January was the month! We the Master class for bookbinding technology from Munich, traveled together to Zofingen in Switzerland to obtain detailed information about the latest developments and technology trends in the areas of digital and conventional print finishing at Müller Martini's Print Finishing Center.
There, a packed program awaited us. We were first welcomed by Volker Leonhardt, a member of the group management team. This was followed by a presentation on the company history and product portfolio of Müller Martini. A detailed tour of the factory rounded off the first morning. Here we gained an insight into the assembly of individual machine components, final machine production and the spare parts warehouse. It was fascinating to get to know the company up close during the tour.
In the afternoon, we then headed to the first machines in the modern Print Finishing Center. The program alternated between saddle stitching and thread-sewing. The Primera PRO and Prinova Digital saddle stitching systems with unwinding, cross cutter and folding unit on the one hand, and the Ventura MC Digital and Ventura Connect thread-sewing machines on the other. The advantages of integrating the Connex workflow system in the production process were impressively demonstrated to us.
Two days of perfect binding
The next two days were devoted entirely to perfect binding. The perfect binder Vareo PRO with end sheet feeder, scan & print unit and trimming robot InfiniTrim, as well as the Alegro perfect binder with the Solit PRO three-knife trimmer were on the agenda. Specifically, the combined production of book blocks for hardcover and softcover production in conjunction with changing formats and content, without manual set-up processes, clearly demonstrated the new possibilities in print finishing. The class was divided into small groups on the practical part so that we could also carry out individual make-ready processes ourselves.
In a further presentation by Markus Bracher, who specializes in the digital workflow at Müller Martini, we were introduced to the topics surrounding the Smart Factory. Production processes, material flow and data exchange are optimally interlinked here. The networking solutions, from Connex InfoCloud to Connex Line Control Pro, offer the possibility of ensuring an optimum workflow from the prepress stage through to the finished print product. These networking solutions were then demonstrated to us in a practical way with concretely implemented, worldwide projects from Müller Martini.
Finally, as a highlight, we were given an insight into the new solution with the SigmaLine Compact digital book block line, which was shown in combination with the Antaro Digital perfect binder/InfiniTrim trimming robot. This live machine demonstration allowed us to directly test the theoretical knowledge we had previously acquired about the Smart Factory.
We particularly liked the blend of theory and practice. We were able to expand our existing knowledge with many new inputs and at the same time learned a lot of new things. The instructors always took a lot of time for us and answered all of our questions in great detail. We were also given tips and tricks along the way. Subsequently, we were able to gain a lot from these three and a half days at Müller Martini.
We would like to thank Müller Martini AG for their hospitality and the informative and open insight into their company.
Yours
The Masterclass bookbinding technology Munich