The Fastback^® Splitter™ is a radical new paper preparation system that solves the problem of binding coated papers. It is now possible to firmly bind glossy stocks that otherwise would be utterly unsuitable for adhesive binding.

This innovative approach means you can efficiently produce durable hardcover and perfect binding with no sewing, stitching or gluing.

An age-old problem

Getting a strong bind with glossy and coated papers is an issue that has plagued binderies for years. The problem occurs because the coating on a sheet of paper prevents the adhesive from attaching itself to the paper fibers. No matter how powerful the adhesive may be, the bind is only as strong as the bond between the coating and the paper, and this is a very weak bond indeed.

An additional problem was added to the mix in the form of fuser oil. Fuser oil is used by some laser printers to keep the toner and paper from sticking to the heating element. Before reaching the heating element, which fuses the toner to the paper, a light coating of oil is placed over the paper, effectively turning previously easy-to-bind bond paper into something as difficult to bind as glossy coated paper.

Over the years, there have been many attempts to solve the coated-paper binding problem. The two most common techniques are notching and milling. With notching, as the name implies, rows of small blades run across the edge of the paper, creating little notches in the edge of the sheets. This increases the surface area along the only part of the sheet that is not coated—the edge. With milling (also called roughing) the edge of the sheet is abraded to expose more of the paper fibers.

The problem with both these techniques is that they only add surface to the edge. To truly get a good adhesive bind, you also require some adhesive to work its way slightly up inside each sheet, something that notching and milling cannot achieve.

A progressive solution

The Fastback Splitter takes a completely different approach. A series of microblades vibrating quickly actually split open the edge of the paper to create a channel—sort of a “glue channel”—in the center of each sheet. In this way, the adhesive can works it way up past the edge fibers and improves the bind considerably. And because the channel is in the center of the sheet, the coating is no longer an issue. As far as the Splitter is concerned, there is no such thing as coated paper.

The Fastback Splitter also features a built-in vacuum system that eliminates paper dust, keeps things clean, and makes the machine suitable for office use as well as print shops. So, whether you're binding clay-coated glossy paper or heavy-coverage documents printed with a color laser printer, the Fastback Splitter makes it a breeze.