weird flatstock glue question

[ericheartsu]

Over here at Night Owls we work with alot of record labels and musicians. We do our fair share of printing custom LP and 7" Sleeves (for vinyl records, in case any of you old fold don't know  ), and it eats up a ton of our profit in just manual labour gluing them.

Hot glue guns don't work that well, and we've found rubber cement to be the best option, but it takes SO LONG to glue them. I've had two employees folding and glueing 300 LP sleeves all day, and they only have half of them done so far.

So i'm looking for a more automatic, or faster method. Anyone have any experience in this type of world? I know some of you guys have printed flatstock or worked in other types of print shops in the past! i'd love to hear some thoughts on how to speed this up!

[Frog]

I bet that the big boys have a folding and gluing machine.

Would some type of double stick tape be any easier to apply than glue?

[ericheartsu]

I bet that the big boys have a folding and gluing machine.

Would some type of double stick tape be any easier to apply than glue?

Yeah i think they do too, but i don't even know what they are called to even start to look for that stuff!

I've thought about it. My only issue is the thickness of it. It may be easier to apply, but i have a feeling it'll be more expensive than elmers rubber cement!

[ebscreen]

Find an offset/bindery type place that can handle it and send it to them, unless you do enough to justify buying what I would imagine is an expensive machine.

[Inkworks]

There are a few different options for the glue. 3M makes sheet-stock double sided adhesive #(7952 would work) Shear it into strips and set up a laminating station with jigs on a vacuum table.

You could also look into screen-printable adhesives.

Sorry, I'm no help on the folding. Are you die-cutting sheet card-stock that you've screenprinted? Are you using a creasing rule in the die to form a fold line?

[ol man]

Quickest way by hand - double sided tape gun.   check this link --- http://www.uline.com/BL_777/Adhesive-Transfer-Tape-Dispensers

and i pray your not scoring by hand.

[ericheartsu]

There are a few different options for the glue. 3M makes sheet-stock double sided adhesive #(7952 would work) Shear it into strips and set up a laminating station with jigs on a vacuum table.

You could also look into screen-printable adhesives.

Sorry, I'm no help on the folding. Are you die-cutting sheet card-stock that you've screenprinted? Are you using a creasing rule in the die to form a fold line?

we are printing the sheets, then die cut/score them with our die cutter. We just have to fold the tabs into place then glue by hand. That's what takes the longest as the paper is pretty heavy, so it takes a good while to fold. Our two employees were gluing and folding all day yesterday from 11am until 7:30pm, and still have 80 more to go today! so it's taking quiet a long time.

A friend of mine just told me to look for a pocket folder gluer, and modify it. So now to see if i can find one cheap. something tells me that might not be an option!

[mimosatexas]

I've printed these a few times in small quantities and used something very similar to http://www.shop3m.com/adhesives/3m-double-linered-adhesive-transfer-tape-7952mp-clear-24-in-x-36-in-2-0-mil-with-4-0-mil-liners.html  (referenced above) but it came in smaller sheets and was a lot cheaper. 

I will look through my email archives to see if I can find out exactly what I used.  We printed precut/precreased but unglued sleeves from http://www.stumptownprinters.com.  They suggested hot glue, but it seemed like a mess and like it would add unnecessary thickness.  I don't remember it taking any time at all to fold and stick them, certainly not more than 4 minutes per sleeve (110 per person in 8 hours = 13.75 an hour = over 4 minutes per sleeve).  I think I was doing one sleeve every 30 seconds...

[tonypep]

Eric, try DABnSEAL

[Frog]

I don't know about it's required industrial strength, but you gotta love Dabney, the Envelope Sealer's Smile!

[ericheartsu]

Eric, try DABnSEAL

Thanks!! will try this this week!