The Fastback 20 thermal binding system from Powis Parker uses convenient, adhesive-lined binding strips to turn reports and presentations into attractive bound books. Using Fastback binding strips is very easy – simply insert a strip into the machine when indicated, and the machine does the rest. While binding with the Fastback Model 20 is nearly error-proof, you will likely experience a jam at one point or another. Below is a step-by-step guide to removing a jammed binding strip from your Fastback 20:

1. Turn the power switch to the “Off” position and remove any books that are sitting on the Cooling Rack.
2. Open the machine by inserting the eraser end of a pencil (or other similar object) through the hole in the lower right corner of the machine until the machine cover pops open slightly.
3. Lift the cover until the latch engages and the cover remains in the upright position.
4. Raise the heater platen assembly until it catches the magnetic stop. Locate the jammed strip at the bottom of the binder – it may be located in the feed slot or stuck to the heating platen itself.
5. Use the included tongs to remove the strip.
6. Remove any adhesive residue that remains on the platens. (See “How Do I Maintain My Fastback 20 Binding Machine?” for cleaning instructions.)
7. Pull the heater platen assembly toward you to disengage it from the magnet, then gently place it into its original position.
8. Close the machine by releasing the left rear lever and pressing down on both sides of the cover. Once the latch clicks and the cover locks in position, the machine is ready to use again.

The Fastback 20 thermal binder from Powis Parker is a user-friendly way to achieve professional-quality binding results in as little as 15 seconds. Designed with ease-of-use in mind, the Fastback 20 requires minimal user input in order to bind – simply place your book into the binding channel, insert the indicated Fastback binding strip, and the machine takes care of the rest. As with any piece of equipment, you will occasionally encounter errors that you will need to troubleshoot when using the Fastback Model 20.

If you receive an error message, begin by turning the power switch to the “Off” position. Open the machine by inserting the eraser side of a pencil (or similar object) into the hole located on the lower right corner of the face of the machine until the cover pops open slightly. Lift the cover until it locks in place, then do a quick visual inspection to ensure that there is not excessive adhesive residue, a jammed strip, or other foreign matter that may be causing the error. Close the cover, then turn the power switch back to the “On” position. If the error condition persists, refer to the list below for troubleshooting advice.

Problem:

• The machine doesn’t have power.

Possible Solutions:

• Ensure that the power cable is firmly inserted into both the machine and the power outlet.
• Check the fuse to see if it has blown. If it has, replace it with a new fuse.
• Verify that the power switch is in the “On” position.

Problem:

• The machine is on, but no message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solution:

• This generally indicates a program error. Turn the power off, then back on to reset the system.

Problem:

• Binding strips cannot be inserted into the machine.

Possible Solutions:

• The Fastback 20 will only accept strips if the book clamp has been closed. Press the “BIND” button to close the book clamp around your document.
• Verify that you are inserting the correct strip width. The display screen will indicate the correct strip width once the book clamp has measured the thickness of the document – only use the listed strip width.

Problem:

• After the binding cycle has been completed, the book is not bound and no binding strip is present.

Possible Solutions:

• The strip may have been fed with the adhesive side down. Check for misfed strip inside of the machine and clean away any adhesive residue that may have been left behind. Always insert Fastback binding strips with the adhesive side up.
• The binding strip may have become twisted or damaged and jammed inside of the machine. Open the machine and remove the jammed strip, cleaning any remaining adhesive residue as is necessary.

Problem:

• After binding, the strip is not aligned to the edge of the book.

Possible Solutions:

• The wrong strip length may have been used. Fastback binding strips are offered in 8-1/2″ and 11″ lengths (14″ strips are available as a special order). Always use the strip that corresponds to the length of the binding edge of your document. To bind documents with other dimensions, see “Can I Bind Books with Unusual Dimensions Using the Fastback 20 Binding System?“
• The strip that was used may have been damaged. Try binding with a new strip.
• The binding strip end may need to be adjusted. Adjust using the “Strip End” setting on the Main Menu.

Problem:

• After binding, the strip is extremely askew or only partially bound to book.

Possible Solutions:

• The strip that was used may have been damaged. Try again with a new binding strip.
• There may be adhesive residue on the binding surfaces that is interfering with the binding process. Clean any adhesive residue, following steps shown on the “Cleaning” animation on the display screen.

Problem:

• The “Strip Jammed” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solution:

• A strip has become jammed in the feed bar. Follow the instructions shown in the “Clear Jam” animation, or see “How Do I Remove a Jammed Strip from my Fastback 20 Binding Machine?“

Problem:

• The “Detection Error” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solution:

• The machine was unable to detect a valid pattern on the strip being used. Ensure that you are using a genuine Fastback binding strip that has a valid pattern on the adhesive side.

Problem:

• The “Book Too Thick” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solution:

• The book is too large to be bound. Remove some pages from the book or consider breaking it into two separate books, then re-initiate the binding process.

Problem:

• The “Carriage Error” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solutions:

• Adhesive residue may have built up inside the machine. Remove the adhesive residue, following the instructions provided at “How Do I Maintain My Fastback 20 Binding Machine?“
• A binding strip or foreign matter may be lodged inside of the machine. Open the machine and remove lodged objects as necessary.

Problem:

• The “T2 T3 Error” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solutions:

• Adhesive residue may have built up inside the machine. Remove the adhesive residue, following the instructions provided at “How Do I Maintain My Fastback 20 Binding Machine?“
• A binding strip or foreign matter may be lodged inside of the machine. Open the machine and remove lodged objects as necessary.

Problem:

• The “Sensor T3 Error” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solutions:

• Adhesive residue may have built up inside the machine. Remove the adhesive residue, following the instructions provided at “How Do I Maintain My Fastback 20 Binding Machine?“
• A binding strip or foreign matter may be lodged inside of the machine. Open the machine and remove lodged objects as necessary.

Problem:

• The “Motor T3 Error” message appears on the display screen.

Possible Solutions:

• Adhesive residue may have built up inside the machine. Remove the adhesive residue, following the instructions provided at “How Do I Maintain My Fastback 20 Binding Machine?“
• A binding strip or foreign matter may be lodged inside of the machine. Open the machine and remove lodged objects as necessary.

The Powis Parker Fastback 20 binding machine turns your printed reports and presentations into sleek and durable bound books using innovative Fastback binding strips. While books bound with Fastback strips are permanent, you do have the ability to make minor edits to books that you have previously bound using the Fastback 20. Below is a step-by-step guide to editing bound documents with the Fastback Model 20:

Begin by selecting the “Edit” option on the Main Menu. You will be guided through the following prompts:

1. Insert New Page. Open your book flat and fold down the corner of the sheet that you want to replace. Insert the sheet that you want to add to the book immediately behind the sheet it is replacing, positioning it as close to the adhesive as possible (but not completely flush).
2. Push Bind Button. Place your document into the binding channel, aligning it to the right side. Press the “BIND” button.
3. Pinch Page Sections. During binding, pinch the front and back sections of the book so that the page with the folded corner is free.
4. Remove Page. When the book clams open, immediately remove the folded page. With the document still in the binder, grab the folded corner and apply firm, uniform pressure as you peel it away from the spine working from left to right.
5. Tap Down New Page. Tap along the top edge of the replacement page to ensure that it is even with the rest of the sheets in your document.
6. Put Book in Cooling Rack. Lift the edited book out of the binding channel and place it into the Cooling Rack with the spine side down. Allow the book to cool for 2 – 3 minutes before removing it from the Cooling Rack, then allow it to cool for an additional 2 – 3 minutes before opening it.

Note: If the page that you are removing does not lift out easily on the first attempt, repeat steps 2 – 6.

Known for its ease of use, the Fastback 20 binding machine from Powis Parker is one of the most popular professional thermal binding systems on the market today. In addition to its user-friendly operation, the Fastback Model 20 is also very easy to maintain. Generally, you will only need to perform maintenance when adhesive build-up is visible on an operating part or when a strip has become jammed inside the machine. In this post, we’ll cover the steps for basic maintenance on the Fastback 20.

Cleaning the Two Red Heat Platens

Note: In the Main Menu, navigate to Instructions, then Cleaning. The display screen will then guide you through the steps for cleaning the platens and back-up bars.

1. Turn the power switch to the Off position and allow the machine to cool for five minutes before cleaning.
2. Remove any books that are in the Cooling Rack.
3. Open the cover of the machine by pushing the eraser end of a pencil (or another similar object) through the hole located on the lower right corner of the machine until the cover pops open slightly.
4. Lift the cover until the latch engages and the cover is held in the upright position. Note: Use caution when the cover is open, as other internal parts aside from the platens may be very hot.
5. While wearing the included heat-protective glove, wipe the top side of the heating platens with a clean, dry, cotton cloth that has been dampened with the cleaning solution provided in your Accessory Pack. The surfaces should be wiped lengthwise until they are clean. If there is a large amount of adhesive build-up, you can also remove it by peeling it away from the cooled platen using a wooden ice cream stick. Do not use anything abrasive or made of metal to clean the platens, as they would scratch the coated red surfaces.
6. Move the right rear belt to raise the front platen until it is level with the stationary rear platen. Rotate the large black gear located on the left until the underside of the platen is exposed. Following the same technique described in step 5, clean all exposed red surfaces along with the silver deflector plate that is attached at the bottom of the front platen.
7. After you have finished cleaning the front platen, return it to its original position.
8. Close the machine by releasing the left real lever and pressing down on both sides of the cover until the latch clicks and the cover locks in position.

Cleaning the Back-up Bars

Note: The back-up bars are positioned under the top cover and may, over time, accumulate adhesive. Use caution when cleaning the bars as they may be hot; wear the heat-protective glove that was included with your machine if necessary.

1. Set the power switch to the “Off” position and wait five minutes to allow the machine to cool.
2. Remove any books that are sitting in the Cooling Rack.
3. To open the machine, push the eraser end of a pencil (or other similar object) into the hole located on the lower right corner of the machine until the cover pops open slightly.
4. Lift the cover up until the latch engages and the cover is held open. Note: Use caution while the cover is open as internal parts may be very hot.
5. To clean the front back-up bar, pull it toward you while simultaneously pushing back on the rear bar. While wearing the heat-protective glove, wipe the surfaces of the bar with a clean, soft cloth that has been dampened with the Cleaning Solution that was included in your Accessory Pack.
6. To clean the rear back-up bar, pull the bar toward you while simultaneously pushing back on the front bar. Clean rear bar using the same technique described in step 5.
7. Close the machine by releasing the rear lever and pressing down on both sides of the cover. Once the latch has clicked and the cover is locked in position, the machine is ready for use.

The Fastback 20 binding system from Powis Parker is one of the most user-friendly thermal binding machines on the market, allowing even novice operators to create professional-looking bound documents in only 20 seconds with just the push of a button. In this post, we share six tips that will help make binding with the Fastback 20 as efficient as possible.

1. Ensuring that the edges of all of the pages of your document are evenly-aligned before binding is key to creating a book that is durable and strong. Before inserting your document into the Fastback 20, firmly tap the binding edge against a flat, hard surface a few times. If you notice that your pages are uneven after you have inserted them into the binding channel and activated the book clamp, simply press the “OPEN” button to release the clamp. Jog the pages of your book and re-insert them into the machine before pressing the green “BIND” button again.
2. The grain of your paper may impact the quality of your bind. For best results, the grain of the paper should run parallel to the binding edge. Paper that has a grain that runs parallel to the long edge of a sheet (i.e. the 11″ side of a letter-sized sheet) is referred to as being “grain long.” If the grain runs parallel to the short side of the paper (i.e. the 8-1/2″ side of a letter-sized sheet), the sheet is referred to as being “grain short.” A sheet of paper will flex more easily along the direction of its grain. Most standard copy paper is grain long, so it should work well with the Fastback 20. If you are binding with a new type of paper for the first time, it is recommended that you determine the grain and perform some test binds before doing any large production runs.
3. Index tabs are a great way to divide the content of books. Tab dividers can be used in conjunction with the Fasback 20 binding machine, but not all styles are compatible. Many paper tabs work well, however most varieties with plastic or mylar reinforcements along the along the binding edge will not properly adhere to the adhesive used on Fastback binding strips. Contact your Fastback dealer for advice on which tabs to use with your book. It is highly recommended that you perform some test binds before doing any large projects using tab dividers.
4. In order to allow the pages of your book to adhere to the spine, it is important that you allow the book to cool for 2 – 3 minutes after binding. The book should be placed in the cooling rack with the spine side down. Though the document can be moved out of the cooling rack after 2 – 3 minutes, it is recommended that you wait at least 5 minutes before opening it to ensure that the glue has time to set. Once set, the pages of a book bound using Super Strips can resist up to 50 lbs. of pull.
5. Unlike books bound with traditional plastic coils or binding combs, Fastback-bound documents are completely recycleable. The adhesives that are used in the strips are environmentally-neutral, which means that they will not pollute landfills or water tables. Furthermore, the strips themselves are paper-based, making them a far more ecologically-sound binding option than plastic-based spines.
6. Color copies that are made from older-model copy machines that use fuser oil may not bind well using the Fastback Model 20. Fuser oil and some specialty digital paper types can be difficult to adhere to, so they must be prepared with the Powis Parker Splitter Machine prior to binding. The splitter creates small slices in the binding edge of the paper, allowing the glue to penetrate the fibers and form a durable bind.

The Fastback Model 9 thermal binding machine from Powis Parker is a compact binder that is small enough to fit on your desk, yet powerful enough to bind documents in as little as 35 seconds using patented LX strips. Below are five helpful tips for binding with your Fastback 9 binding machine:

• Before binding, jog your document by tapping the pages against a flat surface several times to ensure that they are even. The edge of the LX strip should align with the edge of your document when it is placed into the binding recess.
• For best results, the grain of the paper should run parallel to the binding edge of the document. Note: If the grain runs parallel to the long side of the sheet, the paper is “grain long.” When the grain runs parallel to the short side of the paper, it is “grain short.” To determine the grain of a specific paper type, lightly hold a sheet between your fingertips along the short edges and allow it to bow. Then, hold the sheet along the long edges and allow it to bow. If it flexes more easily along the long edge (while being held along the sort edges), then your paper is grain long. Most copy paper is long grain, but it is highly recommended the you test your paper before doing any large production runs.
• Coated papers, and papers with heavy ink or toner coverage may experience problems during binding. If you have documents with heavy ink or toner coverage, always do a test bind first to ensure that your documents will bind properly.
• After the binding cycle, be sure to place your document entirely upright, with the bound side down, against one of the two rear book support fences for at least five minutes. If your document is not allowed to cool properly, the spine may become crooked. The strength of the adhesive increases over time, with the maximum adhesion strength occuring 24 hours after binding. Note: When placing multiple documents in the front cooling compartment, do not allow it to become overloaded. The front document should not hang off of the metal step.
• Minor glue build-up on the heaters is part of normal use. To clean the heaters, begin by turning off the machine and unplugging it. Allow the heaters to cool, and then wipe off any glue using a dry, lint-free cloth. Cleaning solution is not necessary.