since 1989, C.P. Bourg most recently was named as the Xerox Overall Finishing Business Partner of the Year for 2008 for the fifth consecutive year, and as the Xerox Monochrome Finishing Business Partner of the Year for 2008.
 
The company also took top honors at ON DEMAND Expo 2009, winning the "Best of Show" award in the "Binding, Finishing and Mailing Equipment" category for its new Bourg BME Booklet Maker; and won a 2009 Feingold award from the Binding Industries Association for breaking new ground in the graphic finishing and custom loose-leaf manufacturing industries with its new Bourg BSF Sheet Feeder.
 

C.P. Bourg – The Print Finishing Experts
For nearly 50 years, C.P. Bourg has designed and delivered innovative binding and finishing solutions to meet the needs of the global printing and finishing industry. C.P. Bourg's reputation – as the world's leading technology developer and supplier of in-line and near-line document feeding, binding and finishing equipment for the broad spectrum of traditional and digital printing environments – is built on a history of Mr. Christian Pierre Bourg's achievement and continuous commitment to quality, innovation and efficiency. This commitment has led to privileged relationships with numerous digital print suppliers, and with tens of thousands of customers worldwide who rely on C.P. Bourg equipment to turn print on paper into quality finished products.
 
For more information, visit www.cpbourg.com.