Muller Martini Showcases Finishing 4.0 at drupa

Using nine systems, Muller Martini will showcase the key topic of Finishing 4.0 live at its drupa booth and underscore its position as a market leader and innovation leader with its impressive performance. Hundreds of copies of over 20 different hybrid print products will be produced to demonstrate the key concepts of smart automation, a fully connected machine line-up, variable, customized production and touchless workflow.

Muller Martini’s key drupa topic of Finishing 4.0 draws on the buzzword Industry 4.0. Muller Martini understands Industry 4.0 to mean the digitization and connectivity of processes and systems along the complete value-added chain throughout the given life-cycle. In turn, Finishing 4.0 stands for numerous innovative, intelligently combined industrial solutions for print finishing in both the digital and offset segments. Like Industry 4.0, Finishing 4.0 is about producing customized and variable print products cost-effectively and efficiently using means of industrial production.

For Muller Martini customers that promises the major advantage of having a production system that is capable of preparing itself fully automatically for new products based on digital job data and where possible launching production without the need for manual interventions. Changes to the process are automatically detected. “That calls for a seamless workflow, a high degree of automation and precise machine construction,” notes Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini. “We optimally coordinate those three components and ideally enable a touchless workflow, allowing graphic arts businesses to keep their production costs low despite shorter runs and increased product variety.”

Muller Martini will show how that is done in practice at its drupa booth. Variable magazines and books with sheet-fed offset, web offset and digitally printed elements will be produced using a fully connected, highly automated machine line-up. Offset and digital printing of magazines and books is one thing, but the efficient print finishing of hybrid products is another. Hundreds of copies of over 20 different print products will be produced live each day using no fewer than nine connected systems to demonstrate the concepts of smart automation and touchless workflow. With those attractive functions enabling new business models, Muller Martini will provide visitors to the booth with a glimpse of the future finishing of hybrid print products.

Muller Martini will also be represented at the drupa booths of two digital printing press manufacturers. Two similarly configured Presto II Digital saddle stitchers, each with an unwinding system, cross cutting unit (both from Hunkeler) and pocket fold unit (from Heidelberg), will be used at the booths of the Muller Martini partners Canon Océ and Xerox to stitch several of their trade fair products live.