Officetronics Binding Machines

Things to consider before purchasing a binding machine

The type of binding machine you choose depends on both the intended purpose of the documents and your budget. You can choose from several binding methods, each with its own pros and cons depending on the purpose of the document, need for durability, best appearance and cost.

You will want to purchase a machine that will work with the volume you require. If you are binding only a few books per day, a low volume binding machine should be sufficient. If you will be binding more, a larger machine that has higher punching capacity will be a good investment. They punch more paper at a time and are made with stronger material for better durability and quality.

Each machine is specific to one kind of binding. A single machine will not handle all the different types of binding so you will need to purchase more than one machine if you don't want to be limited to just one kind of binding.

The different types of binding:

Plastic Comb Binding

Plastic Comb Binding Machines are one of the most popular forms of binding. Plastic combs are durable and can be re-used. Unlike the wire and plastic coils, combs do not completely close.

Plastic comb binding machines begin by punching holes in a small stack of papers. A plastic binding is then inserted into the machine and a handle is pulled to open the combs. The holes in the paper are aligned with the open combs and the handle is released. This causes the combs to close around the papers and bind them together. Plastic combs are widely used by schools, businesses and are easy for home use.

Electric comb binding machines are also available. They are more efficient than manual comb binders and are generally used for high volume binding needs.

Plastic comb binding machines punch 19 holes along the 11 inch side of a paper. Plastic combs can bind anything from 3/16 inches (12 sheets of standard 20 pound paper) to 2 inches (425 sheets of standard 20 pound paper).

Plastic Comb Binding Machines | Comb Supplies

Double Loop Wire Binding

Double loop wire binding uses two wires per hole. This provides a stronger alternative to the single wire spiral binding. Double loop wire binding allows the document to lay flat and the pages to wrap all the way around. A good common example of these are hanging calendars.

There are 2 different variations of wire binding: the 3:1 pitch and the 2:1 pitch.

3:1 means that the machine will punch three holes per inch (32 holes total along the 11" side of a standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper).

3:1 pitch wire binds a stack of paper from 3/16" (10 sheets of standard 20 pound paper) up to 9/16" (120 sheets of standard 20 pound paper).

2:1 wire machines will punch two holes per inch (21 total holes on a standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper).

2:1 wire can bind a stack of paper from 1/4 inch (20 sheets of standard 20 pound paper) up to 1 1/4 inch (230 sheets of standard 20 pound paper).

You can only use 3:1 wire with a machine that punches 3:1 and vice versa.

A Double Loop wire machine is easy to use. After punching the paper, you insert the wire and close the wire. The wire closer is usually built into the machine.

Wire Binding Machines | Wire Supplies

Coil Binding

Spiral binding, also called plastic coil binding, is the type most commonly used for blank notebooks. It consists of a 1 piece plastic filament that runs through many small holes along the side of a stack of papers. Coil binding adds a professional look to your documents. It has the advantage that the pages lie flat when opened, and the pages fold all the way around.

Binding with this system involves 3 easy steps:

Punching the paper
Inserting and aligning the spiral.
Cutting or crimping the ends of the spiral.

You can purchase coil binding machines with a manual or electric punch. A manual punch will be fine for small to medium volume. It is recommended that you use an electric punch machine if you will be involved in larger volume binding. To inset the coils you have to manually slide your hand over the coil as illustrated in the picture above. Some machines have electronic inserters which makes inserting the coils a breeze.

Coil binding is available with 4:1 pitch binding and 5:1 pitch binding. 4:1 machines punch 4 holes per inch and the 5:1 machines punch 5 holes per inch. The 4:1 machines are a lot more popular than the 5:1. And the 4:1 coils are a lot more readily available than the 5:1

4:1 coils can bind from 1/4 inch (20 sheets of 20 pound paper) up to 1 1/4 inch (230 sheets of 20 pound paper).

The 5:1 coils can bind from 1/4 inch (20 sheets of 20 pound paper) up to 13/16 inch (152 sheets of 20 pound paper).

Coil Binding Machines | Coil Supplies

Velobind System Binding

Velobind is extremely secure, because VeloBind literally locks pages in place. For sleek, slim styling, books lay flat for easy filing and mailing. VeloBind comes in a variety of colors using only 3 sizes of elements, and can securely bind books up to 3" thick.

Velobind uses a 1/4" wide binding element. There are several different types of VeloBind Binding.

Tape Binding

Tape binding uses tape to bind the spine of a stack of papers. It provides a quick and easy solution for low-volume binding needs. There are two main tape binding types: cold tape and thermal tape. Cold tape includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive that instantly bonds on contact. Thermal tape, on the other hand, must be heated by the tape binding machine. Tape binding provides a simple alternative to other types of bindings that require you to punch holes. It provides a quality appearance with little work.

Perfect binding is a type of glue binding that is often used for pad and book printing. The process uses hot glue to bind the pages together. A stack of paper is slid through the perfect binding machine on rollers. The spine is then coated with hot glue and cooled by pans. Finally, the cover is wrapped around the spine.

Terms and Definitions

Pitch - Pitch is the spacing of the holes your machine punches. Some of the binding machines have various pitch options.

2:1 - Punching 2 holes per inch. 21 total holes along the 11" side of a paper.

3:1 - Punching 3 holes per inch. 32 total holes along the 11" side of a paper.

4:1 - Punching 4 holes per inch.

5:1 - Punching 5 holes per inch.

Die - The part of the binding machine that physically punches the paper.

Disengaging Die - Some binding machines have disengaging dies. The user has complete control over which hole punches and which does not. Disengaging dies are not to be confused with interchangeable dies.

Interchangeable Die - Interchangeable dies are dies that can be completely removed from the machine and be replaced with a new die.

Crimpers or Pliers - Crimping pliers cut off and bend the excess coil left.

Margin Depth - How far the binding machine will punch into the paper. Some binding machines have a fixed margin depth, and some machines have an adjustable margin depth.

Nipper Clamp - The nipper clamp squares the book cover off and fits it perfectly around the bound document. This creates a paper bound book. An paper cutter or trimmer may be needed to cut off any excess parts of the documents if the book cover is not cut to fit the book before binding.

Waste or Catch Tray - The part of the machine that catches the punched out pieces of paper so that it does not create a mess.