New York City - Muller Martini is teaming up with digital printing innovator Oce at the On Demand Exposition and Conference, which takes place at the Javits Center, April 22-25. An AmigoDigital perfect binding system will link to an Oce DemandStream 8090CX digital printing system with Hunkeler paper handling equipment. The result: a streamlined workflow that will produce commercial quality paperback books in a single pass. Based on Muller Martini’s popular AmigoPlus line, AmigoDigital is enhanced with electronic and mechanical interface modules that enable it to work inline with a variety of digital printing systems. While other perfect binding solutions have been introduced into the on demand marketplace, AmigoDigital is the only system that produces commercial quality paperbacks at speeds up to 1,000 cycles per hour. "We maintain that quality quotient by incorporating into the AmigoDigital the same perfect binding techniques we use in our high-volume equipment," says Andrew J. Fetherman, Manager of Muller Martini’s Digital Finishing Division. AmigoDigital’s automated process begins by measuring the gathered signatures to verify the size of the book block, which is precisely aligned, then clamped. The backs of the signatures are milled and roughened to create a receptive gluing surface. "Here the number of milling and roughening knives is important, as is the ability to adjust milling depth and book hangout," says Fetherman. The spine gluing station is the next stop. It has a two-roller applicator for even coverage. A separate side gluing station, with its own glue pot, then adds an extra measure of durability to the book by applying glue to the front page and the back page of the book block. An integrated cover feeder on the AmigoDigital marries the cover to the book block. The device can be adjusted for two-line or four-line scoring of the cover to prevent cracking and ensure a tight fit. The appearance of the book is further enhanced by a built-in nipping station, which ensures the integrity, registration and squareness of the book’s backbone. Quality control is a priority throughout, so parameters like clamp thickness and book length and width are continuously and automatically monitored by AmigoDigital’s Programmable Logic Control (PLC) system. This command center is linked electronically to the digital press. That means the dimensions of the book and other parameters are entered automatically, seamlessly setting up all of the modules within the binder. This saves time and eliminates the chance for re-keyboarding blunders. PLC also guides the operator through set up and operation - one simple step at a time. As a result training can be a half-day experience, and operator error is negligible. AmigoDigital is equipped to precisely match its speed to the output rate of the digital press to which it is connected, providing a range of from 300 to 1,000 cycles per hour. "At Oce’s On Demand exhibit, booth #1300, we’ll show printers that they don’t have to sacrifice quality for speed or for digital versatility," says Fetherman, who is delivering an expert presentation on digital finishing at the On Demand conference. "The AmigoDigital will let them know that how a book is manufactured is every bit as important as how it is printed."