Expertise

Allied Bindery’s leadership and expertise is rooted in its core philosophy and company mission to “continuously pursue excellence, providing customers with the best speed, service, and solutions available in the marketplace”.

Allied Bindery has embraced and implemented lean manufacturing principles in all its operations and business processes. These principles include JIT manufacturing, synchronous make-ready techniques, and extensive error proofing technology implementation…to name just a few.

Allied’s team has decades of finishing and commercial printing expertise. With a thorough understanding of the entire process, Allied’s early involvement in projects helps insure robust product designs that minimize supply chain costs and maximize customer value.

Allied’s leadership and expertise is shared with our customers through (a) education based seminars, (b) periodic e-mail correspondence that provide finishing design and process tips, (c) technical reference papers on the Company’s website, (d) frequent blog post updates regarding industry and market news, and (e) plant tours; all designed to provide customer personnel with the tools they need to better serve their customers.

Allied’s leadership and expertise is best exemplified by its commitment to quality. In 2002, Allied Bindery became the first trade bindery in Michigan to be certified to the international quality standard ISO 9001-2000; in 2008, to the updated ISO 9001-2008 standard; and now we hold the ISO 9001:2015 certification. For Allied, compliance with this standard insures product compliance to pre-defined, critical characteristics prior to manufacturing; time interval validation checks insure continued compliance through job completion.

The Company’s quality philosophy is further supported by its on-going commitment to continuously improve its products and services. As we all know, today’s innovation is tomorrow’s commodity.

The Company’s expertise is best exemplified by its extensive, industry leading implementation of error proofing technologies throughout its manufacturing processes. We view these technologies as “killer apps”…they kill problems before they ever have the chance to reach our customers. These technologies include, but are not limited to, the following:

Integrated, computer controlled digital cameras to insure correct signature pagination and book block registration.
Integrated electronic sensors and mechanical calipers to automatically detect incorrect signature pocket feeds.
Integrated electronic flow meter technology to insure precise dispensing of adhesive.
In line electronic weight scales used to continuously validate production product to first off sample approval.
Integrated electronics that automatically shut down production equipment when triggered by error proofing devices.
Integrated diversion systems that automatically segregate non-conforming product from the quality approved production stream.

Leadership is action oriented, trailblazing, and setting standards. Allied Bindery was the first trade bindery in Michigan to:

Implement the use of PUR adhesive, improving binding strength and flexibility when using difficult paper stocks.
Implement a computer controlled PUR adhesive delivery and validation system to improve set up times, reduce waste, and insure application quality.
Implement digital camera signature recognition systems to insure pagination integrity.
Implement high speed, check weighing systems to validate book weights and form counts during the binding process.
Design and implement high speed video cameras and associated software solution to detect and remove mis-registered book blocks from the binding production stream.

Over the years’, Allied has often served as a beta test site, working with equipment and material vendors in jointly developing these quality based, application technologies, serving as an industry leader in implementation. As an example, Allied has partnered with its adhesive supplier in a long term R & D project to improve PUR adhesive performance characteristics, helping to develop the next generation of PUR products.

The results? They speak for themselves. Over the years, Allied has won numerous awards for its workmanship. Allied was recognized by a southeast Michigan based printer, operating globally, as its 2009 and 2010 “Supplier of the Year”; in March, 2010, one of the leading, national trade organizations in the graphic arts industry recognized Allied Bindery in its feature publication; in April, 2010, the Detroit Club of Printing House Craftsmen in its gallery of Superb Printing competition awarded Allied its’ “Best of Specialty” award. In 2010, The Printing Industries of Michigan recognized Allied for three Gold Ink Awards, and most recently in April, 2011, the Detroit Club of Printing House Craftsmen in its gallery of Superb Printing competition awarded Allied its “Best of Category” award.

QUALITY CULTURE – LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Allied Bindery is serious about our commitment to achieve a “Zero Defect” environment. We have invested heavily in cutting edge error proofing systems using both industry available and custom designed technology to ensure that we meet and exceed your expectations. We have been leaders in the identification and implementation of Quality and Error Proofing Systems as evidenced by the following accomplishments:

First trade bindery in the Upper Mid-West to achieve ISO certification
First trade bindery in the Upper Mid-West to implement OptiGraph Digital Camera Signature Recognition Systems on perfect binding lines.
First bindery in North America to successfully install computer controlled PUR extrusion application technology on perfect binding lines.
First bindery in North America to implement a ProControl Adhesive application sensor and measurement system on perfect binding lines.
First trade bindery in Upper Mid-West to integrate high speed computerized weigh scales into perfect binding lines.
First trade bindery in Upper Mid-West to design and integrate high speed video cameras into perfect binding lines to detect and remove skewed or mis-registered books from the production stream.

Please join us for a tour to see how we validate pagination, registration, adhesive application, page counts and more.