3 Ways to Speed Up Spiral Binding

Spiral binding, also called plastic coil or spiral coil, is a flexible and durable binding method that is very popular in a variety of worlds. It is used in homes, schools, small & large offices, bindery houses, and more. It is an easy and fun way to document bind, but one that can also be quite time consuming, and one of the major contributors to that task is the inserting of the coils into the punched pages. So let's discuss the best way to speed up the spiral binding and inserting process.

• Use an Electric Punch -- There are three ways to speed up the spiral binding process. The first way is by using an electric punching machine. Electric binding punch machines have a higher punching capacity than the manual versions. Punching at a higher capacity means more sheets are being punched at the same time. Say you have a book that has 60 sheets. Using a manual machine it might take you 10 punches to get through all of the sheets while an electric machine might only take 3 punches. Plus it will reduce the manual labor needed, as electric binding punch machines are activated by either a foot pedal or a button.

• Use an Electric Roller Inserter -- The second way to save time when spiral binding is by using an electric roller inserter. Spiral coils are often inserted manually by spinning or twisting the coil into the punched holes. This method is pretty easy, but slow. And the thicker the books are, the slower the process gets; but electric inserters are fast! These time saving machines use two rollers, at least 1 of which is typically made of rubber, that are activated with a foot pedal or push button. For inserting using an electric inserter, you manually insert the spiral coil into the first 2 or 3 holes. After that you hold your binding edge up to the center of the rollers so that the spiral coil is lightly touching them. The rolling action quickly inserts the coil through the holes of your book.

• Use an Electric Crimper -- One other way you can speed up the spiral binding process is by using an electric cutter-crimper. The final step to binding using spiral coils is to cut and crimp the ends of the coil. This ensures the coil will not unwind or unbind itself. Generally, the cutting and crimping process is done manually with specially designed hand pliers. This is a slow and tedious task that allows room for human error. Ditch the handheld crimping pliers for an electric cutter crimper to make the process fast and easy. You just place your book on a table under a blade and press a foot pedal. They come in single head and double head configurations. The single head machines cut and crimp one side at a time while double head machines actually do the cutting and crimping of both sides at once.

Using an electric punch, adding an electric roller inserter and finishing off with an electric cutter crimper will drastically decrease the time it takes to bind a spiral bound book. A book that previously took you 10 minutes to punch and bind could now take you 5 minutes or less when you use these 3 tips to speed up the spiral binding process. You will greatly increase your productivity and efficiency, saving you time and money.

So what kind of spiral binding machine do you use? Have you implemented the electric machines to speed up efficiency, or are you sticking with the manual option? We want to hear your opinion. Share with us on social media at the links below, or shoot us an email with your opinion to solutions@buy101.com.

About the Author • Mallory Morsa is the product expert and content specialist at Binding101, and has been a valued team member since 2008. She started her career here in customer service, moved onto sales supervisor, product management, and then onto content. She takes a hands-on approach to products, and truly gets to know how every item works before she writes about them, with a goal to give you all of the honest information you need to make a confident buying decision. She has a bachelor's degree with a focus on management and marketing, and has been a writer, photographer, and videographer for many years. In her free time, she loves to read by the pool, volunteer at the local animal shelter in the kitten nursery, and snuggle her three furbabies while she binge watches Netflix.