APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED PRINTING AND ASSEMBLY OF PASSPORT BOOKLETS

摘要

An apparatus (10) is operative for automatically producing identification booklets (300), such as passports, from a two-part thermoplastic security media. The apparatus (10) prints, die-cuts and fuses the security media to form the booklets (300). The security media consists of an opaque thermoplastic backing film (302) which is bound directly into the binder of the booklet to form a page of the booklet and a transparent thermoplastic cover film (312) which receives a thermally printed digital image including a photograph and printed identification information. The apparatus (10) consists of a thermal printing apparatus (12) for printing the digital image onto the cover film (312), a die-cutting assembly (22) for die-cutting a predetermined size patch from the cover film (312), a transport assembly (24) for transporting the patch of cover film (312) into facing relation with the backing material (302) in the booklet (300) and a fusing or laminating assembly (28) for fusing the patch of cover film (312) to the backing film (302).