Hunkeler Innovationdays: Muller Martini Presents Compact Finishing 4.0 Solutions and a World Premiere

12/21/2016

At the Hunkeler Innovationdays from February 20 to 23 in Lucerne, Muller Martini will showcase its Finishing 4.0 philosophy in a compact form with three solutions for producers of digitally printed books and magazines in runs right down to one copy.

In addition to the Vareo perfect binder, as a world premiere, Hunkeler’s roll-to-stack line will be shown connected to Muller Martini’s Connex data and process management system at an inline production line for softcover books. Muller Martini amazed many visitors to drupa 2016 in Düsseldorf with Finishing 4.0. Muller Martini’s clear and convincing explanation of consistent automation and connectivity, the production of variable and customized books and magazines, and a seamless, touchless workflow struck a chord with the graphic arts industry. Muller Martini also hopes to make a lasting impression on visitors to the Hunkeler Innovationdays with the efficient print finishing of variable print products. In Lucerne, Muller Martini will demonstrate a digital entry-level line live in action in both of the perfect binding and saddle stitching segments for the targeted, customized production of Variable Data Printing (VDP). In other words, Muller Martini will demonstrate Finishing 4.0 in the form of two compact solutions.

In addition to the Vareo perfect binder, as a world premiere at the Hunkeler Innovationdays, Hunkeler’s roll-to-stack line will be connected to Connex.

The two leading Swiss print finishing specialists – the host Hunkeler and Muller Martini – will take advantage of the immediate proximity of their booths to unveil a joint solution. Hunkeler’s roll-to-stack line will be connected to Connex at a production line for softcover books. That means familiar SigmaLine functions, such as automatic digital page assembly, the JDF interface, job management, control of the printing press, and production tracking via JMF will also be available for combined Hunkeler/Muller Martini solutions in the future. Muller Martini will enable the data and process management system, which until now has been used exclusively for its own systems, to be used with the systems of another machine manufacturer for the first time. That is a major advantage for customers producing softcover books using a combined Hunkeler/Muller Martini solution in runs right down to one copy. The principle “PDF in – book out” applies here too.

The three-clamp perfect binder will feature an innovation at Hunkeler Innovationdays – Muller Martini will demonstrate automatic book block feeding with variable spine lengths for the first time. Finally, the VDP school textbooks are transferred from the Vareo to the fully variable-size InfiniTrim three-knife trimmer, whose innovative trim concept wowed visitors at drupa 2016. All the components are controlled and monitored via Connex.

In the saddle stitching segment, at Hunkeler Innovationdays, Muller Martini will produce a roll-fed product (personalized coloring books for children and adults) and two sheet-fed jobs (a personalized hybrid catalog consisting of offset and digital signatures and a guide to the city of Lucerne). Here too Connex will perform job handling, including digital page assembly. A demonstration will be given at the Presto II Digital saddle stitching system – which is equipped with variable-thickness stitching heads and will be shown with an unwinding system, cross cutting system (both from Hunkeler), a flat pile feeder and a folding machine (from Heidelberg) – using fully variable roll-fed and sheet-fed products of how all the required production parameters and cover matching are controlled touchlessly on a barcode basis. The stitching machine and three-knife trimmer are set fully variably and the thickness can vary from product to product.