A new case study featuring L.E.G.O., a leading name in printing and bookbinding, which partnered with us to automate their perfect binding line, in pursuit of more efficient and flexible production.
Today’s news tells the story of a case study featuring L.E.G.O., a leader in book printing and binding, and our machines – two Alpha681 units and two Mini Pluton.
L.E.G.O., a “top player” in the printing and bookbinding industry
L.E.G.O. S.p.A. – Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto – is a leader in the printing and bookbinding sector, and is headquartered in Vicenza.
Founded in 1900, L.E.G.O. – thanks to a well-established international presence – boasts an extensive client portfolio and a production system able to meet the most sophisticated demands of the bookbinding and printing industry, offering a fully integrated production cycle: from printing to bookbinding.
The partnership between Solema and L.E.G.O. began in the early 1990s and has strengthened over time with the installation of 12 Pluton and 4 Mini Pluton palletisers, as well as 2 Alpha681 depalletisers, to which a further 2 new collaborative palletisers – Omega693-20 – will be added and delivered by the end of 2025.
What the client needed: An optimised workflow
L.E.G.O.'s request was clear and simple: to optimise the loading process for its perfect binding line, making it more efficient and flexible, and thus improving productivity.
All requirements perfectly in line with the sector’s ongoing technological advancements.
Early discussions quickly revealed a major issue: the line’s heavy reliance on manual handling, with the loading process entrusted entirely to operators forced to transfer book blocks from the pallet to the machine, thus greatly reducing the line’s overall performance. To improve the production speed, product loading thus needed to be automated.
Automation would eliminate the issues associated with the repetitive and physically strenuous nature of the initial line operations, where operators were required to lift hundreds of kilos of books each day.
Introducing an automated system would ensure a more consistent and continuous workflow, even during normal, physiological interruptions such as shift changes or staff shortages, while also reducing the need for additional supervision.
The Solema solution: No.2 Mini Plutons, No.1 Pluton, and No.2 Alpha681 depalletisers
In response to the client’s requests, Solema team – made up of specialised sales engineers with years of experience – developed a project for the line’s automation, which included the installation of two Alpha681 robotic depalletisers, two Mini Pluton and one Pluton – compact, flexible and easy-to-use palletisers.
The Alpha681 robotic arm automates the depalletising process by picking rows of books from the pallet and placing them on delta slip torque before Fastbook, which feeds the perfect binding line. Loading is thus seen to by the industrial robot, ensuring consistency throughout the entire workday and significantly reducing the operator’s manual workload. MiniPluton and Pluton take care of palletising. The processed product enters Solema Palletiser: each stack is precisely handled by the step-by-step feed system, rotated into the required position by the rotation station, and the books neatly arranged, row by row, to form a layer. Layer after layer, the pallet is formed with precision and stability.
The use of optimised palletising schemes designed to increase load density is also a key factor in maximising efficiency during subsequent depalletising operations. Integrating the pre-stacking function during pallet formation within the Pluton or Mini Pluton system helps speed up the inbound flow, improve operational continuity and reduce Alpha681 cycle time.The line arrangement is the result of a customised machine layout, designed specifically around the client's needs, aiming to improve the timing and flow of semi-finished products.
A project that boosts productivity and reduces physically demanding tasks
How is the increase in productivity calculated?Installation of Solema machines at L.E.G.O. was completed within the first half of 2025.
Following initial field tests by our specialists and on-site training, L.E.G.O. was able to experience the benefits of the new line within just a few months.
Thanks to the installation of two Alpha681 units, the following improvements were achieved:
- a tangible 25% increase in productivity, resulting in shorter processing times and lower associated costs;
- a reduction in physically demanding tasks for operators, with clear benefits for their health
LOADING DATA: Alpha681
- average book height: 20 mm
- max stack height: 200 mm
- result: up to 10 books per stack
- average book length: A4 format
- Alpha681 gripper capacity: 3 stacks of books per row
- result: up to 30 books per row
LOADING TIMES
- average cycle time: 20 seconds
- books processed per minute: 90 books/minutes
- books processed per hour: 5400 books
FINAL RESULT
- 25% more books depalletised compared to manual loading
The figures speak for themselves and immediately justified L.E.G.O.’s investment in Solema machinery.
What’s next? Complete line automation
In light of the results achieved, the Solema team is already working on a project to further automate the same perfect binding line. The system will include automatic pallet feeding to the Alpha681 robots, with the goal of achieving full line automation – both at the infeed and outfeed stages – resulting in even greater performance in terms of speed and timing, and, above all, further time savings for the operators involved.
The introduction of an automatic loading system for the perfect binding line will enable a complete reorganisation of the line for greater efficiency, allowing the entire process to be managed by a single operator.
This approach will allow a more efficient reallocation of resources, assigning staff previously engaged in repetitive and physically demanding tasks on the line to higher value-added activities within the production process.
Are you interested in an automation audit, too? Write to info@solema.it or call 035 654111.