Muller Martini to Present SigmaLine, the Digital Solution for Ultra-short Runs at Hunkeler Innovationdays

HAUPPAUGE, NY—01/08/07—With the ability to cost effectively produce jobs in run lengths as short as a single copy, Muller Martini SigmaLine is among the industry’s most innovative “Book on Demand” manufacturing systems. Muller Martini will showcase several SigmaLine technologies at booth #B6 during Hunkeler Innovationdays, February 5-8, 2007, in Luzern, Switzerland.

Outstanding production versatility

SigmaLine meets a broad range of needs, enabling operations to complement their existing book manufacturing capabilities by adding greater efficiency and diversity to individual production areas, or, to create a whole new OnDemand platform.

SigmaLine includes eight state-of-the-art components that can be mixed and matched depending on individual business strategies. Paper is printed from a roll, trimmed and folded inline and finished on an integrated perfect binder or saddle stitcher...all with top-quality precision. Job data is taken via JDF from pre-press and utilized for fully automatic adjustment of the entire system. Virtually no manual make-ready is required, making changeovers incredibly fast. Workflow is optimized with the highest degree of automation throughout each piece of equipment and therefore, ultra-short runs are economically feasible.

Efficient partial line to be exhibited

As an alternative to the complete 8-component SigmaLine solution, a partial SigmaLine can also be used for perfect binding. At Innovationdays in Luzern, Muller Martini will demonstrate a partial line consisting of a SigmaBinder, SigmaTower and SigmaTrimmer – producing adhesive-bound books on the show floor. Thanks to inline link-up to a variety of digital printing systems, book blocks consisting of signatures or loose sheets can be fed into the partial SigmaLine, both manually as well as automatically.

The automated SigmaBinder perfect binder produces perfect-bound products with superior efficiency. Up to 1,000 fully variable-sized copies can be created per hour with in-line scoring and separate spine and true side glue application. If needed, run length can be comprised of just a single copy. The different book data (length, width and thickness) for each individual copy is compiled in the binder’s measurement station and used for automatic, cycle-precise adjustment of all size- and thickness-related settings in the binder. Product thickness can vary continuously between 1/8” (3 mm) and 1-5/8” (40 mm).