The GBC Velobind System Four is the most advanced piece of hot knife binding equipment that GBC Makes.This
machine does not include a punch. Instead it is just a finishing unit
that is designed for large printers, binderies, copy shops and
corporations that already own a high volume modular binding punch.This machine is the fastest possible way to create documents with hot knife Velobind binding.
Overview:
The GBC Velobind System Four is the most advanced piece of hot knife binding equipment that GBC Makes.
This
machine does not include a punch. Instead it is just a finishing unit
that is designed for large printers, binderies, copy shops and
corporations that already own a high volume modular binding punch.
Using
this machine along with a heavy duty binding punch can help to more
than triple your productivity in producing documents with eleven pin
Velobind binding strips.
This machine is the fastest possible way to create documents with hot knife Velobind binding.
Strengths / Features:
The
Velobind System Four Bind is capable of binding documents with a number
of different lengths. It can be used to bind documents that are 8.5" in
length for binding landscape or half letter documents, 11" in length
for letter sized documents and 14" in length for legal sized documents.
It can even be used to bind A4 length documents if you can find the
strips (they are only available overseas).
Like the System
Three Pro this machine can be used to bind documents up to three inches
thick. GBC Velobind and Surebind are the only desktop binding systems
that can bind documents that are this thick.
The Velobind
System 4 bind is extremely fast. In fact, it is even slightly faster
than the System 3pro. It can bind a document that is less than one inch
in about 8-10 seconds and can bind a document that is between 2-3
inches in 10-12 seconds.
The bind provided by the Velobind
system four is strong, durable, permanent and tamper resistant. It uses
GBC's hot knife technology to weld the spine of your document in place.
The only way to remove the spine once it is bound is to cut it off.
Luckily, the system four bind includes an integrated Debind feature to
safely remove the strip from your document so that you can edit its
contents.
This system is designed for use with a heavy duty
interchangeable die binding punch. Using this machine in conjunction
with a heavy duty punching machine such as the GBC Magnapunch can allow
you to more than triple your daily output of Velobound documents. Not
only will you get better performance in punching the paper but you will
also be able to dedicate an individual to finishing your documents with
the system four. This is by far the fastest way to bind documents with
Velobind.
The Velobind System Four is also incredibly easy to
use. All you need to do place your document onto the system and lower
the pressure bar. The binding cycle will activate itself automatically
and will let you know when your book is finished.
Weaknesses / Limitations:
The
biggest limitation of the Velobind System Four Bind is that it doesn't
have an integrated binding punch. This is the way that it was designed
and for large printers who already own a modular binding punch this
isn't a big deal. However, modular interchangeable die binding punches
aren't cheap. You will be looking at several thousand dollars for the
punch and a few thousand more for this machine. If your volume warrants
this type of expense then this is the way to go. However, organizations
that don't need the ultimate in productivity can probably live with the
Velobind System Three Pro.
Although this system can handle
letter, legal, A4 and 8.5" documents, supplies for thick documents and
non standard colors can be difficult to find. If you want to bind your
documents with black strips then you will have a pretty good selection
of strip choices. However, users who want to use a different color will
find that strips are simply not available for binding thicker documents
or lengths other than 11".
Documents bound with this system
are permanently riveted in place and are tamper resistant. However, the
security that this binding style offers can also be a pain if you end
up making a mistake in one of your documents. In order to edit a hot
knife bound document you will need to cut the strip off the book and
then rebind it using a new strip. This can be fairly expensive if you
have to do it very often.
Recommendation:
For
a print shop, bindery or large organization that already owns an
interchangeable die binding punch the Velobind System Four is
definitely the way to go.
This machine offers increased
productivity and the ability to create a huge variety of professionally
bound presentations and proposals.
However, organizations
that do not already own a punch capable of producing an eleven hole
pattern will need to determine if their budget and volume really
warrant the purchase of both a punch and the System Four.
Users
who need to bind hundreds of documents per week will more than likely
find that this system will pay for itself in no time. Smaller users may
want to consider an all in one machine such as the V800pro , System Two
or System Three Pro.
This review was written by Jeff McRitchie who is the director of marketing for Mybinding.com
Jeff has written more than three hundred articles and more than two
hundred reviews on Binding Machines, Binding Supplies, Report Covers,
3-Ring Binders, Index Tabs, Laminators, Laminating Supplies, Paper
Shredders and Paper Handling Equipment
