Muller Martini has introduced the VFN 700, a spine-nipping press introduced to solve common problems that arise during the manufacturing of hardcover products.
These issues, arising from the spine build up of the book blocks caused by the folding process and resulting from thread sewing, don’t only lead to problems in downstream processes but can also have a negative effect on the quality of the product, including glue penetration into the book block and uneven glue application.
To counteract this, book producers often use simple manual or semi-automatic presses. However, this generates an additional step in the manufacturing process and is therefore not efficient.
The VFN 700, which is inline-capable and able to handle 30 cycles per minute, presses each book block in the spine area, thereby significantly reducing the spine build up. In this way, Muller Martini says, bookbinders can achieve a very good book block shape for all common paper types with their different characteristics.
The pressing force is generated with the help of a pneumatic cylinder according to the toggle lever principle, resulting in a pressing force of up to 60 kN. The spring-loaded pretensioning clamps hold the book block in place and by that prevent the deformation of the book spine.
The VFN 700 has been designed for all conventional thread sewing applications and is therefore available in three versions. For an inline production using a Ventura Connect system or a Ventura MC 160/200 including a stacker and belt delivery, a respective variant is available and can be configured individually. The VFN 700 can also be configured offline as a stand-alone machine and can be loaded manually with book blocks from various book sewing machines.
