"Almost two years ago, I decided I wanted to offer perfect binding services from both of my company's divisions. We were in the mechanical binding field, but perfect binding has become very popular so we decided to get into that business.
Operator Paulina Gomez loads a book into one of the self-adjusting clamps on the Vijuk Victory® 1100C Perfect Binder.
We saw a need, and we wanted to fill it," Mascari explained. Last year, Mascari expanded his operations into the perfect binding business by purchasing a Hydromat 3-Knife Trimmer and the Vijuk Victory 1100C Perfect Binder from Vijuk Equipment Inc. (Elmhurst, IL).
Service and dependability–
major concerns
"I went to a number of trade shows to compare equipment, but the truth is I bought my equipment from Vijuk largely because of the people. Vijuk produces quality equipment that the company stands behind, but I have known the people at Vijuk, especially Joe Vijuk, the president, and I like him and trust him."
"A lot of equipment in this industry is very similar, and price can almost always be negotiated, but for me, Vijuk itself made the difference," Mascari explains. "One of the most important reasons I selected Vijuk equipment was because of their service and dependability,"
According to Mascari, Vijuk is always willing to keep communication lines open with his company, especially during the critical start-up period following his equipment purchase. "With any piece of equipment, there's always a learning curve– even with Vijuk equipment as efficient as they are.
"We have four operators working each shift and must keep the machines in working order 24 hours a day. Vijuk is always available to help us, no matter what," Mascari said.
Hunch pays off
"Since offering perfect binding services is an entirely new field for us there isn't much to judge against, but we were looking to simply increasing sales, and that we did," Mascari said. "My expectation was to increase sales, and we have accomplished that by about 20 percent. And, we are anxiously anticipating further increases. We are very busy."
Beneficial Features
Vijuk's Victory 1100C perfect binder is the cost-effective, high-speed solution to producing everything from pamphlets to books–with or without covers. The ma-chine speed is up to 1,200 cycles per hour. Booklet sizes range from 5-1/2" x 7-7/8" to 11-7/8" x 16-1/2" and up to 1-5/8" in thickness. With a push of a button, the binder features a built-in jogger/vibrator, fret-milling for sheets and cut-milling for signatures, and a hot-melt glue system with double spine glue rollers, back spinner, side gluing devices, and an adjustable thermocouple.
Efficiency and high-speed production is accomplished with the machine's time-adjustable, rotating, 4-clamp system, programmable premelter, and the continuous- load automatic cover feeder.
The Hydromat 3-Knife trimmer is the latest of a quality equipment tradition held since 1959, for precise trimming of books, looseleaf, newsprint, brochures, and web signatures. The trimmer offers an excellent balance between high performance, efficiency, versatility and safety.
Reliable hydraulic power provides the backbone of this trimmer's operation. Efficient engineering ensures the highest levels of cutting precision at speeds of up to 25 strokes per minute–all with the highest safety standards.
Operator Daryl Benson is inserting the bound books for trimming on the VijukÐHydromat 3-Knife Trimmer.
The Hydromat trimmer comes in two standard sizes: 14"x18-1/8" and 21-1/4"x21-1/4". Depending on client production requirements, Hydromat trimmer models can be equipped for either off-line, automatic feeding with hopper loading, a fully automatic in-line with hopper loading by a conveyor system. The Hydromat combines heavy-duty welded steel construction with smooth running ball-bearing and steel guides.
Published in the July 2000 Print & Graphics, and Printing Views, magazines. Posted on this site with the permission of Cygnus Publications, Timonium, MD