Corpus Christi, Texas – Competition in the newspaper industry is fierce, and everyone is looking for an extra advantage.  The Corpus Christi Caller Times, a daily paper seeking to grow its business, has gained that advantage since installing a Muller Martini Presto saddle stitcher.

“We will now be able to produce special publications in-house, giving us an edge in the market that we didn’t have before,” says Ron Ferriby, Vice President of Productions at the Caller Times. “We never had to stitch and trim, we used to outsource the work...now we are able to save money by doing it ourselves; the return on investment will pay for the equipment in 2 years.”  Among the special projects that the Corpus Christi Caller Times has already produced on the Presto stitcher is a circulation list, a directory for the local visitor’s bureau, and a menu guide featuring 72 restaurants. “We will continue to work on directories, menu guides and many other kinds of projects,” states Mr. Ferriby.

In addition to the versatile production capabilities that their new Presto saddle stitcher is bringing to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, other reasons for choosing the Presto included Muller Martini’s industry reputation for top quality equipment, and, the company’s extensive support.  “We went to a commercial printer [looking for stitcher recommendations] and Muller Martini’s brand name kept coming up,” says Ron Ferriby.  “Muller’s representation in the field and training were also very positive.”

The 9,000 cycle per hour Presto saddle stitcher is engineered for small to medium size run lengths and is a sturdy and dependable investment.  Presto can handle an extensive variety of different size books, encompassing standard products ranging in size from 12” x 14 3/8” to
3 15/16” x 5 11/16”.   Presto operates in 1:1 or 1:2 modes, providing the capability to run difficult signatures or to maintain high speed productivity when loading bulky projects.  Furthermore, Presto features automated menu-guided PLC controls and easy touchscreen operation.  With Presto, make-readies and changeovers can be completed quickly, enabling faster job turnarounds while allowing more diverse projects to be scheduled in a shorter amount of time.

To meet the requirements of growing operations, Presto offers expansion up to a maximum of 6 twin feeders.  Other benefits of the Presto saddle stitcher include Muller Martini flying stitching heads to assure precise stitching and to reduce wear, as well as a Semko side caliper and missing stitch detector technology to further ensure optimum quality.  The Presto saddle stitcher also features an in-line three-knife trimmer along with an efficient Apollo compensating stacker...and it offers the advantages of a high/low folio, gripper and suction opening, and flat loading feeders.