Handle With Care
2 Does your binder stabilize the board's temperature within 15º of the case-making area?
3 Does your binder open board loads to remove stretch film, but allow the board to be top-weighted while it acclimates to the temperature to minimize moisture dissipation?
4 Does your binder prevent air from blowing onto the board load during
case-making? In many situations, an overhead fan creates excessive air movement and accelerates moisture migration.
PENETRATING THE SURFACE
Case-making is a two-step process. First, adhesives are applied to the cover material and, depending upon the material's absorption ability, may sit
on the surface before penetrating the cover material. In step two, the cover board is placed on the cover material where the adhesive penetrates the
board surface.
The process is called a moisture event, which can lead to curling if absorption or dissipation properties between the substrates differ.
Moisture acceptance varies widely depending on what types of cover materials are used. Film-coated and liquid-laminated covers won't have the same absorption or dissipation rate as natural cloth or uncoated paper-based covers because the outer side of the material is sealed.
Synthetic cover materials rely on a suction bond and have a limited amount of moisture acceptance. Regardless of the type of material used, the moisture from the adhesive goes into the board, resulting in additional fiber swell, which requires more time for moisture dissipation.
Depending upon the cover material, its level of moisture compatibility and the characteristics of the board, it may take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours to reach equilibrium with the environment. During this time, the bound book and the made cover can be manipulated or allowed to find equilibrium by stabilizing the bound book.
BOARDING THE BOARD
Add weight to maintain flatness during storage by stacking the same size covers on a supported flat surface during the 12 to 24 hours it takes to reach equilibrium. Brick stacking is the most common of a variety of methods used to stabilize made covers during equilibration.
