Muller Martini amazed many visitors to drupa 2016 in D?sseldorf 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.
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.
Below is an outline of the inline solution, which will be demonstrated live using school textbooks:
- Connex imposes the PDF data for the Hunkeler line and transfers them to the respective printing systems.
- Pre-printed rolls are unwound using the Hunkeler components.
- The paper web is then split and merged along the paper grain direction to result in a double-layer paper web. Dynamic Hunkeler cross cutting on the fly (“Dyna Cut”) enables variable trim lengths.
- The paper is then stacked by Hunkeler into book blocks, with variable spine length, variable page counts and variable content (VDP). The book blocks are transferred to the Vareo using Hunkeler’s newly developed transfer station.
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.
Connex Offers New Options
In addition to the live presentation of the three digital production lines, the Muller Martini booth at Hunkeler Innovationdays will also focus on Connex. The extensive advantages of Muller Martini’s exclusive data and process management system will likewise be demonstrated live. In addition to the integration of the Hunkeler line with the Connex system, Muller Martini will present new connectivity options (Connex has new standard interfaces with Heidelberg’s Prinect, the HP SmartStream Production Center and Enfocus Switch), a new surface (making it even easier for users to create or edit new jobs) and the new Connex.Info 4.0. Muller Martini’s unique monitoring and tracking module is a reliable, highly automated collector of data for all production equipment.