Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes – Pozkal’s Successful Comebac
Following a devastating fire in May 2025, the Pozkal printing company in Inowrocław, Poland, managed to resume production in March 2026 after a massive effort lasting just nine months. In the process, almost all production areas were brought up to the latest technical standards. The company is now benefiting from a significant increase in efficiency as well as new production possibilities. In the bookbinding department, the Alegro perfect binder line from Müller Martini ensures a huge leap in quality and productivity thanks to its high degree of automation.
After Artur Chęsy, managing director of the Pozkal printing company, and his team had decided to continue operations, the aim was not only to restore the status quo but also to optimally position the business for the future. “A veritable mammoth task, because everything that would otherwise be done step by step now had to be implemented in parallel and as quickly as possible to get production up and running again.” This encompassed the construction of the new production hall as well as numerous investment decisions, the refurbishment of machinery still in working order, the development of the operational infrastructure and the installation of the technology, right through to the training of staff. At first glance, a huge challenge, but also a unique opportunity whose complexity demanded a new mindset from the entire workforce – something that, however, takes time, as Artur Chęsy assures us. He backs this up with a quote from Albert Einstein: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Increased competitiveness
In all its investment decisions, Pozkal clearly pursued the goal of automating production as far as possible and increasing efficiency across all areas. This is reflected, among other things, in the pressroom. There, the number of offset printing units was reduced from 21 to 13, yet output is higher in a 24/7 operation. A UV inkjet press was installed specifically for cover production, which impresses with its versatility in terms of substrates. The web offset press was largely spared in the fire and has been repaired. Thanks to its integrated folding unit, it produces folded sheets which are later processed into book blocks in the bookbinding department. But Pozkal has also initiated digitalisation in web printing with a roll-to-roll inkjet press for black-and-white printing only.
However, what Artur Chęsy considered even more important within the scope of the project was the reduction in staff numbers from 250 to 150 employees, in order to secure competitiveness on both the Polish and European markets. Production is designed to produce between eight and ten million softcover or hardcover books per year. Around one in five books produced at Pozkal is exported.
Innovative adhesive binding technology
In line with the expansion of digital printing capacity, a nearline finishing solution from Hunkeler was installed. This line processes the inkjet-printed rolls into book blocks and subsequently applies a cover for softcovers. As the Bolero perfect binder was also completely destroyed in the fire, Pozkal invested in an Alegro, the latest perfect binding technology from Müller Martini. According to Artur Chęsy, the perfect binding line offers every possible option thanks to its features. The only option that Pozkal no longer uses, due to the current order structure, is the separation of double-page production. With the trend towards smaller print runs, the investment no longer pays off.
Alegro – the solution for changing requirements
The Alegro’s flexible machine concept allows for quick configuration changes and makes the perfect binder the ideal solution for the constantly changing requirements arising from the interplay between digital and offset printing at Pozkal. Artur Chęsy agrees, but says the staff still lack the experience to fully exploit the Alegro’s potential. However, he assures us that this is only a matter of time. The further development of perfect binder technology is clearly evident in practice. For instance, the ZTM 3692 collator, which has over 20 stations, has been positioned so that it can be fed from both sides. This is an approach Pozkal uses to make optimum use of the Alegro’s capacity of up to 6,000 copies per hour.
The settings on the Alegro deliver precise and reproducible results, which is also reflected in the high quality of the finished books. The Müller Martini perfect binder handles a wide range of formats – from the smallest sizes right up to A3. A4 landscape-format products can be produced in double-up runs, which significantly reduces production costs across all print runs. Furthermore, it is equipped with a flyleaf feeder, an in-line flap folding station and a front edge trimming unit, which also enhances product versatility. The Alegro is designed for use with hot-melt or PUR adhesives, and the integrated cover feeder also enables inline flap production, which is trimmed inline on the FA 650 front-trimming unit.
According to Artur Chęsy, the two stations for pressing the book spines also contribute to better product quality – the bond between the book block and the cover. Cameras are used to ensure the quality of the adhesive binding, and the SolitPro three-knife trimmer ensures a precise three-sided trim. A further investment in post-press processing at Pozkal was made in conjunction with a gluing line, which was supplemented by a Granit three-knife trimmer. In a second phase, it is to be integrated into an existing Kolbus book production line for hardcover production. Through its restructuring and the investment decisions made in printing and finishing, Pozkal has laid the foundations to maintain its position and continue to grow in the Polish and Western European book markets in the future. The latest post-press technologies from Müller Martini and the effective combination of offset and digital printing provide the company with the necessary flexibility to respond to the market’s increased demands.
“Müller Martini would like to thank Pozkal for the trust placed in our company and our machines, and we look forward to continuing to support Pozkal as ‘Your Strong Partner’ in the future,”
assures Jacek Kobylinski, Managing Director of Müller Martini Poland.
