Next on our tour is the Kolbus Encasing Hard Cover Book
line (quite a mouthful) I
will refer to it as the Encaser or Book line. The Encaser is
actually made up of several machines hooked up in-line. These include the Book Block
feeder and Smasher, the End papering machine, the Backgluer, the Re-Smasher, the Three
Knife Trimmer, the Encaser, the Building-in, and the Dustjacketer.
Again we have onboard computers that assist in the set up, with servo motors coming within millimeters of the final size required. All these units can be run as stand alone items but we have them set up in a large U shape, which reduces the number of times we need to handle a product.
The Encaser takes the sewn book blocks and applies an End sheet and a Hard Cover to the trimmed book block. Having already sewn the books, they start out by having the spine smashed to reduce the bulk, and having an end sheet applied to the front and back of the book.
An end sheet is a sheet of paper folded in half to make a
four-page signature. The end sheet is glued onto the side of the book as opposed to being
sewn. Often printed, the end sheets could be different front and back. As in Perfect
Binding the spine needs glue on it, but instead of Hot Melt glue we use a Cold
Emulsion glue that is white in appearance. The Backgluer has a cylindrical brush that is
bathed in the Cold Emulsion, and the spine runs across the brush leaving a thin film of glue.
Applying heat to the spine through the Back Gluer with Halogen lamps assists in drying.
Re-smashing is next to reduce the bulk of the spine even more. As the book heads for the Three Knife Trimmer, added drying time is achieved by means of a tower conveyor. The Encaser trimmer is identical to the procedure at the Perfect Binder which I describe later in the tour.
Having trimmed the book it is carried to the Encaser via conveyors and fed into the end of the machine. Oriented on its fore edge, the book block, begins down the center of Encaser. Depending on the application, the spine of the book can be rounded. Rounding the spine allows the finished book to lie flat when opened to any page.
As the book continues on its way, another layer of glue is applied to the spine. A strip of cloth called Mull Cloth is applied to the spine. More Hot Melt glue, and a strip of Kraft paper with a Headband is applied. The Kraft paper is the width and length of the spine. The Headband is a small piece of decorative coloured cloth that is attached to the end of the Kraft paper and is the width of the spine.
The Hard cover is made off line on one of two case makers. Case making will be described later on this tour. The cover is fed into the machine at about the midway point and is applied as the book comes underneath it. Cold Emulsion Glue is rolled on the outside of the book block on the end sheet as it comes up on a wing. The cover is forced down over the spine and down the side of the book.
After the cover is on the book it still needs a bit of forming so it looks like the books you buy off the shelf. It needs a hinge at the spine so it will open flat and stay in the cover. The final "look" of the book is achieved in the Building-in machine. This is a long piece of equipment that has a series of clamps that squeeze the book into shape using heat and pressure.
Upon exiting this machine the book is virtually complete unless it requires a Dust jacket. At the Dust jacketer the book is fitted with a pre-trimmed dust jacket, and then is ready for boxing and shipping. If no jacket is required it is boxed after the Building-in.
