The 1880s was an era of technical excellence and a staggering pace of development, with electric lighting and cars all bursting on to the scene. Print finishing also pitched into the technological revolution, with French manufacturer Jud Ecamo founded at the end of the decade.
Nearly 100 years later, the firm launched its first perfect binder, the MR 70, which carved out a solid market in the short- to medium-run market. More than 30 years after that, Jud upped its game again, with the Quadrimax II (QII), unveiled at the end of 2004. The machine introduced a higher degree of automation than the 1995-launched Quadrimax I it replaced.
"The machine's strengths were a rock-solid machine frame made of cast iron, 40 memory positions to store jobs, an automatic pre-heating function so that the machine was ready for use when a shift started and a jogging table to align the book block on the loading station," says Mike Biggs, managing director at Encore machinery, which distributes Jud binders in the UK. There was also a user-friendly digital touchscreen that used icons to simplify its use and functions.
New markets
The hotmelt version was named the Quadrimax II EVA and had a large hot glue tank featuring two side-gluing wheels for active side gluing, plus two rollers for the spine gluing. By 2005, the QII incorporated a PUR gluing system - this version had a polyurethane airtight gluing device and could bind books up to 50mm thick.
The machine works by loading the clamp with a book block, while the pre-scored cover waits at the intermediate section before being fed onto the nipping station.
"Blowers on the cover feeder separate the covers and a suction feeder passes the pre-scored cover onto an intermediate station," adds Biggs. "From there, the cover is fed onto the nipping station when the clamp with the book block arrives."
The book block and cover is then assembled on the nipping station. "The dwelling time, as well as the nipping height of the jaws, can be adjusted," says Biggs.
The feeder could easily accommodate maximum cover weights of 75-320gsm and the automatic vacuum cover feeding system used bevel-edged cupped suckers to provide a lift for difficult covers. These included die cut covers, as well as
varnish and plastic coated covers. Its milling station could handle 32pp signatures and for increased glue penetration, the mill featured three tungsten carbide notching teeth.
Optional extras included bar code reading for enhanced set up and cover matching, plus a three-knife trimmer.
Encore machinery says it will always take back Jud binders on part exchange, but prices will depend on the age and condition of the machines. The dealer has five engineers covering the UK and offers a wide range of service contracts, which can be tailored to suit individual needs.
A new QII EVA will cost around £59,990, while a QII PUR is priced at £99,000. Expect to pay 50-60% of the price of a new machine for a secondhand model, depending on the age and condition.
SPECIFICATIONS
Speed 1,200cph
Clamps 4
Max. book size 380x320mm
Book thickness up to 50mm
Cover size 140x200mm-380x650mm
Footprint 2.8x 1.2m
Weight 1.4 tonnes
Price
QII EVA £59,990
QII PUR £99,000
Used QII from £29,995
What to look for
Heating tanks heat to correct temperature (EVA)
Service history of PUR components
