Star product: Tecnau BookReady

Simon Eccles Friday, May 5, 2023

A novel cut-and-stack solution helps reduce labour requirements.

What does the machine do?

This is a very compact, automated and integrated inline cut and stack solution built by Tecnau to work with the Canon VarioPrint 6000 Titan cut sheet black-and-white digital toner presses.

It can create 1-up or 2-up separated book blocks or stacks from a sheet sizes between B3 down to a minimum of 203x203mm, running at the printer’s full speed if required.

Canon claims that the VarioPrint 6000 series, introduced in 2017 (Printweek Star Product: bit.ly/3A5BvZB), is still the fastest cut sheet mono digital press available, thanks to the Océ-developed Gemini technology that prints both sides simultaneously. This allows a top speed of 328 A4ppm on the VarioPrint 6330 model, and it is said to produce litho-quality print with flat output. Canon also highlights low power consumption and noise with minimal ozone emissions. There are four models with different maximum speeds.

When was it launched and what market is it aimed at?

The BookReady was launched at the end of September 2022. It’s intended for the production of mono blocks for near-line binding or stitching to produce books or booklets, in conjunction with a VarioPrint 6000 series printer.

So far the BookReady can only be used with that Canon model and there are no immediate plans to adapt it for anything else, according to Jason Seaber, technical sales director at Tecnau’s UK distributor Intelligent Finishing Systems.

“There is no near-line version of the Tecnau BookReady, however, Tecnau does offer a near-line cut sheet cut and stack solution called Stack 1010 NL, which is configured with a high-pile sheet feeder,” Seaber says. “There is also an inline version of this, Tecnau Stack 1010, for the Canon VarioPrint iX series of cut sheet colour inkjet presses.”

How does it work?

The BookReady is fitted inline with the VarioPrint 6000 press and is controlled via the Canon front end. This is the first inline cutting and stacking solution to be natively fully integrated with the VarioPrint 6000 Titan using Canon’s PrismaSync workflow for set up and control. The BookReady is essentially part of the Canon printing system, rather than being an add-on finishing device, with more simple stop/start, ready/not ready signals.

BookReady can be equipped with an automatic 90-degree turning station to rotate 2-up imposed sheets from long-edge leading to short-edge leading, so that printer speed is maximised and book of one is made possible.

Book blocks are cut, stacked, offset-separated and delivered to a belt conveyor ready for the next finishing process. “As the book blocks or stacks are produced with a single cross-cutting blade, for 1-up, and single slitting blade for 2-up, the book blocks or stacks are suitable for producing perfect-bound books or saddle- stitched booklets or any other binding style that has a three-knife trimmer to finish the book or booklet,” Seaber says.

For example, from the IFS range, the Tecnau Libra 800 Variable Binding System can be configured with a book block conveyor input channel, and the Horizon BQ-500 iCE binder has an optional LBF-500 loose-sheet book block feeder which can automatically process and feed single book blocks (loose-leaf, glued or sewn book blocks).

The Tecnau BookReady requires no waste bin or waste extraction as no waste is produced with the cross-cutting blade and single slitting blade.

An optional Tecnau SheetFeeder VP 6000 roll feed system can be fitted to the press to give significant savings on paper costs, by producing odd-sized sheets from rolls.

How productive is it?

It has been designed not to slow down the printer. Therefore, when used with the flagship VarioPrint 6330, the BookReady has a speed of up to 328ipm, including average monthly print volumes of up to 10 million images. You can print all your book or booklet applications using larger sheet sizes such as B3, SRA3 or A3-plus maximises productivity compared with smaller input sheet sizes such as B4, SRA4 or A4-plus.

What is the USP?

It’s a combination of a very compact footprint, all-job setup and control via the same PrismaSync front end as the printer, and no additional labour costs due to the integration and inline running.

What training and support is offered?

Installations, operator training and service support are all provided by Canon UK & Ireland, with Intelligent Finishing Systems and Tecnau providing second- and third-level support to Canon UK & Ireland and its customers.

What’s the price?

It starts at £99,000, on top of the VarioPrint 6000 printer.

When did shipping start?

“BookReady started to ship globally in early 2023, and UK installations are expected to start in Q3 this year,” says Seaber.

SPECIFICATIONS

Paper weights 70-350gsm

Input width 203-350mm

Input length 203-500mm

Output length 317.5mm

Output min 1-up: 203x127mm; 2-up: 127x127mm

Cross cuts Single for 1-up and 2-up

Stack height 250mm for about 2,000 sheets

Offsetting 15mm per block

Footprint 3x1m (not counting printer)

Price From £99,000

Contact Intelligent Finishing Systems www.ifsl.uk.com 020 8997 8053

ALTERNATIVES

So far it is one of a kind, says Seaber. “There is currently nothing the same or similar as the Tecnau BookReady. It is a unique and ground-breaking solution for producing book blocks or stacks without the need for an extra operator.”

The Tecnau BookReady (and Tecnau SheetFeeder VP) can be supplied with all new Canon VarioPrint 6000 Titan printers or retrofitted to already installed printers.