A method for production of a female embossing tool intended for embossing a sheet element: provide a female embossing tool with an outer layer made of a material with shape-memory type properties, and the outer face of the layer has no recesses; provide a male embossing tool with an outer face with at least one protuberance corresponding to at least one desired embossing relief that is to be formed on the sheet element after embossing; and cooperation of the male embossing tool with the female embossing tool such that the outer layer of the female embossing tool undergoes a plastic deformation which creates at least one recess of a shape complementary to the protuberance(s) of the male embossing tool.

An image forming apparatus includes: a needleless binding device configured to form a recessed or raised impression as a needleless binding part by performing needleless binding on a bundle of sheets; an environment sensor; and a controller configured to perform, based on a value detected by the environment sensor, control to display a confirmation image requesting a user to make confirmation on the needleless binding prior to execution of the needleless binding.

A method for production of a female embossing tool (6) intended for embossing a sheet element (60): provide a female embossing tool (6) with an outer layer (44) made of a material with shape-memory type properties, and the outer face of the layer has no recesses; provide a male embossing tool (5, 5) with an outer face with at least one protuberance corresponding to at least one desired embossing relief that is to be formed on the sheet element (60) after embossing; and cooperation of the male embossing tool (5, 5) with the female embossing tool (6) such that the outer layer (44) of the female embossing tool (6) undergoes a plastic deformation which creates at least one recess (42, 42) of a shape complementary to the protuberance(s) (41, 41) of the male embossing tool (5, 5).

An image forming apparatus includes: a needleless binding device configured to form a recessed or raised impression as a needleless binding part by performing needleless binding on a bundle of sheets; an environment sensor; and a controller configured to perform, based on a value detected by the environment sensor, control to display a confirmation image requesting a user to make confirmation on the needleless binding prior to execution of the needleless binding.

An image forming apparatus includes: a needleless binding device configured to form a recessed or raised impression as a needleless binding part by performing needleless binding on a bundle of sheets; an environment sensor; and a controller configured to perform, based on a value detected by the environment sensor, control to display a confirmation image requesting a user to make confirmation on the needleless binding prior to execution of the needleless binding.

An embossing tool including a female die (5) and a male die (7). A raised section (9) is formed on the female die, which corresponds to the area to be embossed. An elastic compensating element (13) is located in a recess (11) of the male die (7), which protrudes from the surface of the male die (7) by a few tenths of a millimeter. This embossing tool allows the undoing of existing embossments on a film (1).

In a sheet processing method for sheets of paper or cardboard, a sheet for processing is, in the processing station, firstly brought to a standstill and then set down, whereas the processed sheet is, in the output station, set down from a moving state. A punching or stamping machine has an input station, a processing station and an output station arranged one behind the other in a sheet transport path, and a sheet gripping device which is designed to set down a sheet for processing in the processing station when the sheet gripping device has come to a standstill in a second reversal position, and to set down a processed sheet in the output station as the sheet gripping device approaches the second reversal position.

A die and counter die system for impressing a relief pattern onto a substrate, including a male die film and at least one female die. The female die includes a female-die contact surface including at least one cavity defining the relief pattern. The male die film includes a flexible male-die contact surface which is featureless in a region thereof opposing the relief pattern on the at least one female die. The system further includes a compression mechanism adapted, when the substrate is disposed between the male die contact surface and the female die contact surface, to move the male die film and the at least one female die towards one another so as to impress the relief pattern on the substrate.

An embossing/debossing system and method for embossing or debossing an impressionable material, such as paper. The system may comprise a laser cutting apparatus and a stamping apparatus. The laser cutting apparatus may comprise a laser configured for cutting and/or ablating one or more patterns into a stencil material. The stamping apparatus may be configured to receive the stencil material from the laser cutting apparatus and may have an actuatable elastomeric press pad configured to press the impressionable material into the patterns formed in the stencil material by the laser cutting apparatus. The system may also comprise various feeding devices configured to feed the stencil material from the laser cutting apparatus to the stamping apparatus and/or configured to feed the impressionable material through the stamping apparatus.

A sheet binding device includes a pressurizing unit that pressurizes a sheet bundle to bind the sheet bundle, a pressurizing section that is disposed in the pressurizing unit and configured to be moved from a waiting position separated from the sheet bundle to a pressurizing position at which the pressurizing section pressurizes the sheet bundle, a drive motor that actuates the pressurizing unit, and a controller that controls the drive motor such that the pressurizing section is engaged with the sheet bundle at a predetermined setting velocity.