http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q946sfGLxm4
>From another video it looks like the machine costs about
100,000 dollars.
Assume you have printed quartos folded like the first video, then proceed on to the sewing. If you have four pages say 2 up that's about 63 or 64 folded sheets. At 4 folded it's half or 32. That really is not that many to print, fold, and sew. The next step is to round the spine with a polished hammer, then glue a gaze strip on the binding to attach to boards. This particular series doesn't cover that part. Just look up another video---there are dozens that cover binding with boards and covering boards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCVq6StJ9o4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5dBagQpYgs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tJhzMBPAXE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dZAf7fhW88
This is not exactly espresso, but it really isn't that slow either. You can print the binding cloth or design a cover and have it printed on binding fabric.
Has anybody noticed just how shitty hardbound books have become? It's a interesting exercise to figure out when they really took a bad turn. My guess is middle eighties.