BindTech President, Dale H. Nichols, concisely explains the decision in favor of the Bolero: “We don’t just need additional production capacity, we need a machine that produces more flexibly, faster and more efficiently.” That is why in addition to the automatic signature recognition Asir 3 (image and barcode recognition) and the book verification system, BindTech’s new perfect binding line also has the new book data center (BDC) from Muller Martini. Thanks to BDC, BindTech can record all important book measurement data for the entire perfect binding line and call it up on the individual units.

The high level of automation of the Muller Martini line also impressed Michael Teske, Manager at the perfect binding showcase operation Lange & Nötel GmbH in Garbsen, Germany: “The Bolero practically sets itself up in only five minutes. We often run production at the limits of maximum production speed, the quality of the print products is excellent and we hardly have any waste.” Consequently it is not surprising that Lange & Nötel GmbH, a long time specialist in saddle stitching, invested in a second perfect binding line of the same type shortly after the first Bolero was commissioned – and even added a Frontero face trimmer to that for more efficient manufacturing of gatefolded brochures.

High Level of Automation
As a matter of fact it is the high level of automation, which makes efficient production possible, which has made the medium-class perfect binder (8000 cycles per hour) into a success story in the past four years. The input of product parameters and production data is done directly on the commander with the touchscreen or through the production planning on a networked operating unit. In addition to that the data can be automatically imported from the book data center. For import of data in JDF format the Bolero has the necessary interface to the workflow system Connex from Muller Martini.

Since the market introduction of the Bolero at drupa '04 in Düsseldorf a quick make-ready has become even more important because although the number of titles is increasing, the run sizes are decreasing. Here the Bolero, recently available in the modern, ergonomic Laserblue, demonstrates its superior flexibility just as it does with its quick changeover from perfect binding to thread sewing production. Added to that is the robust design necessary for industry multishift operation. Numerous Bolero modules are based on the high performance perfect binder, Corona, of which Muller Martini recently sold the 300th line.

Large Size Range
As universal machine, the Bolero processes a wide range of products (brochures, magazines, catalogs, bookblocks for hardcover books) and maximum sizes up to a spine length of 510 mm and products with a thickness of up to 80 mm. It is also highly flexibly in the application of all common binding methods. One-shot and two-shot hotmelt are possible just as are cold glue, combined primer two-shot binding methods or PUR.

What Customers are saying about the Bolero
Frank Thalhofer, Manager of the major Bookbindery Thalhofer, Schönaich (Germany): “The Bolero impresses me especially because of the automatic settings of the perfect binder and three-knife trimmer, as well as the gathering machine with its reject gate. Today we produce at double former speeds. And make-ready times are significantly quicker – not least also because we can save our many repeat jobs using the touchscreen.”
Zenta Oguchi, President, Oguchi Bookbinding & Printing Co. Ltd, Tokyo (Japan): “The Bolero has proven to be fully according to our high expectations. It is a machine which you really can run at the full speed of 8000 c/hr. With this investment we entered into the PUR market which opens new opportunities to us. This is the reason why we installed recently the second Bolero line.”
Beat Steiner, Production Manager bookbindery Grollimund, Reinach/BL (Switzerland): “Since the Bolero processes maximum sizes up to a spine length of 510 mm, we can also run large sizes – this also applies to A5 and small sizes, which we can efficiently manufacture in multiple-up production thanks to the splitting saw.”
Antonio Oliveira Tostes, Director Casa Publicadora Brasileira, Tatuí (Brazil): “In addition to large jobs we have many regularly repeating short run jobs – here a fully automated and easy-to-operate machine like the Bolero is a real benefit to us.”
Andy Lyke, President of Ripon Printers, Ripon (USA): “The Bolero has not only reduced our production costs, it has also opened the doors for us to two completely new markets: PUR and Otabind production.”

Technische Daten		min.	max.
Mechanical speed		1200 cycles/hour	8000 cycles/hour
Number of clamps			21, 26, 31
Sizes	spine length	140 mm	510 mm
	book width	100 mm	320 mm
	book thickness		80 mm
	Book thickness with scoring	3 mm
	Book thickness without scoring	2 mm
	Book thickness layflat book		30 mm