De-collatable bindings and methods of producing the same are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes a cover defining a spine and signatures disposed within the cover. The disclosed apparatus also includes a low tack adhesive disposed between the spine of the cover and the signatures to facilitate removal of the signatures from the cover.

A method for applying at least one enclosing element to a flat product composition wherein the enclosing element is subsequently applied around a selected edge of the product composition in a perpendicular manner with respect to said edge so as to rest against the product composition. A reliable operation that is independent of the type of enclosing element is achieved in that the selected edge of the product composition is moved forward along a transporting path, the enclosing element is held ready at a specified point of the transporting path so as to intersect the transporting path, the selected edge of the product composition is moved past the specified point, and at the same time the selected edge drives the enclosing element that is held ready.

The invention relates to a method for assembling a stack (10) consisting of single or multilayered pre-products (1115) of equal or different sizes, said pre-products lying freely one on top of the other, wherein the stack (10) has two outer pre-products (11, 15). According to the method, the stack (10) is given a cohesion that facilitates later handling. The cohesion is achieved in a very simple and flexibly applicable manner by providing the slack (10) to be assembled in a first step, said stack consisting of pre-products (11-15) that lie freely one on top of the other, and by attaching at least one connecting element (17) to an edge (16) of the stack (10) in a second step such that said element overlaps the two outer pre-products (11, 15) of the stack (10) in a clamping manner.

A device for manufacturing a book on demand includes a cover printing station for printing a cover; a book block printing station for printing or receiving a book block; a binding station assembling the book block and the cover; transport structure arranged to transport the cover and/or the book block between the different stations; a trimming station trimming the book and linked to a catch tray; and the transport structure configured to transport the book block in an initial format up to the trimming station, then hold the book block in the trimming station for cutting into one part of the book block held in the transport structure and another part of the book block cut and directed towards the catch tray, then assemble the two parts of the book block to form in the transport structure a book block having a reduced format but having an increased thickness.

A solution is proposed for use in the production of books (166) in a bookbinding plant (100). A corresponding method (500) comprises reading (509) identification information (220) from each book block (112) and printing (521) further identification information (240,245) corresponding thereto onto a fastening lining (235) for application to the book block (112). A further aspect provides a corresponding system (103). Further aspects provide a back-gluing machine (103) and a bookbinding plant (100) comprising such system (103). A further aspect provides a computer program for implementing the method and a corresponding computer program product.

A device for manufacturing a book on demand includes a cover printing station for printing a cover; a book block printing station for printing or receiving a book block; a binding station assembling the book block and the cover; transport structure arranged to transport the cover and/or the book block between the different stations; a trimming station trimming the book and linked to a catch tray; and the transport structure configured to transport the book block in an initial format up to the trimming station, then hold the book block in the trimming station for cutting into one part of the book block held in the transport structure and another part of the book block cut and directed towards the catch tray, then assemble the two parts of the book block to form in the transport structure a book block having a reduced format but having an increased thickness.