Thermal Binding Machines

Make a great first impression before you even begin your business presentation by preparing your report with a thermal binding machine. Unlike coil, comb, and wire binding techniques, thermal binding does not require punching holes. It creates bound books in seconds and gives them the kind of squared spines you would find on paperbacks or hardcover library books. You can find a wide selection of this type of binding machine at Staples®.

Create Professional Business Volumes With a Thermal Binding Machine
A thermal binder is a simple machine for finishing bound books. Its operation is simpler than binding machines that punch holes and use plastic spines. With this machine, you need a book cover with a solid thermal glue in its spine. After placing the pages for the volume inside the cover, the binder heats this glue strip. The heat-activated adhesive fastens the pages together and to the front and back covers. The finished volume is ready when the hot glue cools down. Thermal binders are both quick and simple to use. The bound volumes they create look sleek and compact. The square spine makes it easy to mail and file these books.

Features to Consider When Comparing Thermal Binding Machines
Thermal binders come in multiple sizes ranging from small portable models for personal use to the high-capacity units found in print shops. Most businesses require desktop binders that can handle thick volumes. Binding sheet capacity is the maximum number of pages the machine can turn into a bound volume. Choose a model that can make books with less than 100 pages if your business only needs to bind volumes with a few pages like owner's manuals for products you manufacture. You may require a unit with up to 300-page capacity to prepare mid-sized books like thesis papers. Look for a thermal binder that can make 500-page volumes or thicker if you run a print shop.

Most of these machines can bind more than one book at once. This is an especially useful feature if you share the binder with other users. The number of bound volumes a thermal unit can create simultaneously depends on its size. Another feature to look for in a thermal binding machine is a visual or audio indicator to tell you when the binding cycle is complete.

Can You Add Pages to Documents Prepared With a Thermal Binding Machine?
Yes. This requires reheating the spine of the book and then adding or removing pages before allowing the hot glue to reset. One major reason why thermal binders are popular in academic, legal, and financial organizations is that it is not easy to remove or add pages to bound volumes.

What Is the Difference Between Tape and Thermal Binding Machines?
A tape binding machine holds pages together with a strip lined with thermal glue rather than a cover with thermal glue in its spine. Also called Fastback®, tape binding shares most of the features of thermal binding. You can identify a tape-bound volume by its spine which is separate from and usually comes in a different color than the cover.

Can You Use Any Thermal Cover With Your Thermal Binding Machine?
No. While some covers are compatible with most popular thermal binders from major brands, some manufacturers offer custom covers for certain models. Also, not all thermal binders can handle hardback covers.