So important is the choice of bookbinding type of a book as the selection of the appropriate glue to achieve a perfect finish, which you will get using hotmelt adhesives manufactured by Productos Colcar, S.L. But do you know how to use them properly? In this post we offer you some basic tips.
Reading a new book is like a ritual. A tremendously awaited moment full of sensations. But how many times have you bought a much-desired book and, after leafing through it several times, its leaves have peeled off? This means that its bound has not been done correctly.
To avoid breaking the magic of this ritual, we usually check the consistency. This exercise consists in opening the specimen in half without forcing it and checking that the two leaves by which it is divided remain horizontal, with a slight curvature towards the part of the spine, but without a tendency to close.
Only on this way we will have the certainty that we can leaf through the volume without fear that its leaves will come off and, therefore, we will verify that its union has been solid and effective.
Hotmelt adhesive, vital
In a well bound book, several elements coexist harmoniously, such as paper, folding and glue. Among all of them, hotmelt adhesive holds a privileged place.
Hotmelt adhesives manufactured by Productos Colcar, S.L. are ideal for proper binding. Its quality and properties conform to the needs of any publication favoring its grip and flexibility.
The secrets of this harmonious coexistence reside in a series of basic tips thanks to which you will get an effective result.
- Review technical and safety data sheets before applying the glue. On it you will find the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that you should use.
- Make sure on the speed of books/hour to choose the right adhesive Depending on the number of books/hour, you will choose a sticker with the longest or shortest open time.
- Use hotmelt glue 100% free of fillers. Although they can be more expensive, they offer better performance and reduce the maintenance problems of the machinery.
- Use the appropriate hotmelt according to the type of spine. Hotmelt for round spine has to be more flexible. Round spine adhesives has to be more flexible and allow the final rounding of the spine by it elasticity.
- Choose the glue based on the finishing and weight of the paper. The use of glues for varnished or coated papers differs from those of standard offset papers. The same goes for those used for papers with different weights.
- Apply more quantity if the paper is absorbent. A paper with a high Cobb absorption will need more glue than another with a lower absorption, in which case you should use the one with the highest performance.
- On varnished papers allow 48 hours before application. The varnish acts as a non-stick for adhesives, therefore, since the application of the varnish to the application of the glue, the indicated time must elapse.
- If the milling of the book is clean, the hotmelt adhesive penetrate better. Therefore, miller must be properly sharp. A good milling cutters requires a clean cut, favoring the penetration of the glue in the grooves.
- It is very important to make sure in which direction the paper fibres go for perfect gluing. They must respect the longitudinal direction of the spine to avoid tensions in the book.
- Apply more quantity in books with wide spine. In this case the consumption of glue is higher than for narrow spine books so it is recommended to have the melter tank and the pre-fuser at similar temperatures. If the adhesive is cold it will not penetrate the paper properly and the pages could peel off.
- Apply glue at the recommended temperature by the manufacturer. All adhesives deteriorate (oxidize) when are submitted long time to high temperatures.
Now that you know our recommendations, never forget that Hotmelt adhesives are essential and its use must be correct, otherwise results may not be as expected.
