Walsh Colour Print, which entered digital printing two years ago with two HP Indigo 5500 machines, previously produced books, with print runs of just one copy in extreme cases, using an ageing Starbinder from Muller Martini. “If we want to be certain that one copy will actually meet the customer’s quality requirements, we print 20 copies to be on the safe side...," said Kerry Walsh, co-owner of the company with her husband Tony Walsh, with a hint of mischievousness.

From left: Patricia and Tony Walsh (joint owners of Walsh Colour Print), David McGinlay (Sales Manager of Muller Martini England), Andreas Schillinger (Managing Director of Muller Martini England) and Michael Thüler (Muller Martini corporate management) in front of the new Alegro perfect binder at the Muller Martini stand at the drupa in Düsseldorf.

Since that is an unsatisfactory state of affairs in the long run, Walsh Colour Print, which was founded in 1991, has opted to replace the Starbinder. The family-run business will be the first British graphic arts company to install the new Alegro perfect binder from Muller Martini, first unveiled in Düsseldorf, after signing the relevant purchase agreement at the drupa. “We wanted a solution allowing us to finish products printed both using sheet-fed offset and digitally,” said Tony Walsh. In addition to higher automation guaranteeing quicker changeovers and higher product quality than the Starbinder, output was also a decisive factor for Tony Walsh. “Although we print many ultra-short runs digitally, in offset printing there can be runs of several tens of thousands of copies,” explained the co-owner of the company.

Made Possible by Motion Control Technology
The new Alegro ensures quicker setup and production times and higher product quality thanks to motion control technology. It facilitates extremely short processing times, resulting in maximum profitability. The Alegro, which stands out due to special sizes and production methods, also provides the basis for a large range of uses.

At the heart of the intelligent machine concept is the fact that all stations of the Alegro are driven directly and controlled individually thanks to motion control. That means the settings have a direct effect on the product, leading to maximum quality. Motion control optimizes the individual process steps, reduces changeover times and allows for maximum production performance in the shortest time. With motion control, the readjustment of settings is reduced to a minimum.