Roll-to-Book Block Production Solution

• TENSOR Line is an automated solution designed for book block production from printed roll stock. It integrates unwinding, tension control, web guiding, folding, cutting, waste removal, gluing, gathering and book block output into a continuous production process.
• Designed for the short-run, multi-job and fast changeover requirements of digital printing, TENSOR Line reduces intermediate folding, collating and manual book block handling, enabling continuous production from printed rolls to finished book blocks.

Key Features

• Fast Job Changeover
Designed for short-run and multi-job digital printing, with production parameters quickly adjustable according to different product specifications.

• Multiple Folding Formats
Supports various folding formats, including 2/3/4 cross, 4P, 6P and 8P, to accommodate different book block specifications.

• Full Servo Tension Control
Servo systems, tension sensors and dancer roller mechanisms work together to control web tension and ensure stable web running.

• High-Response Web Guiding
Continuously detects and adjusts web position to maintain accurate web alignment throughout production.

• Servo-Controlled Precision Cutting
Servo-controlled web feeding and cutting support both fixed-length cutting and mark tracking cutting.

• Automatic Waste Removal
High-speed rejection of defective signatures prevents non-conforming signatures from entering the subsequent gathering process.

• Gluing & Book Block Gathering
Signatures are separated, glued and gathered to form complete book blocks. Supports both one-up and multi-up production.

Core Modules

01 | Unwinding Module

• The unwinding module uses hydraulic cylinders for automatic roll loading and unloading, making roll changes easier and less labor-intensive.
• The paper roll is clamped by electrically driven left and right chucks for flexible and convenient operation. After clamping, the roll can be moved axially by an electric drive for quick position adjustment, ensuring accurate web alignment and smooth feeding into the subsequent processing units.

02 | Tension & Web Guiding System

• The tension roller continuously and accurately detects web tension and automatically adjusts the servo roller speed to maintain constant web tension entering the folding unit.
• The web guiding system features fast response and continuously adjusts the web position to keep the web accurately aligned.
• The dancer roller mechanism provides real-time tension feedback to the unwinding motor, forming a closed-loop control system. This effectively minimizes slight web elongation and micro-cracks caused by instantaneous tension fluctuations, maintaining stable web running throughout production.

03 | Cutting Module

• The cutting module uses upper and lower conveyor belts to grip and transport the web forward before it enters the cutting unit.
• The conveyor belts are precisely controlled by servo motors for stable operation. The cutting unit uses a double-diameter cutting cylinder and anvil cylinder to achieve stable and accurate cutting of different lengths within the specified range.
• The center distance between the cutting cylinder and anvil cylinder can be adjusted through the eccentric bearing housing of the cutting cylinder.
• For thicker paper, the cutting depth can be flexibly adjusted to accommodate different paper thicknesses.

04 | Cutting Knife

• The cutting unit can be equipped with either a serrated cutting knife or, according to production requirements, a straight knife.
• The anvil cylinder uses polyurethane as the cutting pad. The knife holder and anvil holder can be replaced easily, helping reduce maintenance and operating costs.
• Within the specified range, the servo motor precisely controls cutting length and positional accuracy.
• Cutting parameters can be set directly via the touchscreen for convenient and efficient operation.
• Two cutting modes are available: fixed-length cutting and mark tracking cutting.
• In mark tracking mode, the system automatically detects the printed cut marks and identifies the correct cutting position. It also detects missing marks to ensure accurate cutting.

05 | Rejection Unit

• The waste removal unit quickly and accurately rejects defective signatures before they enter the gathering process, preventing non-conforming signatures from proceeding to book block formation.

06 | Collating Module

After cutting, the signatures are opened by an acceleration mechanism and separated according to the scanned collating codes.

Gluing can be performed before the signature separation unit according to production requirements. The signatures then enter the collating unit for book block formation.

The collating unit consists of A and B groups. The front and side lays can be preset according to the finished signature size and automatically adjusted to the correct positions by servo motors.

The anti-jam mechanism allows blocked signatures to be removed conveniently.

The rejection device in the collating module can remove individual defective signatures detected or identified as non-conforming within a book block. It can also reject an entire glued book block when necessary.

Book Block Formation Process

TENSOR Line supports multiple folding combinations, including:

4P

6P

8P