“Smart Control” from Henkel for bookbinding machines
Top quality thanks to automatic monitoring
For high-performance spine gluing of books and brochures, precise application of the adhesive is absolutely essential. Any errors at this stage in the bookbinding machine can rapidly lead to several thousand rejects. Henkel is now offering the “Smart Control” monitoring system that allows users to detect production errors instantly.
Henkel’s bookbinding adhesives marketed under the Technomelt, Purmelt and Adhesin brands are standardly used by bookbinders today. Thanks to their performance profile, they provide outstanding solutions for almost all bookbinding tasks. One important aspect, however, is ensuring perfect interaction of the adhesive and the machine.
A modern bookbinding machine can process up to 21,000 books, brochures or catalogs per hour. High-volume orders in particular, such as telephone directories, mail order catalogs or bestselling books, demand high-speed production of very large quantities in excellent quality. Up to now, quality control has been essentially a question of taking random samples during the actual binding process. If errors are detected, this may mean having to discard the output of several minutes or even a whole hour – at enormous cost.
Camera monitoring in the machine
Henkel has now brought its “Smart Control” to the market, a camera monitoring system that can be retrofitted to existing bookbinding machines in addition to being incorporated in new ones. The core of the system is a thermal camera which continuously transmits images of the gluing process to a linked-up computer.
The image of each single copy is then analyzed by the computer to check the quality of the glue layer. If errors are detected, “Smart Control” immediately triggers an alarm, allowing intervention before large numbers of rejects can accumulate. The monitoring system can detect not only errors in the area of the applied glue film, but also gaps in the film caused by partially blocked doctor blades or nozzles, which can have especially serious consequences.
Suitable for PUR adhesives and hotmelts
“Smart Control” operates just as reliably with PUR adhesives as it does with hotmelts. It also makes no difference whether the spine glue is applied by roller or nozzle.
End product quality is not the only benefit that this monitoring system brings – it also optimizes material usage. Bookbinders can tend to apply too much adhesive. “Smart Control” now makes it possible to fine-tune the amount of glue applied, thus reducing waste and set-up times.
Positive feedback from users in the field
“Smart Control” is already in use on half a dozen bookbinding machines, with entirely positive feedback from customers. Machine operator reports confirm reduced reject rates, better quality, and lower adhesive usage.
They also say that it makes their work easier. The monitoring system automatically triggers an alarm when errors are detected, thus giving the machine operators more time to take care of other important tasks. After personal training by Henkel’s Technical Customer Service, operators quickly familiarize themselves with the system’s easy-to-use touchscreen controls.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA