I will often have customers call me to ask whether you can run Unibind covers in a thermal binding machine and whether you can run thermabind covers in a Unibind machine. Unfortunately, thermal machines simply do not get hot enough to properly activate the glue in a Unibind cover. However, it is possible to use your Unibind machine along with thermal covers or with covers that you have created yourself with thermal glue strips. Here is how:

Every new Unibind binding machine is shipped with a small metal washer that was used to test the machine. Some people have suggested that you use this washer to activate your Unibind machine when binding a thermal binding cover. However, in my opinion this is not safe. The metal washer will become extremely hot and can be extremely dangerous to handle. This is especially true since you will have to remove and replace the washer to reactivate the machine.

Instead of using a washer, why not simply use a Unibind cover that you have laying around. Chances are, you probably have a presentation bound with Unibind that you don't need any more . Or you can just have us send you a sample Unibind cover with your thermal covers.

Once you have your Unibind cover simply insert it into the Unibind machine along with your thermal cover and the Unibind cover will activate the heating element on the Unibind machine. Simply let the Unibind machine go through its heating cycle and then move the documents over to the cooling compartment (it is always a good idea to drop thermal bound documents on the table once while they are still hot to ensure the pages are securely seated in the glue).

You don't even have to wait for the Unibind cover to cool to use it again. Simply place the cover back into the heating compartment along with another thermal cover and you can repeat the process. It is as easy as that.

Using this concept it is possible to use your Unibind machine to create all sorts of documents, presentations, proposals and books with the look and feel that you want. Using thermal glue strips you can create magazines, short run perfect bound books or high end proposals. You can even use standard thermal binding covers with a linen paper spine and a clear front to add a different look and feel to your documents. Try it out today.