In order to produce digitally printed books in short and medium runs even more efficiently, the Groupe dupliprint in France invested in a SigmaLine Compact digital book block production system and an Antaro perfect binder at its plant in Domont. In this blog, company founder and president Frédéric Fabi tells you about the experiences the successful company has had with the two new Muller Martini systems in the first few months of operation and how important the Connex workflow system is for highly automated production.
Since I founded my own company 31 years ago, Groupe dupliprint has been one of the most innovative graphic arts companies in France. In 1999, we were the first print shop in our country to offer its customers web-to-print solutions. And in 2012, we expanded our machinery with the first fully automated short-run book production line.
From 5 to 3,000 copies
We print both offset and digitally with 245 employees in two different plants in Mayenne and Domont. In Domont, we concentrate exclusively on digital printing. We produce around half a million books per month for all the major publishing houses in France, which primarily want to avoid unnecessary storage costs with on-demand production. The product range is extremely diverse and extends from fiction and specialist books to (personalized) teaching materials – in both four-color and black and white.
Our focus is on small and medium print runs of 5 to 3,000 copies. As in the rest of the world, digital printing is growing rapidly in France. This is of course good for our company, as we have been active in this segment for many years.
The second SigmaLine investment
We decided to invest in a new machine solution because we wanted to further boost our digital business. Five years ago, we invested in a system from another machine manufacturer. However, its productivity was too low as a result of lower automation, which is why we opted for a more productive system. After careful evaluation, we chose the SigmaLine Compact and the Antaro.
Our technical department took a close look at the SigmaLine Compact in particular before we made the decision to purchase. I my-self did not see it live before it was installed at our premises. But I have known Muller Martini for many years. And we used to have a first-generation SigmaLine in our company many years ago.
Productivity almost doubled
Our new duo is proving to be extremely flexible, especially for runs of between 20 and 50 copies. We have almost doubled productivity in this segment compared to the past. Of course, this also has a lot to do with Connex. After all, digital book production is unthinkable without an optimum workflow. With
Connex LineControl PRO,
Connex ImpoWhiz and
Connex Info Cloud, we use three elements of the workflow system from Muller Martini.
Connex is an excellent solution and I am very satisfied with it. It is constantly being improved. Without any false modesty, we certainly have a share in this because we are constantly exchanging ideas with the workflow experts from Muller Martini. We have had several Connex workshops at our company, which have resulted in perfect teamwork between the IT specialists from dupliprint and Muller Martini.
We understand the needs of our customers
I consider the collaboration between the two companies to be extremely exciting. We are improving day by day, but we still have a long journey ahead of us. In addition to the SigmaLine Compact and the Antaro, we have also linked the HP digital press with Connex. We are also planning to integrate other perfect binders at a later date. Because one thing is clear: the workflow is and remains a major challenge.
Producing very short runs in the shortest possible time is becoming increasingly important. Because we are ideally positioned in terms of machinery and understand the needs of our customers and the challenges of the market, I am optimistic about the future for our company.
Yours
Frédéric Fabi
Founder and President of Groupe dupliprint
Find out more about Groupe dupliprint in this video.
You can also read this blog about the SigmaLine Compact on the Muller Martini website!
You can also read this press release about Connex on the Muller Martini website!