1. Fellowes. Although the name "Fellowes" is usually associated with paper shredders, this manufacturer also makes some very popular thermal binders. Fellowes, which was founded by Henry Fellowes in 1917, also makes wire and plastic comb binding machines, as well as laminators, so it's a go-to name when it comes to document finishing. The company recently released the Helios 30 and 60 thermal binding machines, two high-quality devices. The Helios 60 has an astonishing binding capacity of 600 pages and both machines are glossy and contemporary-looking. They also have two older machines, the TB250 and TB450. If you think the Helios 60 can bind a lot, you'll be astounded by the TB450's 700-page binding capacity. If your documents contain a lot of pages, a Fellowes machine would be the ideal choice.
2. Pro-Bind. This company rose out of the ashes of Bind-It, a former binding industry leader. When the company went under, some former Bind-It employees banded together to create a new name in thermal binding supplies: Pro-Bind. The new company sells a lot of the same products the old one did, such as covers and photobooks, and they also created two best-selling binding machines: the Pro-Bind 1000 and 2000. The 2000 model can bind almost 500 books per hour, so it's great for high-volume operations. Plus, these products are easy to operate and they can be found in offices all over the country. Pro-Bind also makes a spine crimper for hardcover books that can be used in conjunction with the Pro-Bind 1000 and 2000.
3. Unibind. If you have a penchant for all things European, you'll love Unibind. This company is based in Belgium and they produce some very unique thermal binding machines and covers. These machines contain magnets that connect with the steel spine in Unibind covers which, in turn, activates the adhesive and binds your documents. These devices can bind a lot of books at once: the ST1025 will bind 50 books at a time. Plus, all Unibind machines are very unique-looking and the smaller ones, such as the XU138, are small enough to fit on a tabletop. Unibind covers and spines come in a lot of different thicknesses, finishes, and colors, including the Steelback spines that allow you to create your own customized covers.

Thermal binding is a wonderful way to create documents that look great and it's important to choose a machine that you love. If you purchase a machine from Fellowes, Pro-Bind, or Unibind, you're going to love your new device and this document finishing method.