Today’s market demand in nearly all industrial sectors is “just in time." Even larger runs are often manufactured in split runs, for economic and logistical reasons, at equal or often lower prices. The increasing automation of individual machines has contributed to make-ready times being drastically shortened, freeing up additional production time. This means that production planning, workflow and logistics are increasingly becoming more decisive factors, significantly influencing costs. In the case of short runs or ultra-short runs, the flexibility of the machinery – as well as the personnel – is therefore extremely important. In fact, flexibility practically represents the new business philosophy of future-oriented companies.

The new Diamant 30 bookline, engineered for efficient entry into hardcover production.

Diamant 30: Ideal for New Entry into the Hardcover Segment
Whether for the short-run segment or for universal needs, the demand for streamlined processes, high quality and short make-ready times is identical. For that reason, Muller Martini/VBF now offers the Diamant 30 short-run bookline. This 30-cycle bookline is based on the proven design concept of the Diamant 60, featuring great flexibility and efficiency.

Consistent automation of the bookline further ensures that changeovers are done extremely fast. Size inputs for subsequent jobs are made during running production, and the data for repeat jobs can also be called up in advance. This occurs in an extremely user-friendly manner on the touch-sensitive flat-screen monitor. Thanks to the AMRYS automatic make-ready system, the machine can be changed over for many productions without any manual intervention. Fine adjustments can be made during running production at any time, using the practical control panel. As a result, the machine is optimally utilized, and efficient book production is ensured.

The Diamant 30 is the ideal short-run solution for entry into hardcover production, either as a replacement investment or to complement existing production systems. In order to remain flexible through changing market and production conditions, the Diamant 30 can be upgraded to a Diamant 60 at any time....and thanks to the doubled machine speed, this can achieve a considerably higher annual net production output.

Each individual processing station on the Diamant operates with the highest precision. The proven double nipping and protective joint forming and pressing processes are the most important assurances for perfect book shaping. In particular, the joint forming and pressing design is identical to that of the Diamant 60.Books produced on the Diamant 30 are therefore of equally exceptional quality. Whether they are products with gilt edges, full-flap books, books with plastic covers or standard hardcover books – the quality is always the same.

Esprit Three-Knife Trimmer: for Efficient Trimming in the Short-Run Range
With the new Esprit three-knife trimmer, Muller Martini also offers a three-knife trimmer for the highest quality demands in the lower performance range. This three-knife trimmer, the smallest in Muller Martini’s product line, is equipped with the AMRYS automatic make-ready system and a touchscreen, making it ideal for book block manufacturing in the short-run segment. Esprit produces at a speed of up to 2,000 cycles/hour, at trimming thickness of up to 80mm. With its wide range of sizes, Esprit can process a multitude of products – from book blocks to quality brochures, catalogs and magazines – efficiently and also with the highest trimming quality.


Muller Martini recommends SigmaLine, the modular book-on-demand solution, for the efficient production of short runs in the softcover segment.

SigmaLine: Total Solution for Digital Printing
As set-up costs for conventional offset printing continue to rise explosively, along with declining numbers of jobs, digital printing is gaining ground as the basis for short-run softcover production today. The process in digital printing is differentiated significantly from that of offset printing primarily by the rapid availability of printed results: A book is printed in one sequence, from the first page to the last. To take even further advantage of this approach, new and innovative solutions – instead of conventional machines – are in demand in print finishing as well. Muller Martini has responded to this demand with SigmaLine technology. SigmaLine is a unique, total solution with which adhesive-bound, printed products – such as books, magazines, catalogs or financial reports, and also wire-stitched products – can be efficiently manufactured in short runs.

The intelligent networking of all partial processes enables fully automated production in a single pass, from the roll to the finished book. The core of SigmaLine is the integrated and universal SigmaControl line control system. SigmaControl controls and monitors all the processes necessary for production. Book data, in the form of a PDF file for example, is used to generate production data (JDF) and ultimately for the automatic setting of all partial components within the entire SigmaLine. This allows all book specifications, such as format and thickness, to be changed over on the fly...for instance in the SigmaTrimmer book trimmer. Manual interventions become redundant. The production data for the digital printing press are also automatically prepared and transferred from the PDF file.

This consistent integration and networking – from pre-press data through digital printing to the finished product – enable make-ready times to be nearly eliminated and circulation lengths of 20 to 2,000 copies to be produced with efficiency. Books ranging from A6 to A4 can be produced at a speed of up to 1,000 copies per hour on the SigmaLine.