Description
Operate and maintain bindery and print-finishing equipment to assemble, bind, fold, trim, and package printed materials such as books, catalogs, and brochures. Processes include collating signatures, perfect binding with hot-melt glue, saddle stitching, wire/coil binding, folding, scoring and perforating, laminating, and shrink-wrapping.
- • Start equipment and adjust speeds, temperatures, clamp pressure, dwell time, and feeder and stacker settings.
- • Run makeready samples, perform quality checks, and fine-tune registration, fold, stitch, and glue settings.
- • Clear misfeeds and jams; reset feeders, knives, stitch heads, and grippers to resume production.
- • Align signatures and covers for accurate collating and spine alignment; ensure even glue or stitch placement.
- • Monitor controls, counters, and temperature readouts for binders, stitchers, folders, and conveyors.
- • Offload, jog, and palletize finished pieces; restage signatures, covers, and consumables.
- • Clean and maintain bindery equipment; service glue pots, stitch heads, blades, and belts per schedule.
- • Inspect and measure finished pieces (trim size, fold accuracy, spine width) to verify job specifications using rulers, calipers, and gauges.
- • Set machine adjustments for fold plates, stitch heads, knives, clamp pressure, glue application, and trim sizes per job ticket and stock thickness.
- • Monitor bindery lines to detect misfeeds, jams, poor glue or stitch quality, and registration issues, and correct or escalate.
- • Read job tickets and coordinate with press and finishing staff on setup parameters, sequence, substrates, and deadlines.
- • Load adhesive pots or tanks for perfect binders and maintain proper temperature and levels.
- • Load signatures, covers, inserts, coils or wire spools, and packaging materials into folders, stitchers, binders, and finishers.
- • Record production counts, spoilage, setup times, trim sizes, and material usage in shop systems.
- • Move paper, signatures, and finished jobs between departments using pallet jacks or forklifts.
- • Mix and replenish adhesives or coatings as required; verify viscosity and temperature.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Last reviewed: Jan 2026
