At Laxmi Art Printers in Sakinaka, Mumbai, the need for a new Blue Plus perfect binder came from what was happening at the end of production. The company’s older binding machines were ageing, and the absence of side gluing was creating quality issues on finished books.

Laxmi Art Printers handles offset and digital printing, binding and ancillary finishing such as punching and lamination. Its work includes school books, stationery, packaging materials and commercial printing, with books forming a major part of the business.

Mr. Ameya, who represents Laxmi Art Printers, says the company installed the Bindwel Blue Plus perfect binder to address those binding requirements and to handle more work within its own plant. At the time of the interview, the machine had been running for around three months.

“We are performing very well. The quality is too good.” – Mr. Ameya (Bhau), Owner, Laxmi Art Printers, Mumbai

Why Laxmi Art Printers Needed a Blue Plus Perfect Binder

“Earlier, we had the old model of perfect machines,” Ameya says. “We did not have a side glue attachment, and that was giving some quality issues.”

The problem could show up when there was excess adhesive on a cover or book. Ameya explains that the affected cover or book would have to be changed.

For a plant handling school books and other commercial work, that meant additional material and handling at the finishing stage.

The Blue Plus perfect binder was brought in with side gluing as one of the requirements.

“Now, since we have side glue, everything is coming perfect,” he says.

Ameya reports that the change has reduced wastage and cost and improved the finish of the final product.

How Side Gluing Addressed a Finishing Problem

The side-glue requirement was not a theoretical feature for Laxmi Art Printers. It came directly from an issue the production team had already experienced.

With the earlier setup, excess adhesive could mean changing a cover or book. With the new machine, Ameya says the problem has been addressed and the finished books are coming out better.

That is one of the clearest changes he associates with the Blue Plus perfect binder.

Ameya also describes the machine as relatively easy to use. His assessment after around three months is based on its performance in the company’s day-to-day production rather than on a particular one-off job.

Bringing Outsourced Binding Back In-House

The other major change was where the work was being done.

Ameya says some binding work had previously been outsourced because the older machines could not handle the required amount of work. Once the work left the plant, there was more to manage than just the binding itself.

“There are multiple things: one is transport, loading and unloading, and then quality issues,” he says.

The Blue Plus has allowed Laxmi Art Printers to bring that work back into the plant.

“So now we have eradicated all the three problems. Everything is in-house. Quality-wise, we are much superior,” Ameya says.

For Laxmi Art Printers, the change means the company can keep more of the binding process under its own control instead of moving books outside for finishing. Ameya says this has also helped reduce wastage and cost.

“We have taken the machine to give better service to our customers, and we are able to do it.”

What Ameya Looks for in Machine Support

The machine was not the only consideration when Laxmi Art Printers made the investment.

The company has been working with Bindwel for almost 20 years. That previous experience is important to Ameya, particularly when it comes to service.

“The first and most important thing is they have a good network of engineers and they can provide service,” he says.

He also points to spare-parts availability.

Ameya acknowledges that a newly installed machine can have initial teething issues as operators become familiar with it. He says Bindwel provides support through phone calls or visits from its service team. In an emergency, he says an engineer can be arranged at the earliest.

For him, service experience, spare-parts availability, reliability and machine performance all form part of the decision when choosing production equipment.

How Digital Printing Is Changing the Job Mix

The Blue Plus perfect binder installation also comes at a time when Ameya sees the printing mix in Mumbai changing.

His observation is that digital printing is moving into run lengths that were previously more closely associated with offset. He recalls digital jobs of around 200 copies and says he is now seeing situations where the run can extend towards 1,000 copies.

He also sees different digital technologies being used for different requirements, including smaller jobs on laser digital systems and growing use of web digital.

“Web digital is rapidly entering the market and that will change the whole scene,” he says.

Ameya expects shorter-run work to become more common.

For Laxmi Art Printers, which already operates offset and digital production, that means binding has to keep pace with the work coming through both routes. The requirement is not only to print the job, but to finish it within the plant when the production schedule calls for it.

A Binding Setup Built Around the Plant’s Existing Work

Laxmi Art Printers’ relationship with Bindwel goes back almost two decades. Ameya says the company has used Bindwel machines across its work during that period, including its larger and important jobs.

He does not identify one particular landmark project from the current Blue Plus installation. Instead, the machine is being used as part of the company’s regular production.

That is also why the changes he describes are straightforward to see on the shop floor.

Work that previously went outside can now be handled in-house. The side-glue requirement that had contributed to finishing problems has been addressed. Ameya reports lower wastage and cost and a better finished product.

For Laxmi Art Printers, the Blue Plus perfect binder is now part of a binding setup that keeps more of the work within its own plant.

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