A 20% increase in performance, integration into the MPC system: VF Tryck recently put into operation the first upgraded AlphaLiner newspaper inserting system from Muller Martini.

In addition to its own newspaper “VF”, which it produces six times a week in a run of 22,000 copies, Karlstad-based VF Tryck prints five other newspapers and seven weekly magazines. A typical print run for these publications comprises between 2500 and 185,000 copies, with the total page count usually between 8 and 72 pages. Prior to this investment, inserts, pre-printed editorial sections and advertisements were inserted by hand, because the rather old mailroom provided by another supplier did not feature an inserting system. For reasons of both cost and time, FV Tryck decided to switch to an automated solution midway through this year.

Different Formats for Main Product
Following a successful client visit to a Swiss newspaper manufacturing plant, the company opted for the AlphaLiner – not least because the Muller Martini inserting system makes it possible to produce different formats for the main product. “The AlphaLiner fulfills all our needs,” explains Production Manager Daniel Johansson, “Plus, a real partnership started to develop between us and the people at Muller Martini as early as the planning stage – they were even on hand to advise us during the first few weeks of operation.”

AlphaLiner Now Features MPC
The AlphaLiner in use at VF Tryck, which was operational just four months after the purchase agreement was signed, is the first in the world with a capacity of 18,000 cycles per hour. The tried-and-tested inserting system from Muller Martini had only just been upgraded, boosting performance by 20%. In addition, the control technology was modified to enable integration of the AlphaLiner into the Muller Martini Mailroom Production Control (MPC) system. The MPC boosts efficient production per zone for newspaper and mailing manufacturers, and makes it easy to import production data and prepare for production quickly. This means that a return on investment can be achieved in a very short period of time for a comparably low initial outlay.

The MPC also synchronizes the insertion process, including individual addressing and stack formation, with online printing of the top and information sheets. This is a major advantage for VF Tryck, because the Swedish newspaper manufacturer has an inkjet system for individual addressing on the newspapers. This system has also been redeveloped by Muller Martini for the modified AlphaLiner.