C.P. Bourg, the world's leading developer and supplier of on-demand document binding and finishing equipment, today introduced a major advance in producing perfect-bound books off line -- including digitally printed "book runs of one" -- with the introduction of a new perfect binding system that features unattended operation.

The new system, called the Bourg BB3102 -- is a fully automated perfect binding system aimed at short-run and on-demand production environments. The BB3102 combines the proven Bourg BB3002 Perfect Binder driven at maximum speed and productivity by the company's new Bourg BBL Book Loader, which together make it possible to produce a wide variety of bound, soft-cover books from traditional or digital print streams, with minimal intervention.

Existing Bourg BB3002 users will be able to have their perfect binders retrofitted in the field to BB3102 functionality through the addition of the Bourg BBL Book Loader and its associated hardware and software.

The BB3102 makes it easy for the operator to load in less than six minutes up to 120 book blocks into the Bourg BBL Book Loader, load corresponding covers into the cover feeder, set job parameters and leave the system unattended for up to 30 minutes of non-stop production, at a rate of up to 350 books/hour, while they focus on other tasks. The Book Loader allows books to vary in thickness from 5 to 60 mm (0.2 to 2.36-in), and in paper sizes from 195 x 127 mm (7.68 x 5.0 in) to 385 x 320 mm (15.15 x 12.6 in).

The Bourg BBL continuously feeds the entire set of book blocks to the proven Bourg BB3002, a self-setting single-clamp perfect binder that automatically jogs each set of flat sheets or folded sections with amplitude and vibration control that adjusts to paper type and book thickness; and mills up to 3 mm (0.12 in) using up to four notching tools.

Other BB3002 capabilities required for short run perfect binding include two glue rollers with a contra-rotating back-spinner that provide enhanced glue penetration; and operator programmed automatic side-gluing that ensures a perfect adhesion of the wraparound covers. The BB3002 also automatically creases book covers with up to thirteen male or female creases, and easily processes wing-book covers. Finished books are stacked in a receiving bin for easy operator removal.

"Although printing environments today can be demanding and unpredictable, short print runs, fast turnaround times and rising labor costs are almost guaranteed," says James Tressler, Director of Marketing and Branch Operations, C.P. Bourg Inc.

"The BB3102 perfect binding system makes it possible for commercial and in-plant printers and specialty binders to address today's often complex and unpredictable workflows with a versatile system that replaces the monotony and inconsistency of manually-guided short-run book production with predictability and high productivity," he adds.

Options and Upgrades
Options to the new BB3102 include connection to a Challenge CMT 330 trimmer, and addition of a fully integrated barcode solution that enables job tracking to maximize productivity and integrity. This is especially useful in "book runs of one" where matching covers to content is critical.

Adding the barcode and trimmer options enables the BB3102 system to produce books -- from book blocks to final, trimmed output stacked and ready for dispatch -- entirely without operator intervention.

The new Bourg BB3102 is being shown here at Drupa 2012 May 3-16, 2012 on the C.P. Bourg stand 13B69. 

It is available directly from C.P. Bourg offices worldwide or through the company's distributors worldwide. First shipments are expected in January 2013.