Profession bindery operator

Bindery operators tend machines that bind printed or unprinted paper into volumes using staples, twine, glue or other binding technologies.

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Personality Type

  • Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

  • Binding technologies

    The methods to fix paper materials together and enclose them in a cover such as case binding, sewing, adhesive binding, comb binding, and spiral binding.

  • Quality standards

    The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.

Skills

  • Work safely with machines

    Check and safely operate machines and equipment required for your work according to manuals and instructions.

  • Set up machine controls

    Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.

  • Operate binder machine

    Set up the binder machine, which forms, inserts, trims, and fastens binding in covers of paper goods like booklets, pamphlets, and notebooks.

  • Monitor automated machines

    Continuously check up on the automated machine's set-up and execution or make regular control rounds. If necessary, record and interpret data on the operating conditions of installations and equipment in order to identify abnormalities.

  • Troubleshoot

    Identify operating problems, decide what to do about it and report accordingly.

  • Supply machine

    Ensure the machine is fed the necessary and adequate materials and control the placement or automatic feed and retrieval of work pieces in the machines or machine tools on the production line.

  • Adjust properties of cut

    Adjust cut sizes and depths of cutting tools. Adjust heights of worktables and machine-arms.

  • Follow safety precautions in printing

    Apply safety and health principles, policies and institutional regulations of working in printing production. Protect oneself and others against such hazards as chemicals used in printing, invasive allergens, heat, and disease causing agents.

  • Perform test run

    Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.

  • Ensure equipment availability

    Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures.

  • Follow production schedule

    Follow production schedule taking into account all requirements, times and needs. This schedule outlines what individual commodities must be produced in each time period and encapsulates various concerns like production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. Utilise all the information in the actual implementation of the plan.

  • Observe machine feed

    Monitor pick up and feeding mechanisms to detect and remove defective pages from the binding machine.

  • Inspect binding work

    Check stitched, collated, bound, and unbound paper to ascertain that pages are bound in numerical or folio order according to the sample copy. Follow up consequences of possible defects such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn, loose or uneven pages, and loose or uncut threads.

Optional knowledge and skills

pack goods monitor stock level stack goods specialise in conservation-restoration of specific types of objects prevent paper jams measure paper sheets remove excess glue unbind books record production data for quality control keep records of work progress estimate restoration costs repair damaged paper parts process printing input operate paper folding machine operate collating machine design principles operate die-cut machines printed goods processes wear appropriate protective gear apply restoration techniques perform manual spiral binding adhesives operate paper stitching machine report defective manufacturing materials dispose of non-hazardous waste monitor conveyor belt perforate printed media select restoration activities adjust fold plates thread wire order supplies store products types of paper clean equipment stitch paper materials perform machine maintenance lift stacks of paper read job ticket instructions communicate with customers emboss designs make folding styles trim excess materials evaluate restoration procedures oversee quality control sew signatures label stamps

Common job titles

  • Bindery operator
  • Mail inserter operator -- 3rd shift
  • Machine operator- 3rd shift
  • Cutter bindery operator press operator
  • Bielo operator
  • Finishing operator
  • Copy center operator/floater
  • Saddle stitch machine operator
  • Perfect binder machine operator