Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 5-1-1988 Factors affecting the strength and openability of tight backed, adhesive bound, hardcover volumes Geoffrey Hyatt Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Hyatt, Geoffrey, "Factors affecting the strength and openability of tight backed, adhesive bound, hardcover volumes" (1988). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Certificate of Approval -- Master's Thesis School of Printing Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL MASTER'S THESIS This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Geoffrey Hyatt With a major in Printing Technology has been approved by the Thesis Committee as satisfactory for the thesis requirement for the Master of Science degree at the convocation of August, 1988 Thesis Committee: W. Rebsamen Thesis Advisor Joseph L. Noga Graduate Program--~~--~~---- Coordinator Miles Southworth Director or Designate FACTORS AFFECTING THE STRENGTH AND OPENABILITY OF TIGHT BACKED, ADHESIVE BOUND, HARDCOVER VOLUMES by Geoffrey Thomas Hyatt A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Sciences in the School of Printing Management and Sciences in the College of Graphic Arts and Photography of the Rochester Institute of Technology May 1988 Thesis Advisor: Professor Werner Rebsamen g, "t ~ . Bed sample statement for granting or denying permission to '" ";.~ >,, oduce an RI~ thesis. ~tle of Thesis fq ,-~ ( A~~c.J~",~ -\-It ~4Cl Wjtl) cV'd Q ¥L v\J2\} ~.l i 9~ ..ll$ ~ 6ec...LJ.. I M:vu.\l\{\ \S-OV-.I\J. , 4crc!.w,, (.{ \/o\.cP (\' ~ ~ 0/t"ch'j T ·. l\.pA bereb~€a31 deny) permission to the Wallace Memo~ial ~ibrary~ of R.I.T.~ to , . reproduce my th~sis in whole or in part. Any reproduction w11l not be for commercial use or profit. Or I ____--..;. _________________ preter to be Icontacted _ each time a request for reproduction is made. I can be reached-at the following address. Geoffrey Hyatt -- ._-'" ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my greatest thanks to the members of my thesis committee, Professor Werner Rebsamen, Dr. Charles Layne and Professor Eric Sanderson. Their advise and guidance, above and beyond the call of duty, were invaluable in the completion of this research. Secondly, I am grateful to Ruth Backus, Richard Adams and Alyson in the Ross Computer Lab, for helping me through the perils of the VAX/VMS computer system. Finally, I would like to thank Susan O'Reilly and my parents for their endless patience and support during this endeavour. i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Structure of a Tight Backed Book 2 Adhesive Bound Hardcover Books 5 Rounding and Backing 7 Notes for Chapter 1 8 Chapter 2. Statement of the Problem and Hypotheses .. 9 Chapter 3. Review of Literature 11 Notes for Chapter 3 18 Chapter 4. Design Parameters and Methodology 19 Book Construction 21 Book Testing 27 Limitations 34 Statistical Analysis 36 Definition of Terms 37 Notes for Chapter 4 39 Chapter 5. Analysis of Data and Results 41 Results of Photocopy Openability Test 41 General Durability Observations 43 Universal Book Tester Durability Results 45 i i i Tumble Test Durability Results 47 Volume Appearance 51 Chapter 6. Summary and Conclusions 54 Chapter 7. Recommendations for Further Study 60 Bibliography 62 Appendices 64 Appendix A. Test Data Tables 65 Appendix B. Statistical Test Results 77 i v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. UBT Sum Data Table 66 Table 2. Tumble Test Sum Data Table 67 Table 3. Openability Data Table 68 Table 4. UBT Raw Data Table I 69 Table 5. UBT Raw Data Table II 70 Table 6. UBT Raw Data Table III 71 Table 7. UBT Raw Data Table IV 72 Table 8. Tumble Test Raw Data Table I 73 Table 9. Tumble Test Raw Data Table II 74 Table 10. Tumble Test Raw Data Table III 75 Table 11. Tumble Test Raw Data Table IV 76 Table 12. ANOVA Results for Openability Test 0.05 ... 78 Table 13. ANOVA Results for UBT Test 0.05 79 Table 14. ANOVA Results for Tumble Test 0.05 80 Table 15. ANOVA Results for Openability Test 0.01 ... 81 Table 16. ANOVA Results for UBT Test 0.01 82 Table 17. ANOVA Results for Tumble Test 0.01 83 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Tight Backed vs Conventional Joint and Spine Preparation 5 Figure 2. Summary of Volume Composition 22 Figure 3. Book Type Preparation Chart 22 Figure 4. Schematic Diagram of Treatments Under Consideration 23 Figure 5. Vinyl Masks for Adhesive Application 26 Figure 6. Mean Openability Scores 44 Figure 7. UBT Mean Durability Scores 48 Figure 8. Tumble Test Mean Durability Scores 52 ABSTRACT The practice of tight backing adhesive bound, hard cover books has long been thought to enhance durability at the expense of openability. Tight backing is popular in a number of specialized binding markets, the most notable of which is textbook production. Yet despite their prevalence, there is a lack of information available about how the openability and durability characteristics of tight backed books are affected by variable factors in the production process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate three variables involved in the production of tight backed, adhesive bound, hardcover volumes. The three factors considered were bulk of the book block, surface area of adhesive application to the spine and paper stock. Analyses of durability was conducted using two pieces of testing apparatus, the Octagonal Tumbling Drum and the Universal Book Tester. Openability was measured using the Photocopy Openability Test. The statistical design utilized a blocked and rep• licated three way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), conducted at the 0.05 alpha level. Where the data led to the rejection of the null hypothesis, a Duncan Multiple Range Test was employed to isolate the source of the variation. The procedures determined that bulk had no effect on openability, but became a factor in durability when the book was subjected to severe abuse. Paper stock was deemed to have no significant effect on either durability or openability. With regard to adhesive treatment, an inverted relationship was found to exist between durability and openability. As adhesive coating increased in surface area, durability was enhanced at the expense of openability. This was found to be a non-linear relationship. Finally, it was found that if the proper materials and construction techniques were employed in book production, then bindings with high durability could be created despite effects of other variable factors. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors that affect the durability and openability of tight backed, adhesive bound, hard cover textbooks. In making this investigation, one must remember that the primary aim of the book manufacturer is to deliver a quality product, properly suited to its end use requirements, at an economi• cal price. These seemingly conflicting demands require that the industry continually develop innovative techniques and materials, and find new ways to optimize those already in use. Accordingly, a number of specialized binding methods have been developed to meet the demands of specific market segments. The practice of "tight backing" is one such procedure. As a hardcover binding method, tight backing provides increased durability at a relatively minor cost premium. This has made it a popular technique for use in the production of books for educational purposes, where both durability and cost effectiveness are of great importance. One may question why, if tight backing provides superior strength, it is not used more often on other hardcover bindings. One answer may be that the procedure tends to restrict the openability of a bound volume. This can be considered, at best, an undesirable characteristic, but one which is acceptable to certain segments of the book consuming market. Structure of a Tight Backed Book In conventionally constructed volumes, the book block (the book without its cover and endpapers) is held in its case (cover) by the adhesive force between the case and the book joints and endpapers. The endpapers are attached to the first and last signatures prior to gathering. After the book is gathered (placing all the individual signatures of the book in the correct order), the spine is roughened and adhesive applied. In preparation for the final application of its case, the book block is trimmed to its finished size. Thereafter the book joints are formed during the rounding and backing operation. The procedure is as follows: As the book emerges from the [rounding] rollers, two clamps grasp it slightly below the back edge. A heavy, concaved backing iron is then rolled back and forth against the binding edge, forcing the sections to bend and thus be secured in place. The point of bending is called the joint and the amount of bend should e<gual the thickness of the board used in the cover. After rounding and backing is completed, the lining up operation affixes a gauze wrap, called "super" or "mull", to the spine. The super is cut wider than the thickness of the spine, in order to reinforce the adhesion between the endpapers and the book case. A lining, consisting of krinkle-kraft paper, is cut to the exact height and width of the spine. The purpose of this lining is to stiffen the spine and cover the exposed adhesive. Sometimes, in conjunction with the lining up operation, headbands are applied. However, since headbands perform a purely decorative function, they are not always utilized.