Brilliant installs Ochsner to gild books

Printweek India Post-Press Company of the Year 2017 and Bengaluru-based Brilliant Printers has set its sight on enhancing its bidding in the book manufacturing segment with an Ochsner edge gilding and corner rounding machine. The equipment that was installed, commissioned in the last week of May 2018 – and will target products like luxury books, diaries, journals, dictionaries and religious books like Bibles.

01 Aug 2018 | By Ramu Ramanathan

Thomas Rego of Brilliant with the Ochsner

Weighing at 6040 kgs the machine has a capability to gild books up to A4 size and is manufactured in Switzerland. “The equipment does edge gilding on books – gold, silver or any colour as per the requirements of the customer,” said Anil Rego, managing director at Brilliant Printers.

The equipment that cost Rego “around half a million Euros” comprises of three stations namely electronic knife, sanding and gilding stations. The books are automatically fed whereby they are held tightly by a moving conveyor. The book is first passed through the electronic knife which removes very thin layer of the edge to prepare it for subsequent operations. At sanding station, books surface is prepared by removing undulations. Books are cleaned, passed over and gilded to get the required finish. 

Rego added, “The product thus manufactured will have very high aesthetic value and class.  The quality of gilding is of international standards. The gilding also serves to protect the book from environmental issues such as acidity, dampness along with the natural oils of the human hand.”

All the post-press processes at Brilliant Printers are under one roof, with a daily production capacity of 1,00,000 perfect-bound books, 50,000 saddle-stitched books and 20,000 hardcover books. Fully automatic binding and finishing machines for case making, book block making, casing-in, gilding, gathering/binding/trimming, shrink-wrapping and box tapping and strapping.

The company’s 1,53,000 sq/ft facility at Mallarabanavadi, Nelamangala in Bengaluru deploys modern, sensible technology that delivers consistency in quality and delivery, and exports to more than 70 countries. Plus, Brilliant Printers prints Bibles in more than 50 languages. Brilliant Printers is a fully in-house printing company with the capacity to produce 2,00,000 books a day.

How does the Ochsner work? ​
The equipment comprises of three stations namely electronic knife, sanding and gilding stations. The books are automatically fed whereby they are held tightly by a moving conveyor. The book is first passed through the electronic knife which removes a very thin layer of the edge to prepare it for subsequent operations. At the sanding station, the book's surface is prepared by removing undulations. Books are cleaned, passed over and gilded to get the required finish.

Ochsner edge gilding and corner rounding machine is fully automated with easy to operate PLC controls and HMI, and can be operated by trained operators.

The equipment manufacturer provides complete technical and spares support from Ochsner headquarters in Switzerland. The Brilliant Printers technical team is conversant with the equipment as this is the latest generation of the same make of machine that is in already being used at the press.