Panorama Fall 2015

The Magazine for Muller Martini Customers

The Start of a New Era: Mengis in Switzerland switches to printing the Walliser Bote digitally from this summer – digital printing presents numerous fresh opportunities for newspaper publishing companies

Fall 2015

Editorial

Our Digital-Ready Solutions Provide High Investment Protection

Volker Leonhardt, Director of Sales and Marketing Muller Martini Print Finishing Systems AG

E The entry of Switzerland's Mengis Druck AG into digital newspaper printing further highlights the fact that digital printing needs special finishing solutions. It is the combination of a printing system with the relevant print finishing aggregates that creates an integrated and efficient production line. As you can read in the interview with Mengis Managing Director Martin Seematter on page 8, Mengis Druck is highly impressed with its Muller Martini solution – an AlphaLiner inserting system, which is seamlessly integrated with the production chain in the mailroom.

We have now observed for several years that our customers are increasingly using a range of digital printing technologies.

That is the case across all fields. Book ­production, newspaper and magazine printing and even commercial printing are increasingly going digital.

As an early adopted, Muller Martini presented its digital-ready solutions at drupa 2012. Put simply, all of Muller Martini’s newly developed solutions are designed to process both digitally and conventionally printed products. The same is true of ­saddle stitchers, perfect binders and hardcover systems.

Digital ready also provides investment protection, which is of key importance in a difficult environment, in which no one can predict exactly how the market will ­develop.

Our systems can be adapted to changing circumstances at any time.

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It goes without saying that increasing efficiency by reducing setup times is the order of the day in the graphic arts industry in general, but in digital printing it takes on a whole new meaning. Ultra-short runs, right down to runs of one copy as in the photo book segment, leave little room for error and production needs to be right the very first time.

Muller Martini has responded to that trend by providing a high degree of automation, enabling its systems to be optimally used for medium-sized and short runs.

Its print finishing solutions have proven themselves in combination with a range of digital printing solutions.

Muller Martini has also developed solutions for runs of one copy. The SigmaLine, for instance, of which Quad in Versailles (USA) will commission six units this year (see page 32), is the top choice for digital book production. The Diamant MC has conquered the booming photo book market.

Motion Control Technology allows reducing setup times to the absolute minimum.

The systems, which feature barcode ­control, can be changed over from one product to the next without manual ­interaction.

As you can read on page 36, at R&R Bindery in the US city of Girard, for instance, the annual total volume of four to five million hardcover books is spread across up to 170,000 titles. You can imagine how often the Diamant MC 35 needs to be changed over for new jobs.

However, the potential for automation lies not only in the individual systems – their full productivity is only unleashed when they are networked. Muller Martini makes that possible with its seamlessly integrated workflow solutions that are consistently implemented according to the CIP4

stand­ard. The Connex data and process management system allows integrating all Muller Martini systems, from individual machines to complex production lines, with the customer's Management Information System (MIS). The result is a production chain strictly geared to efficiency that allows you to exploit new growth opportun­ ities.

Essentially, the questions are the same for newspaper producers and bookbinders, regardless of whether they are engaged in digital or conventional production: When is the ideal time to replace an existing machine with a new one? When do upgrades make sense and when is a new investment called for? Martin Keller, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Dir­ ect Mail Company (DMC), has a clear answer to that: an immediate replacement is worthwhile once the average profit of the new equipment over time is greater than the marginal profit of the old equipment over time.

Ultimately, every company needs to make up its own mind, but we certainly recommend reading the detailed interview with Martin Keller on page 17 should you need to make such a decision.

Kind regards,

Volker Leonhardt, Director of Sales and Marketing Muller Martini Print Finishing Systems AG Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Contents

Imprint

Volume 30 Muller Martini “Panorama” Editor Dr. Markus Angst markus.angst@ch.mullermartini.com Publisher Muller Martini AG Untere Brühlstrasse 13 CH-4800 Zofingen, Switzerland Phone +41 62 745 45 75 Fax +41 62 751 55 50 www.mullermartini.com

20 The MailLiner finishes inserts ­efficiently and automatically ­without the need for an expensive carrier.

32 Short runs call for seven SigmaLines at Quad/Graphics in Versailles (USA).

47 Think print is dead? You’ve got to be kidding. The ingenious ZinePak proves the opposite and generates millions in turnover.

Publication frequency Appears three times a year in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese editions.

Reproduction with reference to source is permitted.

Printed in Switzerland.

PERFO RMAN CE

neutral Printed Matter No. 01-15-579520 – www.myclimate.org © myclimate – The Climate Protection Partnership

Forum Print in tourism – making headway with attractive print products Newspaper Mailroom Systems Mengis, Visp – the Walliser Bote is now digitally printed Digital newspaper printing – suddenly on everyone’s lips again P.V.S., Sopron – the FlexLiner is the optimal solution for inserts in inserts Martin Keller – the SLS3000 pays for itself three years earlier than planned at DMC

8 10 14 17

Technology MailLiner – new gathering system for distributors of unaddressed advertising 0507 folder feeder – “one of the most attractive investments we’ve ever made”

20 22

Services Kingery, Effingham – Asir 3 is One Common Tool for the Entire Bindery

23

News

26

Saddle Stitching Systems ProBind Mohn, Marienfeld – an additional line for selective binding

28

Special Products iArt, Basel – interactive books fascinate all age ranges

30

Digital Solutions Quad, Versailles – “we had to push the digital envelope faster”

32

Portrait Peder Schumacher, Sweden – involve end customers even more

35

Hardcover Production R&R Bindery, Girard – 30 copies per job for the Diamant MC 35 Digital Matsumoto, Kyoto – boosting the photo book segment with the Diamant MC 60

36 38

Softcover Production Resl, Náchod – an impressive compact solution featuring the Alegro and the Ventura MC Viareds, Borås – print finishing is brought in-house too Sandler, Marbach – perfect binding marks the start of a new era

40 42 44

MM

Interview Brittany Hodak/Kim Kaupe – ZinePak, a print magazine with heaps of added value

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

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47

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Forum

Making Headway in Tourism with Print

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At first glance, advertising in the tourism industry may seem to revolve around mobile devices.

Yet despite, or precisely because of, such digital dominance, printed communication continues to play an important role. “Panorama” has collected some interesting examples of how tourism industry players have successfully incorporated print into their communications strategies.

E Apps have long become a ubiquitous companion before, during and after a vac­ ation. They replace the conventional guide­ book, help tourists to make themselves under­stood abroad and display the current exchange rate, nearest fuel station, hippest bars and much more.

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Building Profiles with Big Data Augmented reality apps are particularly ex­ citing. They present the destination in a tru­ ly unique way and show relevant informa­ tion about tourist attractions on the display of the tourist’s mobile device. That has not only changed markets, but also how peo­

ple book their vacations and travel. Vac­ ations are often booked online today, and hotels and restaurants can be rated in an instant using social networks.

What leads up to a customer booking a vacation is no longer a mystery, since nu­ merous traces are left online. That allows Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Discover the most beautiful sites in the Alps: For tourists La Loupe is like a Swiss Army knife – the compact pocket magazine contains all the information they need for a wonderful vacation.

creating a precise profile of the vacationer, showing what kind of holidays they have a preference for and what destinations they are particularly attracted to. Big data makes those profiles usable, enabling companies to better understand customers and de­ velop tailored products.

Print Products Provide Orientation That goes hand in hand with a change in tourism marketing. Digitally driven multichannel marketing combines the various channels in order to address customers.

Based on mass media such as TV and print, a wide range of hybrid online/offline combinations have emerged that are increasingly attractive to the tourism industry.

Guidance, however, is needed in that environment, which is where print products come in. Printed communication, as recent years have shown, lends itself to brand development and conveys the essence of a brand like no other medium. All the data that is combined to build profiles enables print media to address target groups even more effectively and avoid distribution losses.

Print is Authentic . . .

Despite the trend toward online communication, information sources such as magazines, pamphlets and catalogs have barely declined in importance, as several independent studies confirm. However, authentic communication is called for, which is one of the key strengths of print media. Opulent images in printed form are sure to leave a lasting impression.

However, alongside authenticity, professionalism is also gaining in importance in the tourism industry, since skillfully deploying the wide range of channels is no trivial task. Vacationing off the beaten track, with the greatest possible customization, is en vogue, and that needs to be conveyed through tailored communication. “. . . and Print Works” G. A. Service GmbH, which is based in the Austrian city of Salzburg, is an advertising Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

agency dedicated solely to tourism that provides services to over 1,000 customers in German-speaking countries, including hotels in various categories and tourism associations. Since the tourism industry is highly competitive, companies continue to invest a lot in advertising, says Managing Director Helmut Gruber. To convey the message effectively to end customers, it is incredibly important to select the target group precisely and to create an individual package tailored to that group’s needs, he notes.

G. A. Service GmbH is a full-service provider that offers everything under one roof, from concept, text and photography through to design, printing and worldwide distribution. Despite, or precisely because of, the Internet hype, it concentrates on printed communication, which goes down well with readers thanks to its creativity and authenticity. “The success of our customers shows that print still works well,” says Gruber. Companies can impress customers with high-quality solutions that deliberately stand apart from the mainstream, he adds. It is worth investing in finishing and customization, since that results in a higher response rate, which translates to higher turnover, explains Gruber.

“By using high-quality printed materials, companies can show end customers that they matter to them in a world that is increasingly dominated by digital communications channels. That, however, requires professional implementation at all levels,” notes Gruber.

Creative Potential The agency has developed an excellent partnership with the printing services provider hs druck, which is located in the Austrian municipality of Hohenzell. hs druck takes care of the production and complete implementation of all types of printed matter and fulfills every need when it comes to production technology.

Examples of the products made are greetings cards for regular guests featuring customized images, cook books as a farewell gift, cube mail shots, which are guar-

2 Helmut Gruber, Managing Director of G. A. Service GmbH: “The success of our customers shows that print still works well.”

2 anteed to make an impact on the recipient, or a mail shot including a candle that was distributed in a run of 20,000 copies – all of which show just how much creative potential lies in print products. >

Tourism Is Booming ­Globally Tourism remains a growth market – both in industrialized nations and in emerging markets. The industry recorded global turnover of USD 1.4 trillion in 2013, making it one of the world’s largest economic sectors full stop. According to the estimates of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, in 2013 over a billion people traveled abroad for various purposes.

The number of international tourists visiting the US was up 3 percent in 2013. Europe, the leading destination worldwide with a market share of over 50 percent, attracted 5 percent more international visitors. However, the highest growth rate (of 6%) was recorded by Asia and the Pacific, which extended its market share to 22.5 percent. This growth looks set to continue long term, with an expansion rate of 4.4 percent, twice as high as in industrialized nations, forecast in emerging markets.

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Forum

Hotel Magazines Awaken Emotions The Kempinski Hotels S.A. chain largely communicates electronically today, but it continues to publish some 25 percent of its total communications in print. “We don’t want to overload our guests with printed materials, and we also strive to protect the environment,” says Esther Mauer, Cor­ porate Director Marketing & Branding at Kempinski Hotels. “Nevertheless, we be­ lieve it’s also important to engage with our guests through our MY Kempinski Experi­ ence customer magazine and our hotel dir­ ectory, both of which reflect Kempinski's values through their high-quality design.”

The magazine is consciously not a bro­ chure with copious hotel information. In­ stead, it offers travel inspiration, articles on food and drink, and numerous photo ser­ ies. Inspiring texts and large-scale images stir emotions and create value added for readers.

Please Recommend!

“Our aim is to bring our values to life through the magazine, increase the loyalty of our customers to the Kempinski brand and make new, potential guests curious about what we have to offer in order to tap into new markets for our Kempinski Hotels worldwide. We believe a customer maga­ zine is only convincing if it really provides value added, delivers relevant and indepen­ dent information and interesting content, and, last but not least, entertains the read­ er,” says the marketing and branding ex­ pert.

In addition, it has been shown that the percentage of customer magazine readers who recommend the given product or company is very high, says Mauer. In order to make the magazine available to online readers too, it is available as a flipbook on the Kempinski website and can also be downloaded free of charge from the App Store. The MY Kempinski Experience maga­zine, which has a run size of 35,000 copies, is published twice a year and is available both in Kempinski Hotels world­ wide and at selected partners.

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Indulge in the Sacher Magazine The new magazine of the distinguished Sach­er Group takes readers on an exciting journey through the Sacher world and Aus­ trian culture. The textually and visually im­ pressive publication is available both as a print edition and as an app for the iPad and Android tablets. “‘Sacher in motion’ is our motto. That includes the Sacher magazine, which has been given a facelift,” says Alex­ andra Winkler, representative of the Gürtler and Winkler families that own the Group.

“Sacher is now available in multimedia form, with a new layout, exciting content and a fresh appeal. It’s the best way to en­ joy Sacher everywhere besides a slice of original Sacher cake.”

The 164-page magazine takes readers on an exclusive journey through the rooms of the Sacher Hotel, lets them pick out their favorite spot in one of the cafés or simply indulge virtually in Sacher’s delicious cakes and pastries. The content of the magazine, featuring additional multimedia content, can now also be accessed worldwide as a free app version for the iPad and Android tablets. Anyone who would like to take more than just a virtual tour and experience the Sacher lifestyle first hand can book a suite or room through the integrated book­ ing service.

The print edition of Sacher has a run size of 18,000 copies and is available in the Vi­

enna and Salzburg Sacher Hotels, as well as the Vienna, Salzburg, Graz and Inns­ bruck Sacher Cafés.

Low-Budget Hotels Use Print Too Customer magazines, however, have long ceased to be the sole preserve of luxury ­hotels. Even low-budget hotels offer their own hotel magazines, such as Motel One’s Onemag. A copy of the latest issue in the handy DIN A5 format is placed in every ­hotel room. “Not only does our own hotel magazine update you about our own hotels in Germany and Europe, it also tells you in advance about new hotels that are opening soon. It also lets you hear from our staff and designers and introduces famous guests.

Naturally, our Managing Director would al­ so like to say something,” writes Motel One on its website, where the magazine can be downloaded.

Just like in its hotels, the chain strives to make a mark with the design of the cus­ tomer magazine, and often uses special fin­ ishing for that purpose. Flock coating was used for the current issue – a special finish­ ing technique using fibers.

Pocket Folders Provide Added Value A format that is highly popular in the tour­ ism industry, in particular, is the pocket folder, which allows packing vast amounts of information into a tiny space. When Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Creativity is the order of the day: G. A. ­Service GmbH’s cube mail shot, which is produced in a run of 15,000 copies, is guaranteed to make an impact on the recipient.

2 The Sacher Group’s new magazine takes readers on an exciting journey through the Sacher world and Austrian culture.

closed, it is typically no larger than a ­credit card, but can be opened up to the size of a map in a split second. It lends itself to all kinds of uses, such as for topographic maps, city maps, hiking maps and ski slope maps.

“Thanks to specialized production equipment, the price per copy is remark­ ably low, especially for longer runs,” says Karl-Heinz Milz, Managing Director of Vorarlberger Verlagsanstalt GmbH in the Austrian city of Dornbirn. “What makes the pocket folder so attractive is that it can be directly combined with value added and benefit for the end user.”

The company produces some ten mil­ lion pocket folders a year, 80 percent of which are intended for the tourism indus­ try. That number is continuing to rise, and numerous other uses are opening up for pocket folders beyond the field of tourism.

All these examples show that print still deservedly has a place in the communica­

tions mix of the tourism industry. How­ever, the graphic arts industry needs to impress upon its customers the strengths of ­printed communication, and also invest actively in the development of new products and ­uses. 

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Under the Magnifying Glass A particularly creative concept lies behind the La Loupe guide. Benjamin Skardarasy aimed to develop a guide that would stand out among the thousands of other guides.

The result is a pocket magazine guide in German and English that sets high stand­ ards in terms of design, editorial content and selection of partners.

For tourists, La Loupe is like a Swiss ­Army knife – it contains everything that they need for a wonderful vacation. The guide consists of a magazine section with at least 50 percent entertaining (non-adver­ torial) content in the form of interviews with celebrities. In addition, every issue of La Loupe contains the most beautiful pic­ tures of the year, exciting reports and event highlights. However, it also acts as a guide, since the editorial team recommends a ­selection of restaurants, bars, shops and ­hotels.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

The guide is available to readers free of charge at numerous distribution points on site and is financed entirely through adver­ tising. Advertisers get a package consist­ ing of advertising in the printed edition, on­ line and the app version, though the printed magazine is currently still dominant. You need to hold it in your hands to fully appre­ ciate its compact format, illustrated cover,

the haptics of its finishing from UV coating to glitter, and its special paper.

Currently, five issues are produced a year in the renowned German and Aus­trian tourism destinations of Garmisch-Parten­ kirchen, Lech-Zürs, St. Anton am Arlberg and the Zillertal valley, with a total run size of 120,000 copies. The run size per destination is 10,000 to 35,000 copies, each of which contains between 128 and 352 pages.

With pocket magazine La Loupe, publisher B ­ enjamin Skardarasy aimed to develop a guide that would stand out among the ­thousands of other guides.

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Newspaper Mailroom Systems

The Start of a New Era: the Walliser Bote Is Now Printed Digitally This summer Mengis Druck AG in Visp in the Swiss Canton of Valais became the first graphic arts company worldwide to commission a digital newspaper printing line. In addition to a HP T400 color inkjet web press, it comprises a folding system from Manroland and a mailroom from Muller Martini.

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E Managing Director Martin Seematter spoke to “Panorama” about what options the new digital solution gives the company even beyond newspaper printing, and why the company selected an AlphaLiner newspaper inserting system.

“Panorama”: What prompted Mengis Druck AG to replace its 32-year-old printing press with a HP T400 color inkjet web press?

Martin Seematter, Managing Director of Mengis Druck AG: We were looking for an all-rounder to replace our 32-year-old press. We wanted an ideal solution both for newspaper printing and for commercial printing, a segment which is witnessing decreasing run sizes and fierce price competition. Since the Walliser Bote has a relatively small run size, the printing press has a lot of free capacity. With our new solution we can make the most of that.

When you announced in your own flagship, the Walliser Bote that you were investing in the first digital printing press worldwide, it made the headlines of a range of professional journals and newsletters, including outside Europe. Have 8

you received a lot of calls from others in the industry?

Yes, there was an incredibly big response.

Of course, I anticipated that some people would get in touch, but I was definitely surprised by the numbers. Most of the calls came from Swiss printing plants, which inquired in more depth about what led us to make this commercial decision. However, we’ve also been contacted by people from countries far and wide.

What advantages does the new digital printing press give you when it comes to producing the Walliser Bote?

For readers it has the major advantage that we can now print the whole newspaper in color. And given that our space is limited, we benefit from the fact that the mailroom is now significantly more compact. It was important for us for the digital printing press not to be separate. Instead, we wanted it to be possible to survey the whole line, including the folding system and inserting system, and for the production process to be seamless. In addition, we can now make more flexible use of our staff since we can use the same employees for newspaper and commercial printing. Integrating news-

paper printing with our other business activities makes production significantly more cost-effective.

The Walliser Bote has a daily circulation of 22,000 copies. Is that the ideal run size for digital newspaper printing?

Yes, certainly from today’s perspective. A few years ago I would have thought it impossible, but the speed and resolution of digital printing has improved in leaps and bounds. It’s still in its infancy, but it has huge potential, and the break-even point for run sizes keeps on rising compared to offset printing. Ink costs are still very high, but I’m convinced that they’ll keep getting lower. In addition, the digital printing press has another advantage in investment protection terms: it offers a lot more options than offset presses in terms of upgrades, so we can retrofit more easily if there are technological innovations.

Digital also provides the ideal basis for personalized print products. Do you have any such plans for the Walliser Bote?

Yes, we’re already thinking along those lines. For instance, we can sell ad space Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Martin Seematter (right), Managing­ ­Director of Mengis Druck AG: “There will be massive changes here in every respect.”

Left: Daniel Kronig, Newspaper Production Manager.

2 The new digital solution from Mengis ­includes an AlphaLiner newspaper inserting system from Muller Martini.

twice by placing regional or local ads in certain part editions, i.e. through zoning. Or we can swap whole pages featuring regional or local content that are not of equal interest to all readers.

To what extent does the new digital printing press open up new commercial avenues to you beyond newspaper printing?

The HP T400 color inkjet undoubtedly marks the start of a new era that will bring massive changes in every respect. To overstate it somewhat, previously we applied ink to paper like every other printing plant.

That will change now. Digital printing enables our sales representatives to offer new, interesting and tailored print products to our customers throughout Switzerland – we generate 50 percent of our turnover outside the Canton of Valais in the commercial printing segment. The key terms here are personalization (I see great potential for that in our tourist region, which attracts a lot of international visitors), avoidance of distribution losses, just-in-time production, cross-media products and onecopy runs for teaching materials. We’re therefore very optimistic about the future and look forward to the new challenges, especially as we know that the whole of Switzerland is watching us.

Why did you opt for the AlphaLiner newspaper inserting system from Muller Martini?

There were three key advantages of the AlphaLiner. First, it has an optimal price-performance ratio. Second, it’s very compact, which benefits us since space is scarce.

And third, unlike with our previous solution, we can control the PrintStack compensating stacker. That’s of great benefit to us in terms of insert zoning and route-specific distribution. Unlike earlier, we now deliver the Walliser Bote in stages because  digital printing takes longer.

www.mengisdruck.ch

2 Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

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Newspaper Mailroom Systems

Digital Newspaper Printing – The Time Is Ripe With the switch by Mengis Druck AG in Visp in the Swiss ­canton of Valais from web offset printing to digital printing, ­digital newspaper production is suddenly all the rave again.

The key word is “again”, since digital newspaper printing has been around in the graphic arts industry in one form or another for 20 years now. “Panorama” has taken a look at where and how digital printing is used successfully today in the ­newspaper industry.

E Since July, Mengis Druck AG has been breaking new ground by producing the “Walliser Bote), which has a total circula­ tion of 22,000 copies, six days a week us­ ing solely digital printing. An integrated production line for newspaper printing has been created from the combination of an inkjet press from HP, a folding system from Manroland Web Systems and the Alpha­ Liner inserting system from Muller Martini.

The bold change of technological strat­ egy at Mengis Druck AG demonstrates how far digital printing has come in recent years in terms of quality and speed, ­enabling it to be used for ever larger run ­sizes.

From Mengis Druck AG’s perspective, the benefits of digital printing cannot be matched, and the company could no lon­ ger justify a replacement investment in off­ set printing, especially as the inkjet press provides additional advantages that enable further development of both the editorial content and advertising featured in the Walliser Bote. The press is also the ideal ­solution for commercial printing with its declining run sizes and fierce price com­ petition, as Managing Director Martin Seematter told “Panorama” (see interview on page 8).

The Newspaper Industry is Worth USD 163 Billion Globally The constant talk today of the imminent de­ mise of daily newspapers has little basis in 10

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1 Hybrid printing used to promote reader ­loyalty: the “cash million” game in the German daily newspaper Bild.

2 François Martin, Graphic Solutions Business Marketing Director at HP: “We’re convinced that printed news- papers will continue to have their place in the market.”

reality. The global newspaper industry is still a market with turnover of 163 million dollars annually and some 15,000 different titles, not to mention the countless free newspapers. Some 2.5 billion people read printed newspapers, while around 800 ­million read newspapers in digital form, ­according to the latest figures of the World Press Trends 2013 report published by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). Though ­circulations in Europe and the US are declining, the absolute number of readers is still high.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

“Although there’ll be major changes to the newspaper industry in the near future, we’re convinced that printed newspapers will continue to have their place in the market. Digital printing, however, will be part of that change,” says François Martin, Global Graphic Solutions Business Marketing Director at HP. The time is now ripe for the digitalization of newspaper printing, he adds.

since the output of inkjet printing heads doubles roughly every 18 months.

Today, the following three newspaper production scenarios are possible with ­digital printing: E Distribute and print – distribute data and print locally E Hybrid production – combination of offset and digital printing E Complete digital production

A Long-Standing History What is being celebrated today as a breakthrough goes back a long way. Twenty years ago, at drupa 1995, KBA showcased variable imprints with inkjet printing heads from Scitex at its Express newspaper press.

A red arrow on the front page indicated the individual inkjet imprints on the KBA Express trade fair newspaper, which was printed using the offset method and for whose production the machine speed had to be reduced.

For a long time, the price/performance ratio of digital printing was far behind that of offset printing. The productivity of the systems was only sufficient to print short runs, and the costs per copy only allowed ­eign markets such as tourist regions.

However, digital printing technology has developed in leaps and bounds since then. Kodak, for instance, recently announced that it has increased its productivity three-fold with the current inkjet technology generation, and HP showcased high-definition nozzle architecture for its inkjet web presses in February.

There are international examples of all three scenarios.

Output Doubles Every 18 Months To put it briefly, digital technology now allows for a resolution of 2380 dpi (dots per inch), bringing it into the resolution range of offset printing. For newspaper printing, it is possible to make do with a lower resolution and benefit from the maximum printing speed of 244 m/min. The higher resolution is also attractive for newspaper printers looking to enter the semi-commercials segment.

While an investment in offset printing largely means making a technical commitment, digital printing provides the possibility of retrofitting with innovative solutions.

That also increases investment protection,

New Opportunities for Publishing Companies Distribute and print was the first form of digital printing to be used for newspaper production in practice. Newspapers with the same look and feel as the main issue are printed in tourist centers or conurbations. It is estimated that some 40 to 50 inkjet systems are used worldwide for the ­decentralized production of newspapers.

One of the most recent examples is Newsprint GmbH, which is based in the German capital Berlin. The company entered digital newspaper production at the beginning of 2013. Newsprint GmbH’s aim above all is to print regional newspapers in small, seasonably flexible runs, thereby enabling the relevant publishing companies to be present in the Berlin market ­without major logistics costs.

As IPS Managing Director Dieter Wirtz explained, digital newspaper printing has the potential to change the newspaper market radically. “What we’re seeing in Berlin will be true of many conurbations in the medium term. Publishing companies will extend their presence to outside their core distribution area when and wherever it pays off. And thanks to digital printing, it pays off even with very low unit numbers.”

Breakthrough for Hybrid Printing Hybrid printing has also experienced a breakthrough thanks to product development in recent years. Inkjet printing heads are now capable of speeds of up to 15 m/s, at which even fully fledged newspaper presses are no longer slowed down. In Eur­ ope, several printing plants have already ­integrated inkjet printing heads into their 11

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

presses, for the imprinting of access codes in particular.

An individual alphanumerical access code on each newspaper copy gives the reader a day of free access to premium content on the web or on a mobile device.

The codes only work for one user, i.e. they cannot be shared.

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Quick Updates Hybrid printing can, however, also be used to combine domestic and foreign content with regional, local and even hyper-local content. The option to update news sections during a print run (e.g. interim and ­final results of elections or soccer scores) is just one of many possible ways to ­provide readers with up-to-date content and ­additional benefits.

Changing QR codes, graphics or text information can be used for target groupspecific advertising or as a platform for cross-media campaigns. As an additional benefit, printed barcodes also aid the ­logistics of printed materials.

The Way Is Clear for Flexible Imprinting Axel Springer AG took the first steps in that direction in 2010. In 2013, it integrated a total of 33 inkjet printing heads into its newspaper presses at all 13 of its printing sites in Germany. Inkjet customization enables Axel Springer to cover two bases for its publishing house customers. First, there is a need for ways to counter falling circulations and volumes. Competitions and games, which are possible using the digital imprint solution and persuade readers to remain loyal to the product for several days, lend themselves to that purpose.

Second, various marketing options present themselves in the field of advertising. The company puts a lot of effort into explaining the possibilities to publishing companies and convincing them of the benefits. “We believe this technology has great potential for the future thanks to its options for customization,” says Thomas Drensek, Plant Manager at the Ahrensburg offset printing plant.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo has followed that example, and can now produce its five editions with different adver-

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tising campaigns and variations in the mastheads and news on the front page. ­Pedro Antonio Iglesias, Production Director at Unidad Editorial, the publishing company in charge of publications including El Mundo, says: “We can tailor special offers, competitions, discounts and subscription copies to our customers and produce localized advertising. We’re convinced that hybrid printing is the future of the newspaper industry. Our aim is to offer each reader a newspaper that’s tailored to their personal tastes.”

No Matter Whether 2,000 or 10 Copies “Kerk en Leven”, which has a circulation of 300,000 copies, is Belgium’s second-largest weekly newspaper. The roughly 500 zoned editions, however, made production so complex and costly that the company dared to start over and switch completely to digital printing. The newspaper has been produced using an inkjet press system at the Halewijn printing plant in Antwerp for a year and a half now.

Speos, a subsidiary of Belgian Post, prints part of the run. The publishing company’s declared aim was to find a reliable solution for the future, while keeping the costs per newspaper at the same level in case reader numbers decline further. That would not have been feasible with offset printing. With digital printing it is no longer critical whether a zoned edition has 2,000 or 10 copies.

The key to zoning of the weekly newspaper, however, lies in the content required for such a project. Digital printing is simply a tool for putting zoned content effectively onto paper. In addition, the copies are now printed in the correct sequence for dispatch, thereby improving the quality of ­distribution of Kerk en Leven considerably Personalization in the Newspaper Market Based on subscriber data, KBA, in conjunction with its customers, is seeking to breathe life into the topics of zoning, microzoning and geomarketing. For strongly regionally based newspapers, there is also the possibility to meet customers’ needs better and address advertising customers in a more targeted way.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

2

3 1 A red arrow at the top right of the front page indicated the individual inkjet imprints of the KBA Express offset printed newspaper at drupa 95. The Express offset press was equipped even then for automatic printing plate changes.

2 The press produces with web speeds of up to 13.2 m/s, without pushing the limits of the Prosper S30 system (maximum 15m/s).

3 Oliver Baar, Business Development Digital Web Presses at KBA: “A wide range of options is becoming possible.”

“A wide range of options is now becoming possible, from individual products and zoned preprinted sections through to hybrid products with digital covers or inside sections that are designed to supplement and extend existing business models,” says Oliver Baar, Business Development Digital Web Presses at KBA. A personalized cover that was used as a jacket for the actual newspaper was produced for 3,100 subscribers. Reader holidays were advertised on the cover. The response rate was 70 percent higher than for conventional inserts and the number of sales increased four-fold.

The Potential Is There Systems such as the RotaJet from KBA lend themselves not only to newspaper production, but also to commercial work,

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

allowing inventive print products to be developed. Advertisements related to a specific quarter of a city, enabling one and the same advertising space to be sold multiple times, are also conceivable, making the space cheaper and more attractive to smaller companies. The Walliser Bote also has such plans.

Selective and customized inserts or additional print products such as customer magazines are further options that digital printing gives newspaper printers. All these examples show that digital printing has great potential in newspaper production, but further product development and new business models are needed in order to tap  into it.

13

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

“The FlexLiner Is the Optimal Solution for Inserts in Inserts”

Since insert numbers at Prospekt Versand Service GmbH (P.V.S.) continue to grow apace, the company has commissioned a new FlexLiner to join its ten existing inserting systems from Muller Martini, and will commission two more at the end of this year. “Muller Martin has managed to create a masterpiece in this machine,” says Erich Romano, speaking about his latest investment, which handles the increased ­volumes, while also having the benefit of saving the company electricity.

14

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Erich Romano (right), P.V.S. Managing Director: “Our customers know that they can rely on us, since we’ve never missed a deadline in all the years.” Beside Erich Romano are Horge Ciprian (Production Manager), Mihai Tátaru (Deputy Production Manager) and Gerhard Urban (Product Manager at Muller Martini Austria).

E “Each December, when I take a closer look at our figures, I think that they’ll be dif­ ficult to beat in the coming year, but each time we manage to exceed the results of the prior year.”

P.V.S. Managing Director Romano is sometimes taken aback himself by the ­rapid growth of the plant that was establ­ ished in 2007 and is located in Sopron, sev­ en kilometers from the border with ­Austria.

“We don’t even have a team of sales repre­ sentatives . . .”

190 Tons of Paper – a Day! The figures are impressive indeed. Be­ tween 2011 and 2014, P.V.S. processed 44 percent more softcover books – an in­ crease from 1.03 to 1.49 billion copies.

Over the same period, the number of in­ serting processes rose by 57 percent, from 307 to 483 million. Some 190 tons of paper

are finished in Sopron each day (see also charts). “Softcover books are increasingly popular today because they address con­ sumers directly, are delivered to their homes free of charge and are typically read by several people.”

Products with one to two inserts ac­ count for around half the volume. Since 2011, P.V.S. has been the first graphic arts company worldwide to use a high-perform­ ance Muller Martini Integro 300 inserting system with stream feeders, double pro­ duction functionality and a Robusto Com­ pensating stacker. The Integro joined P.V.S.’s existing two AlphaLiners and sev­ en Biliners. “The Integro is the optimal so­ lution for one to two inserts, because we can run it in double production,” says ­Romano.

“A Masterpiece” For products with three or more inserts, P.V.S. has relied for a few months now on a FlexLiner (the eleventh inserting system from Muller Martini at the Sopron plant), featuring a main jacket feeder, eight insert feeders and a Robusto compensating stacker, Romano has been a fan of the new technology since his first glimpse of the FlexLiner at the Muller Martini booth at ­drupa ‘12, which is why he has ordered two additional inserting systems of the same type for the end of this year.

Double the Output, Half the Electricity P.V.S. Managing Director Erich Romano was amazed when he checked the elec­ tricity counter of the new inserting sys­ tem a few weeks after commissioning.

Since it has smaller drives, which are ac­ tivated if required, the FlexLiner only consumes half as much electricity as a Biliner with a large central drive, at dou­ ble the output. “That saves us a good EUR 1,000 in electricity costs a month,” says Romano.

“Muller Martini’s FlexLiner is a master­ piece. First, I like the combination of the lin­ ear and rotational principles, which means that all inserts are first gathered, fed with­ out grippers and then inserted, which is a big advantage especially if there are a large number of inserts. Second, the FlexLiner is the optimal solution for inserts in inserts, which is precisely the business model that we’re successful with.” >

From a Simple Idea to Europe’s Leading Insert Specialist In 1991, Erich Romano and his business partner Johann Ungerböck came up with a simple idea: to save advertisers delivery costs, they bundled softcover books for their customers, sorted and ordered them, and delivered them, affixed to a cover, to households. Twenty-four years later, the business model has been refined some­ what, but the basic principle at Europe’s leading insert specialist remains the same.

P.V.S., which is headed up by Erich Ro­ mano and has its head office in Steinbrunn (Austria), today produces advertising bro­ chures featuring inserts in the Hungarian

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

town of Sopron, where 70 employees work in three shifts. Numerous well-known retail chains such as XXXLutz, Kika and Leiner have softcover books produced in runs of between 100,000 and 10 million copies for households in Austria, Germany, the Neth­ erlands, Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Re­ public and Croatia. The products are insert­ ed into newspapers or delivered via the postal service’s distribution channels.

The retail chains draw attention to spe­ cial offers by means of up to eight inserts (with page counts of 8 to 96) and inserted cards, thereby increasing the attractive­

ness of their advertising brochures. The main jacket can range from a thinly folded A4 sheet to 96 pages. “The FlexLiner sim­ ply gobbles up everything,” says Romano with a grin.

To ensure that not only the inserting pro­ cess, but also delivery runs smoothly, Öster­reichische Post AG (Austrian Post) has operated its first general post office outside Austria in Sopron since 2008. “It’s a win-win situation for the postal service and for us,” says Romano.

15

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

If the paper specification permits, the new ­FlexLiner regularly runs at the maximum speed of 30,000 cycles per hour, which is why the successful company has ordered two more of these machines.

non-stop at 30,000 cycles per hour. “If the paper specification permits, we always run the machine at maximum speed,” says Romano. “But the speed is never lower than 23,000 cycles per hour, even for complex or thin products.”

The Managing Director freely admits: “I would never have thought that we would achieve such high output so quickly, since the FlexLiner is designed as a newspaper inserting system, whereas we solely produce softcover books. However, the FlexLiner has proved itself to be optimal for our type of production too.”

What is more, the FlexLiner is extremely quiet, says Romano. “Even when it’s running at maximum speed, I can speak with our operators at normal volume right beside the machine.”

Never Missed a Deadline Since being commissioned in March, the FlexLiner has been running almost around the clock, and has taken care of the increasing volumes at P.V.S. almost singlehandedly. That is all the more necessary given that the lead times for production are increasingly tight, in part because of the tough price war among retail chains, says Romano. In addition, P.V.S. receives an increasing number of jobs directly from printing plants rather than retail chains, because the printing plants cannot perform inserting in such large quantities themselves.

A typical example is the following: a request for a long run is received by telephone on Thursday. Three million soft­cover books are supplied on Friday, and on ­Monday they leave by truck. “Our customers know that they can rely on us, since we’ve never missed a deadline in all the years,” says Romano.

Fast and Quiet P.V.S. has benefited from the FlexLiner having a high output almost right after commissioning. When “Panorama” paid a visit to Sopron, it had been running for a week

Familiarization During Assembly One reason that the machine operators have achieved high output within such a short time is that they were present when the FlexLiner was being installed. “That enabled them to familiarize themselves with the new machine from scratch,” says R ­ omano.

In addition, P.V.S. employs an in-house technician with extensive experience of Muller Martini systems. He also takes care of the regular maintenance of the older ­machines, with the result that “they’re in excellent condition”, says Romano. 

www.pvs-austria.at

P.V.S. Enjoys Impressive Growth: 57 Percent More Inserting Processes in Three Years Total softcover books:

Softcover books in kg:

16

Inserting processes:

Pallets:

Truck journeys:

307 558 442

483 425 730

60 853

78 421

1853

2225

+20%

49 052 653

+29%

33 355 693

+57%

1 488 388 655

+47%

1 034 517 983

+44%

2011

2014

2011

2014

2011

2014

2011

2014

2011

2014

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

“We’re Anticipating an Increase from 15,000 to 20,000 Insert Sets Per Hour” When is the ideal time to replace an existing machine with a new one? When do upgrades make sense and when is a new investment called for? “Panorama” discussed such exciting questions with Martin Keller, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Direct Mail Company (DMC), one of the largest direct marketing companies in Switzerland.

E Although DMC had already recouped its investment in three SLS3000 inserting sys­ tems after just four years – three years ear­ lier than planned – the company decided to invest in a new machine generation and has installed three FlexLiners (see “Pano­ rama” 3/14). Martin Keller explains in the following interview what prompted the new investment.

Panorama: With securities, the right time to invest is said to be when the buy­ er has a higher probability of gain than of a loss. Is there a similar formula for the right time to invest when it comes to machines?

Martin Keller (Deputy Managing Direct­ or and Chief Operating Officer at DMC): Yes, there is. The optimal time for replacing existing equipment with new equipment can be calculated using the cost compari­ son method. For us, bearing process opti­ mization in mind, the rule is that an imme­ diate replacement is worthwhile once the average profit of the new equipment over time is greater than the marginal profit of the old equipment over time. The cost com­ parison calculation involves comparing the average costs of the new equipment with the marginal costs of the old equipment.

The marginal costs are the benchmark, since the fixed costs for the old equipment

have already been paid. An investment is advantageous if the dynamic payback ­period is shorter than the service life.

How long was the payback period for your three SLS3000 inserting systems?

For the first investment it was 3.9 years, with a planned service life of seven years.

We recouped our investment in the SLS3000 systems after just four years – three years earlier than planned.

Leaving financial considerations aside, what do you hope to achieve with the new investment?

In addition to reducing running costs, we want to enhance the quality of our end products and create further potential for higher earnings by increasing perfor­ mance.

Are there special investment rules for larger systems such as inserting sys­ tems?

No, as a rule, the size of the system and the investment volume don’t play a role. The type of use and, based on that, the service

Martin Keller, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at DMC: “By reducing unit costs, we’ll become even more attractive in the market.” Richard Hofer (right), Sales Manager at Muller ­Martini Switzerland.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

17

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

DMC: 100 Million Sets with 1 Billion Inserts Annually With over 100 million copies of the “IN” carrier medium and around one billion in­ serts yearly, Direct Mail Company (DMC) is one of the largest direct marketing compa­ nies in Switzerland. Three FlexLiner insert­ ing systems with FlexPack bundle building systems from Muller Martini are used for zoned inserting at the DMC plant, which employs 110 people and is located in ­Niederbipp in the canton of Berne. The three FlexLiners replaced three SLS3000 machines in 2014 and 2015.

DMC’s specialties include onserts, which are popular with the company’s cus­ tomers because they are eye-catching. Up to three onserts are applied to the main jacket and enter the pocket wheel to­gether with the folder, while the gathered insert package is simultaneously fed to the insert­ ing system. The FlexLiner is the only ma­ chine on the market that processes onserts using such a technique

life are decisive. The fact that our oper­ ations are multishift obviously needs to be taken into account when calculating the service life.

“We recouped our investment in the SLS3000 systems after just under four years – three years earlier than planned.”

Can you give some specific figures indi­ cating why you decided to replace three relatively young SLS3000 systems with three new FlexLiners?

We expect the new inserting systems to give us an increase in performance from 15,000 to 20,000 “IN” insert sets per hour, which represents a 33 percent rise. That will enable us to cut our costs by around

Investment Decisions E Investments are understood as all measures where money is spent to create performance potential, and which are aimed at generating great­ er earnings or lower expenses at a ­later time.

E The cost comparison calculation is a form of capital budgeting and is used to compare a range of different investment options. The total cost of the various options is calculated and the most cost-effective one is select­ ed.

E The dynamic payback period is the time within which the net present ­value of an investment first becomes zero or positive.

18

1

CHF 1 million a year. Currently, half a year after commissioning, we’re at just over 19,000 sets per hour with the first Flex­Liner commissioned. That’s in line with our ex­ pectations, since we’re essentially still in the “training phase”. We anticipate that we’ll exceed our target of 20,000 in the fall.

The revenue generated by selling the old machines, which was not inconsiderable given their age, was also attractive for us.

Aside from the resale value of the old machines, why was 2014 the right time for your investment in the first Flex­ Liner?

The pressure for enhanced quality, espe­ cially in the production of sets, was con­ stantly increasing. The increase in perfor­ mance also provides the possibility to handle additional production volumes in Niederbipp, and to thereby optimize fixed costs as a ratio of unit costs. We plan to in­ crease our production of sets in the next two years from 1.3 to 1.5 million copies twice a week, while keeping to the same lead times. By reducing unit costs, we’ll be­ come even more attractive in the market.

What's more, when developing the Flex­ Liner, Muller Martini adopted some of our

ideas concerning the gathering process and the possibility of onserts.

On the one hand, the cost of investment in older machines has often already been recouped, so they essentially pro­ duce “free of charge”. On the other hand, their performance declines or they can’t generate the same productiv­ ity as new systems despite being well maintained. How do you see those con­ flicting interests when making your ­investment decisions?

You have to look closely at reliability and possible downtime as well as the increase in maintenance costs for older systems.

With tight lead times like ours, reliability is a key factor. Equipment that is run in multi­ shift operations has a shorter service life.

That’s why it’s important for the machine manufacturer to be able to provide detailed figures. We have the minimum service life contractually guaranteed.

2

1 DMC applies up to three onserts per insert set using the new FlexLiner.

2 DMC produces over 100 million copies of the “IN” carrier medium and processes around one billion inserts annually.

“There’s no room for false ­sentimentality when it comes to investment decisions – too much money is at stake!”

Higher output after a number of years of operation could also be achieved by reconditioning and upgrading existing equipment. Why did you opt for a new machine generation?

In our business segment, an increase in output of the old systems wasn’t possible for technical and physical reasons. A VW Golf can’t be upgraded to a Formula One car. Let me give two examples. Since our inserts differ greatly in terms of size and consistency, output at the compensating stacker couldn’t be increased further for the production of sets. On the gathering section, the folder, i.e. our main section, was first fed and opened, before the inserts were inserted. With this type of gathering, there are limits to the extent to which the production speed can be increased. By contrast, the new technology of the FlexLiner, which applies and gathers the inserts before adding them as a bundle to the main section (we no longer insert in the strict sense), enables considerably higher production speeds, not to mention the fact that we can now process onserts automatically.

Do companies like DMC always decide on an investment solely according to financial considerations, or do technical and emotional factors (e.g. long-standing partnership with a supplier) also play a part in investment decisions?

There’s no room for false sentimentality when it comes to investment decisions – too much money is at stake! That’s why we only decide according to financial criteria as a rule. That means performing a serious evaluation, clearing defining requirements and ensuring the process is in line with our governance policy. Of course, questions of quality and creating additional production capacity by increasing performance also played an important role in our decision. Although we’ve had an excellent relationship with Muller Martini for years, the decision on the new investment was made according to an evaluation process with clear specifications. Naturally, though, we’re delighted that our existing partner meets our expectations regarding the new machine.

Has investment behavior changed in your business segment in recent years owing to the increasing pressure on margins?

Increasing attention needs to be paid to quality, flexibility and shorter processing times. Unaddressed advertising is offered in Switzerland through various channels and by various organizations. DMC, the largest private mailing company, competes with the Promopost product of Post ­Schweiz AG (Swiss Post), as well as increasingly with newspaper publishers and their inserts in newspapers. That’s why, in order to be a cost leader, it’s important to achieve a high performance level and low unit prices.  www.dm-company.ch

On Track with the ­FlexLiner Since commissioning the first FlexLiner, DMC has increased its average output to over 19,000 “IN” insert sets per hour.

The target of 20,000 is to be exceeded this fall. Output fell slightly below 15,000 in the first weeks. “But we were expecting that, since we invested in the training of machine operators, for whom ­many of the functions were new,” says Martin Keller, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at DMC. “And it shouldn’t be forgotten that we started out right at the SLS3000 ­minimum output of 15,000.”

Performance Start FlexLiner 21 000 19 000 17 000 15 000 13 000 11 000 9 000 August 2014

March 2015

19

Technology

MailLiner: the Optimal Solution for the Automatic Sorting of Inserts All direct distributors of ­unaddressed advertising around the world face the same challenge: millions of insert sets are manually gathered, which translates to high wage costs, with increasing pressure owing to statutory wage regulations.

Muller Martini has the answer to that challenge: thanks to its innovative gathering system, the MailLiner finishes inserts efficiently and automatically without the need for an ­expensive carrier or foil.

1

E The minimum wage of EUR 8.50 per hour that has been in force in Germany since January 1, 2015 has had a particularly severe impact on the direct mailing industry and its numerous distributors of printed advertising. Unlike newspaper publishing companies with their successful weekly newspapers and large numbers of automatically inserted inserts, direct mail companies do not have a carrier for their softcover books and flyers. Instead, they deliver the insert sets loose to mailboxes and have them sorted manually by the ­delivery personnel beforehand.

20

Frey Plus, for instance, is facing an estimated 15 percent increase in costs across its operations according to its Managing Director Markus Springer, owing predominantly to the raise in wages of distribution personnel due to the minimum wage legislation. Ulm-based Frey Plus, one of the leading direct mail companies in Germany, has a distribution rate of 95 percent, well above the industry average, and distributes up to 20 million leaflets to 800,000 households weekly. They are delivered to mailboxes by some 4,200 delivery staff, who spend half the time sorting the leaflets.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Markus Springer (center), Managing Director of Frey Plus: “The MailLiner will win us new insert finishing jobs.”

Left: Roman Bückle (Logistics Manager).

Right: Peter Stein (Area Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany).

2 At the gathering line of the MailLiner, one of the inserts is used as a cover and folded using an air blade – a Muller Martini innovation.

2

Carriers and Foils Are Too Expensive Frey Plus has estimated how much it would cost to give the insert sets a cover or to wrap them in a foil. “However, both options are far too costly, have no added value for consumers and are problematic from an environmental point of view,” says Springer.

An A3 cover printed on four sides and folded would come in at almost EUR 500,000 a year for weekly delivery to 800,000 households, while foil wrapping would cost some EUR 120,000 a year.

A Brilliantly Simple Solution Springer explains that it has been clear to Frey Plus for some time that “we need to switch to a machine solution for the finish­ ing of our leaflets, to spare our delivery per­ sonnel that work and to save costs”, owing not only to the new minimum wage legis­ lation, but also in order to make the deliv­ ery job more attractive. The only question was which solution to invest in.

Frey Plus, which has been in the market for over two decades and whose subsidiary Frey Plus Media is the exclusive marketer for national leaflet advertising for all daily newspapers in Germany, found what it was looking for in Muller Martini’s new Mail­ Liner. The MailLiner, which will be used at Frey Plus as a field test machine, is based on the proven FlexLiner newspaper insert­ ing system. It was developed specifically for direct marketing, and provides direct mail companies with a brilliantly simple so­ lution for the sorting of unaddressed adver­ Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

tising thanks to an innovative concept that is one of a kind in the market.

particularly attractive to us to be involved in the field test phase of a new machine.”

Insert Serves as Cover At the MailLiner gathering line, one of the inserts is used as a cover and folded using an air blade – a Muller Martini innovation – after all the other inserts have been applied.

The gathered insert sets then enter the Flex­Pack. Since the integrated bundle builder does not, unlike other compensat­ ing stackers, compensate layers, it is ideal­ ly suited to this innovative insert gathering process in terms of flexibility and product quality.

First, the individual inserts can have dif­ ferent sizes, without the inset sets becom­ ing unstable. Second, the various bundles can be of different sizes without losing sta­ bility.

New Jobs Soon to Come The MailLiner, which is designed for an output of 30,000 copies per hour, has 28 feeders and can be extended at any time thanks to its modular design, and the Flex­ Pack bundle building systems were deliv­ ered to the company in Ulm at the end of July. Frey Plus, which previously had a hor­ izontal finishing system with output of 1,200 copies per hour for small distribution areas, had a new hall built specifically for the new machine.

In the first weeks of operation, the com­ pany intends to focus on its existing jobs.

However, Springer has no doubts that “the MailLiner will win us new insert finishing jobs long term.” 

Instructive Visit to DMC Springer explains that Frey Plus, in which Südwest Presse in Ulm and Schwäbischer Verlag in Ravensburg each hold a 50 per­ cent stake, picked the Muller Martini solu­ tion for two reasons. “First, from a purely technical point of view, I like the concept of the air blade. Second, I was impressed by how thoroughly the people from the vari­ ous departments of Muller Martini took care of our needs. For instance, I had the opportunity to see the FlexLiner live in ac­ tion at the leading Swiss direct mail com­ pany DMC, and to speak in depth with the relevant people at DMC and with the Muller Martini technicians. That’s also why it’s

www.freyplus.de

Please scan the QR code above to watch an animation of the new MailLiner on Muller Martini's YouTube channel.

21

Technology

The New 0507 Folder Feeder: a Retrofit That Pays Off The new, retrofittable 0507 folder feeder from Muller Martini makes saddle stitching even more efficient and cost-effective thanks to its large range of formats, quick replacement and feeding using stream feeders.

E “In terms of return on investment, it’s one of the most attractive investments that we’ve ever made.” When Martin Vogel, Head of Production and Member of the Executive Board of Zofinger Tagblatt AG, which is based in the Swiss canton of Aargau, was asked about his experiences of the 0507 folder feeder with which the ­BravoPlus saddle stitcher (year of product­ ion: 1996) has been fitted, he soon gets talking about the figures, for example for the production of the weekly magazine Tierwelt, which has a circulation of around 80,000 copies. Since the new folder ­feeder can now also be fed using stream feeders, and all stream feeders for the cover and content signatures can be operated by one and the same person, only one operator is

needed for all the feeders instead of two.

“With eight hours of production time multi­ plied by 52 issues a year, it pays off,” says Vogel.

Numerous benefits In addition to cover feeding using stream feeders, the 0507 folder feeder with servo drive, which comes as standard with the new Primera generation and can be retrofitted on the Prima, Prima S, PrimaPlus, BravoPlus, Primera 130 and Primera 140 saddle stitchers, offers numerous other key benefits. They include the large size range, simple installation at any desired point of the saddle stitcher, short setup times and the fact that a folding process is no longer necessary.

At Zofinger Tagblatt AG, the Tierwelt cover that is printed in four-up only needs to be trimmed to individual sheets. The earlier folding process in double production is no longer necessary, allowing around five hours of production time to be saved per week. In addition to greater cost-effectiveness (“without the need for the folding process, we can produce at lower cost and have more free capacity”), Martin Vogel also reports enhanced quality when using the new 0507 folder feeder: “Previously, we occasionally had scratch marks, but that’s now a thing of the past.” 

www.mullermartini.com

The new 0507 folder feeder can be fed ­manually (pictured is Zofinger Tagblatt machine operator Vajo Krstic) or using stream feeders.

22

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Services

MM

Kingery, Effingham – Asir 3 is One Common Tool for the Entire Bindery The extensive product range of Kingery Printing includes various projects, some with more than 200 different version changes. To ensure that each feeder always contains the correct signature, the two saddle stitchers at the Kingery plant in Effingham, Illinois (USA), a Heidelberg ST400 and a Muller Martini Prima, have been retrofitted with Muller Martini’s Asir 3 image and barcode recognition system.

From left: Michael Kingery (President), Kurt Jansen (Production Manager), Bill Willenborg (Bindery Manager) and Richard Allart (Sales Manager at Müller Martini North America) in front of the saddle stitcher ST 400.

E Since Muller Martini announced last fall that it was taking over the service business of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (see the interview with CEO Bruno Muller in “Panorama” 3/14), updates to Heidelberg saddle stitchers are high on the agenda at Muller Martini for their (new) customers.

However, the retrofitting of a Prima Amrys and an ST400 with Asir 3 at Kingery Printing is unique in that the process was ­initiated well before the agreement was concluded between Muller Martini and Heidelberg. “Kingery Printing approached us with a wish to update its signature recognition systems with one common tool throughout the bindery and we knew we could do the job,” says Richard Allart, Sales Manager at Muller Martini North America.

From Image Recognition Only to Barcode Recognition Kingery Printing Company, which employs 188 people at its two plants located in Illinois (USA), specializes in the production of Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

saddle stitched and perfect bound catalogs, brochures, and periodicals. With quantities ranging from 500 to 100,000, Kingery Printing ships to clients throughout the United States. Kingery Printing has always been an early adopter of new technologies and until recently relied on a binder monitoring system that solely used image recognition.

Mike Kingery, the president of Kingery Printing Company, recalls the installation of the Tigra perfect binder in 2008. “That binder line was purchased new and outfitted with ASIR 3 from the factory. Through the years we observed the tremendous value of this tool and wanted to be able to offer this insurance to our customers producing saddle stitched products. That is when we decided to ask if Muller would be interested in outfitting our Heidelberg ST400 stitcher.”

Initially there was some resistance from Muller, but Kingery was resolved and felt there would be tremendous value in having one common tool for the bindery that would

About Asir 3 Asir 3 is an intelligent camera that ­compares the identity of the reference signature with the following signature using image and barcode recognition.

Barcode recognition has two key advantages over image recognition.

E It ensures 100% elimination of incorrect signatures during production – incorrect products are ejected unstitched.

E When setting up the product, all Asir 3 sensors send the barcode data (AsirCodes) to the control center. This barcode analysis technique patented

by Muller Martini prevents the ­production of incorrectly compiled products.

23

Services

MM

allow work to be processed on either of their saddle stitchers or perfect binders with the same benefit – added confidence for both Kingery and their clients.

Muller Martini agreed to retrofit Asir 3 into two of Kingery Printing’s workhorse stitcher lines. Installation plans were made for the Heidelberg ST400, featuring nine feeders and a cover feeder, and their Prima

Amrys, eight feeders and a cover feeder, and the project proceeded.

“Significant Improvement” Muller Martini North America and Kingery Printing worked in partnership to coordin­ ate the details of installing Asir 3 on the ST400, much to the satisfaction of Manufacturing Manager Kurt Jansen, who is de-

lighted with both the implementation of the update and the improvement in quality provided by Asir 3. “Previously our binder monitor systems relied on image recognition which became a problem when pages didn’t have unique elements, such as ­pages that contained all text, or line copy.

The new technology employed in the Asir 3 system now allows us to scan signatures

How Saddle Stitcher Quality Checks Aid the Machine Operator

Saddle stitchers from Muller Martini feature several other quality checks besides Asir 3.

24

E Low level control: Monitors the level of the hopper. When the stack height falls below a minimum value, the saddle stitcher stops.

E Misfeed control/Copy Control: At a misfeed, the Copy Control is activated automatically. Feeding on the downstream feeders is disabled and incomplete products are rejected unstitched.

E Signature stop control: Monitors the correct position of the signature on the signature stop and whether a signature or a gap is present. A paper jam is detected in the neck and can be removed easily.

E Sword control: Checks if the signature was placed on the gathering chain and detects paper jams. If a signature misses the gathering chain, the Copy Control function is activated automatically.

E Gluing control: Detects whether samples, cards, etc. were glued on. The lack of glued-on products is detected and the signature is automatically rejected unstitched.

E Double sheet control: Using the capacitive measuring method, double and multiple signatures can be detected. If a double or multiple signature is detected, the product is automatically rejected unstitched.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

printed with unique barcodes. This allows us to make-ready quicker and the system performs more reliably throughout the run.

Asir 3 delivers confidence.”

Kingery Printing has an excellent team, says Mike Kingery. “Nevertheless, making ready and calibrating the image recogni­ tion was tedious and time-consuming.

Now Asir 3 barcodes are printed in the

same position on the signature and the sys­ tem takes no time to make-ready. Once the operator clears one version off the ma­ chine, Asir 3 looks for the next version’s barcode. Asir 3 helps ensure quality at this critical moment and throughout the life cy­ cle of the run. Asir 3 has given our compa­ ny the one common tool we were looking for in the bindery. More importantly, our

customers benefit from the added confi­ dence that Kingery Printing Company is producing the highest quality product to­ day’s technology offers. It’s proven to be a good investment!” 

kingeryprinting.com

Saddle stitchers from Muller Martini feature several quality checks.

E Lateral electromechanical control: The Semko checks the thickness of each copy on the basis of a reference value.

The thickness reference value is deter­ mined automatically during the setup phase.

E Long book control: Automatic reading of the product length during setup. Dur­ ing production, photocells check the length of each copy. Products incorrect­ ly aligned longitudinally are automat­ ically rejected unstitched.

E Oblique sheet monitor: Automatic reading of the product width during set­ up. During production, photocells check the width of each copy. Products incor­

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

rectly aligned laterally are automatically rejected unstitched E Staple control: Consistently checks the number of staples. In the absence of sta­ ples, the product is automatically reject­ ed.

E Smart Stitch Control: From below it consistently checks the preselected number of staples and quality. Products with missing, broken or wrongly bent staples are rejected.

E Delivery control: Checks whether a sig­ nature or a gap is present. A paper jam is detected in its beginning and can be removed easily.

E Infeed control: Checks whether a sig­ nature or a gap is present. A paper jam is detected in its beginning and can be removed easily.

E Trim monitor: Checks the required ac­ curacy of the product width during the cutting process. After detecting a devi­ ation, the yoke timing is automatically adjusted. Faulty products are automati­ cally rejected.

E Delivery control: The products in the three-knife trimmer delivery are count­ ed by delivery control. Delivery control checks whether a signature or a gap is present. A paper jam is detected in the neck and can be removed easily.

25

News from Muller Martini The New Ventura MC 160 Has Its Mexico Premiere at Expográfica The live demos of the Ventura MC 160 book sewing machine ­attracted large numbers of visitors to the Muller Martini booth at Expográfica.

The new Ventura MC 160 was the center of attention at the Muller Martini booth at Expográfica in Mexico City. The four-day event is held every four years and is the country’s most important trade fair for the graphic arts industry.

The numerous visitors from some 150 graphic arts companies from throughout Mexico were excited by the wide range of options ­presented by the compact book sewing machine from Muller Martini.

The live demos allowed them to see the many highlights of the

machine for themselves, such as servo technology with a patented drive design, servo-controlled thread tension, combined staggered stitching at the push of a button and the active thread ­divider system.

Muller Martini also showcased a joint forming machine from MBO together with the new Ventura MC 160. Three MBO joint forming machines were sold at the booth, as was a Muller Martini Pantera perfect binder with a 3692 gathering machine.

Open House in Shenzhen Featuring Live Demos of the Ventura MC 160 and the Presto II Almost 100 visitors from over 50 graphic arts companies from across China seized the opportun­ ity to see the new Ventura MC 160 book sewing machine and the Presto II saddle stitcher live in action at the open house held at the Muller Martini plant in Shenzhen. Muller Martini demonstrated how fast the Ventura MC 160 can be changed over from one job to the next. The quick setup times also attracted lots of interest during the demos of the ­Presto II. Muller Martini also showed live how double production ­enables increasing productivity significantly.

Finn Nielsen, Managing ­Director of Muller Martini China, is very pleased with how the event went: “We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from our customers, since they found the

26

open house very useful for their day-to-day work.”

During the open house, visit­ ors also had the opportunity to look behind the scenes at Artron Shenzhen, a Muller Martini customer. Artron is China’s leading manufacturer of high-quality art books.

At the open house in Shenzhen, Muller Martini demonstrated how fast changeovers are at the Ventura MC 160 (pictured) and the Presto II.

OTT: The Pantera Impresses with Its Hybrid Design In order to produce all softcover jobs in-house in the future, OTT, which is based in Wasselonne near Strasbourg in the French region of Alsace, is installing a new Pantera to replace its existing perfect binder. “We’ll soon be able to produce everything in-house, which means not only that we can save on transport costs of outsourced jobs, but also that we’ll no longer be dependent on external partners,” says Production Manager Richard Hamm.

“What’s more, we’ll have improved quality control and will be able to react more quickly to customer requests and, for instance, also deliver split run editions.”

Hamm’s mind was made up not only by the quick setup times of the Pantera, but also by the fact that it is digital ready, since the OTT sister operation in Wasselonne employs both offset printing (using three sheet-fed presses) and digital printing

(­using a Kodak NexPress SE 2500 and a HP Indigo 5500). In digital printing, runs can have just five or ten copies. OTT will therefore be able to feed whole book blocks and individual sheets via the new Pantera feeder.

“The hybrid design impressed us right from the start,” says Hamm, explaining why the ­company decided to invest in the Muller Martini solution.

The Pantera will enable OTT to produce all softcover jobs in-house in the future.

Vorländer Printing Plant: Four New FlexPacks to Handle Increase in Insert Volume The Vorländer GmbH & Co KG printing plant in the Siegerland region of North Rhine-Westphalia is set to install four new FlexPack stacking systems from Muller Martini, since its CN 80 compensating stackers, which are connected with two SLS3000 inserting systems, have hit capacity.

In addition to its flagship, the Siegener Zeitung, which is published in four regional editions, the printing plant in Siegen also produces five advertising papers with a total circulation of 230,000 copies twice weekly.

The two SLS3000 lines are still performing reliably on a daily ­basis today, says Commercial Dir­ ector Patrick Ott. “However, our compensating stackers are producing at their limits owing to the large insert quantities and the increasing individual weights.”

The decision was therefore made to retrofit both SLS3000 lines with two FlexPacks each this summer.

The new FlexPack stacking system combines all processes in a single compact machine.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

The new Vareo perfect binder is optimally suited to ultra-short runs.

Thomann AG Becomes First Swiss Bookbindery to Invest in the Vareo W. Thomann AG, which is based in Ebikon in Lucerne, will become the first bookbindery in Switzerland to commission the threeclamp Vareo perfect binder that Muller Martini launched this year.

The new machine is equipped with a PUR nozzle glue application system at the block spine, a block thickness measuring ­device, a size calibration station, two scoring wheels, automatic single packer box delivery and a saw dust and glue vapor ­extraction system.

“Our current perfect binder is still going strong,” says ­Managing Director Reto ­Thomann. “However, we’re ­convinced that the Vareo, which is ideally suited to our product range, will provide for an even more efficient production

of short runs, shorter lead times, a larger size range and, thanks to the impressive PUR nozzle, even higher quality.”

W. Thomann AG is processing an increasing volume of digitally printed signatures. While the ­average run size in offset printing for books, catalogs and brochures is around 500 copies, it is 150 for digital printing. However, the company is also increasingly binding runs of just one copy.

The Vareo Is the Center of Attention at Xfair in Vienna The Vareo was the main attraction at the Muller Martini booth at the very first Xfair in Vienna. The new perfect binder was showcased together with machine components from Heidelberg in the workflow of a digital printing plant. The digitally printed content and cover were bound live at the booth using hotmelt and then trimmed on three sides in the ­final work step.

Muller Martini not only pres­ ented the Vareo, but also demonstrated how the Presto II Digital saddle stitcher lends itself to gathering sections. It can be used for making both digital and offset printed products. The new Ventura MC 160 book sewing machine was also presented live.

Roland Henn, Managing Dir­ ector of Muller Martini Austria,

was delighted by the great i­nterest shown by visitors: “The solutions presented led to many interesting discussions, which we will ­pursue in the coming weeks.”

The Vareo perfect binder was showcased at Xfair together with machine components from Heidelberg in the workflow of a digital printing plant.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Walsroder Zeitung Switches from Offline to Online Inserting with the FlexLiner Druckhaus Walsrode, which is based in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany, will replace two Biliners by a FlexLiner featuring sword opening toward the end of this year. That will greatly increase the speed of its inserting process for newspaper supplements thanks to the press-to-hopper technique.

Four daily newspapers (with runs of between 2,800 and 11,000 copies) and a range of weekly newspapers (with runs of between 8,000 and 55,000 copies) are produced at Druckhaus Walsrode, both for its own publishing companies (J. Gronemann GmbH & Co. KG and Kreiszeitung Verlagsges. mbH & Co. KG) and for external customers. Currently, on the weekend up to 14 inserts per advertising journal (with up to 30 insert variations) are inserted offline using two Muller Martini Biliners and then stacked. With its investment in a new FlexLiner controlled by the Connex.Mail-

room data and process management system and equipped with 14 feeders that can be fed manually or using stream feeders, the printing plant in Walsrode will switch to an online solution.

The main jacket enters the new inserting system directly from the printing press via a NewsGrip A-chain (press-tohopper technique)..

At Druckhaus Walsrode, the main jacket will be fed directly to the new FlexLiner from the NewsGrip chain.

Informative Meeting of the Scandinavian ­Mailroom User Group in Malmö Newspaper and mailroom specialists from Scandinavia met with experts from Muller Martini at Bold Printing in the Swedish city of Malmö for the traditional two-day meeting of the Mailroom User Group. The aim of the event, which was attended by some 20 people, was the mutual ­exchange of information and ­experiences on the topic of ­newspapers, in particular their production in the pressroom and mailroom.

Johan Stenberg, Executive ­Director of the Bold Printing Group, gave a talk about the ­current challenges facing the newspaper industry, while Lars Johansson, Chief Editor of the Swedish daily newspaper “Helsingborg Dagblad”, ­described the methods used by the paper daily to win over and retain ­readers.

On behalf of Muller Martini, André Chanez, Sales Manager for Scandinavia, presented Muller Martini’s latest mailroom instal­ lations and Connex.Mailroom ­control system, in addition to new solutions such as the universal NewsGrip F gripper conveyor.

Stefan Kocher, Sales Manager of the MMServices Program, showed how the economic life-time of mailroom equipment can be extended thanks to retrofit programs.

The attendees also took a look at the mailroom of the Bold Printing Group.

27

Saddle Stitching Systems

1

“We Needed an Additional Line for Selective Binding” ProBind Mohn Media Binding GmbH had planned to primarily use its new Primera C160 as an additional saddle stitcher for selective binding. However, now that Der Spiegel is wire-stitched in Marienfeld, the Primera is now also used to make Germany’s leading news magazine on one day a week.

E The volumes that are printed and processed into logs using a Muller Martini system at MOHN Media Mohndruck GmbH, before being finished at ProBind in Marienfeld just under 15 kilometers away, are ­impressive.

660 Million Products In addition to 330 million softcover telephone books, catalogs and magazines, which are bound using several Corona lines from Muller Martini, the company also saddle stitches some 330 million print products annually, with a slight upward trend in recent years.

Besides the half run of Der Spiegel for northern Germany, ProBind stitches numerous other magazines and catalogs with run sizes ranging from 30,000 to over one million copies. While the majority of its cus28

tomers for the roughly 80 magazine titles are based in Germany, the telephone directories and catalogs are predominantly ­delivered abroad.

Selective Binding Is In Fashion “Since the catalogs we produce often have different covers and inserts, are personalized inside/outside and addressed, we needed a third line for selective binding to supplement our two Tempo 22s and replace an aged saddle stitcher 300,” explains Chief Production and Technology ­Officer Roland Witte.

Gerhard Klenner, Technology and Maintenance Manager, explains that the company chose the Primera C160 from Muller Martini “because we want to produce more cost-effectively, i.e. have quicker changeovers and process runs at a higher

1 From left: Sero Ince (machine operator), Roland Witte (Chief Production and Technology Officer), Michael Blanke (Plant Manager), Gerhard Klenner (Technology and ­Maintenance Manager), Ralf Hagenlüke (Technology Manager) and Reinhold Achtner (Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany) in front of the new Primera C160 saddle stitcher at ProBind in Marienfeld.

2 From the Tempo 22 through the Supra to the Primera, machine operator Sero Ince feels equally at ease with all Muller Martini saddle stitchers.

3 Up to four inserts can be inserted inline and offline using the SITMA inserting machine M3.

4/5 Both the signatures (left) and the covers are fed to the new Primera C160 saddle stitcher using stream feeders.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

speed”. In addition to a cover feeder, eight flat pile feeders, two merchandise tippers, Asir 3 automatic signature image recogni­ tion, stream feeders for all feeders and a large monitor display, the extensive saddle stitching line includes a SITMA inserting machine M3 for up to four inserts, a Cheshire addressing system and two Ro­ busto compensating stackers, one down­ stream of the Primera and one downstream of the SITMA. Friday Is Der Spiegel Day ProBind, which was established in 1999, employs around 500 people and operates almost 24/7, commissioned the new sad­ dle stitcher before the company, which be­ longs to the Arvato/MOHN Media Group was awarded the major contract for pro­ duction of Der Spiegel. Naturally, the Prim­ era C160, together with the two Tempo 22s

and the Supra, is now also used to stitch the news magazine.

The production of Der Spiegel, which has been published on Saturdays for a few months now, is highly complex. The maga­ zine is printed each Friday with a lead time of a little under 24 hours. With up to four inserts that vary by geographical destin­ ation and a label on the front page with each subscriber’s address, to which Der Spiegel is delivered on Saturdays, product­ ion is highly challenging.

Double Production Boosts Productivity While Friday is the new Primera C160’s Der Spiegel day, on the other days of the week it can be used for the jobs it was originally intended to perform, in three shifts as for production of Der Spiegel, to the satisfac­ tion of Plant Manager Michael Blanke: “Our new saddle stitcher from Muller Martini is

2

3

4

5

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

unrivaled in this segment. We benefit not only from the considerable size flexibility, but also from the fact that we can use the Primera in double production, enabling us to increase our productivity still further.”

Witte also emphasizes another advan­ tage of the recent investment: “We’re high­ ly familiar with Muller Martini technology so it’s easy to make switches as all 40 of our machine operators can operate the two Tempo 22s, the Supra and the Primera.

That, of course, also contributes to a ­greater output. We need such higher ­productivity in view of the current print ­finishing prices.” 

www.mohnmedia.de

29

Special Products

A Living Book From QR codes and augmented reality to Blippar and tiptoi, there are no limits to the digital links between print and multimedia. However, it was the Basel-based company iart that ­presented a world premier in a museum this year. It designed for the Gauguin exhibition at the Beyeler Foundation in the Swiss municipality of Riehen a printed, interactive book that is operated like a touch screen and even talks.

E “Can I take it home with me?” asks an elderly lady jokingly. Multimedia applications might be thought to appeal predominantly to the younger generation, but the printed interactive book, which made museum visitors ooh and aah, fascinated both young and old at the Gauguin exhibition of the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen.

Seagulls Soar Over the Book The exhibition book about the famous French painter, who lived between 1848 and 1903, looks like a conventional print product at first glance. Readers can flick through the pages like with any book. The

magic begins, however, as soon as you touch the paper with your fingers. Seagulls fly screeching over a page of the book, ships with smoking funnels ride the waves, and noises, sounds and music are audible.

The living book was created by iart, a ­Basel-based company that specializes in imaginative concepts focusing on spatial interaction for exhibitions, trade fairs and events. “By lending an analog medium a digital dimension, we’ve created an experi­ ence that appeals to all the senses and opens up new ways of conveying information,” says company founder and CEO Valentin Spiess. “And since Paul Gauguin him-

self wrote several books and led an exciting life thanks to his many South Sea journeys, an interactive book was the natural choice.”

Book Pages Act as a Touch Screen The technology of the book, which conveys abundant additional information about the life and work of Gauguin, deliberately remains concealed. An infrared camera, which, like the projector, is installed on the ceiling, films the book, which is mounted on a stand, from above. The camera and the software detect the given pages and the printed elements respectively. The projector then projects animations or addition-

1 The magic begins as soon as you touch the paper with your fingers.

© Mark Niedermann

2 Valentin Spiess (founder and CEO of iart): “We’ve added a digital dimension to the analog book medium.”

1 30

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

© Mark Niedermann

Animating the Interactive Book in Four Steps E Download the SEG LIVE app from the App Store or Google Play.

E Launch the app.

Download E Focus the camera of your smartphone and open on the two people lookingtheatApp the interactive book and keep your camera on Point the the title image for a few seconds . . . camera in the the E . . . and see how viewers reacted App to thetovisual interactive book at the Gauguin exhibition in Riehen (original video: www.iart. ch).

2

© Mark Niedermann

al texts onto the pages of the book. The interaction takes place via the book spine, which has integrated sensors. “We’ve added a digital dimension to the analog book medium, allowing printed and projected content to merge,” says Spiess.

The menu navigation of the six identical magic books, which were placed in a vir­tual educational area at the Beyeler Foundation in Riehen at the end of the Gauguin exhibition, is similar to that of a touch screen.

“However, by making it possible to engage with an image through a haptic experience, a book offers added value and is considerably more effective than the tablets that every­one has at home. That makes the memory of the museum much longer lasting.”

Attracting Young Adults to Museums The engineer who established iart, which employs 40 people, in 2001 is convinced that such multimedia solutions will grow in importance in the future, in particular when Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

it comes to museums. “Museums have to work hard to attract every visitor. With interactive elements, they can appeal especially to the younger generation and address a new audience. Our approach is therefore to make art accessible and reach out to people through media solutions.”

Or as Catherine Iselin, art historian from the Beyeler Foundation, who is responsible for the book content, puts it: “For this exhib­ition, we wanted to convey art to the visit­ors in a really unique way.”

Media Response Has Multiplier Effect Spiess had been hopeful that his company’s solution would go down well with the public, but even he was surprised by the tremendous response. “First, even Gauguin experts were amazed at the new things they learned thanks to the visual effects, for example about color systems. Second, we were delighted by the huge media response and all the reports in newspapers

and TV shows. They definitely had a multiplier effect and attracted even more people to the museum.”

Not surprisingly, iart received inquiries from throughout the world just a few days after the opening of the exhibition, at which over 50 masterpieces of Gauguin were on show between February and June of this year. Spiess, who has already implemented projects with his team in 13 countries, will not be short of either work or ideas.

And what does the multimedia expert believe lies ahead when it comes to the interactivity of print and electronic media?

“We’ll see changes in the coming years – just think, for example, of e-ink or organic  LED,” he says.

www.iart.ch 31

Digital Solutions

Short Runs Call for Seven SigmaLine Digital Book Production Systems at Quad/Graphics

1

As the run lengths of books are continuously falling, Quad/Graphics is increasingly investing in digital printing. Muller Martini's seven SigmaLine digital book production systems will ensure the cost-effective production of short runs in Versailles in the US state of Kentucky by the end of this year.

E When Joel Quadracci, Chairman, President and CEO of Quad/Graphics announced a few months ago that his company would invest in at least 20 T-series HP digital printing presses as part of the company’s strategy to better support the changing needs of book publishers, it made waves in the graphic arts industry.

“We had to push the digital envelope faster because publishers wanted smaller 32

batch sizes,” said Joel Quadracci in March in an interview with “What They Think?”, a US-based website. “Some publishers have hundreds of millions of dollars tied up in inventories, and there is still about 30% waste in the supply chain with books that are obsolete and will never be sold. With today’s digital print technology, production costs are getting to a point where the breakeven between offset and digital

means you can tackle the inventory issue.

The book industry will transform to lower inventory levels that get replenished in smaller batch sizes.”

Those shorter runs are produced at the plant, which employs 420 people in three shifts, in Versailles in the US state of Kentucky. Quad/Graphics will commission five additional HP T-410 color digital printing presses there before the end of the year.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Bill Jalbert (right), Plant Director of the Quad/Graphics plant in Versailles: “Connex played a key part in our decision to invest in the new SigmaLine systems. It puts Muller Martini way ahead of the competition.”

Left: Eric Olsen, Sales Manager at Muller Martini North America.

2 Quad/Graphics in Versailles is commis­ sioning six SigmaLine systems with the new, fully automated SigmaFolder II signature folder in 2015.

2

Five SigmaLines from Muller Martini featuring the innovative SigmaFolder II signature folder, the SigmaCollator with pre-gluing and pre-stacking, and the Connex Data and Process Management System are used for the inline book block production. One of the six new SigmaLines will replace the existing book block line of one of Muller Martini's competitors. A first-generation SigmaLine, which has been producing successfully since 2010, will remain in operation.

Quick Job Changeovers “The SigmaLine is the perfect system for producing print products cost-effectively, even in short runs,” says Daren Robarge, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at Quad/Graphics. Plant Director Bill Jalbert adds: “We’re especially impressed by the quick changeovers and the excellent quality of the book blocks.”

Though Quad/Graphics already had some experience with the Muller Martini

book production system, because Worldcolor’s SigmaLine was relocated from Dubuque (Iowa) to Versailles in 2012 after Quad/Graphics acquired the firm, Robarge was keen to visit the Muller Martini plant in Zofingen, Switzerland, in person ahead of the latest investment to see the most recent SigmaLine technology in action. “We did a few tests with products similar to ours, the results of which were completely > to our satisfaction.”

Connex – the Backbone of Digital Book Production As an integral part of all SigmaLine configurations, the Connex data and process management system developed by Muller Martini is the backbone of all digital print production. Connex includes an automatic imposition process, which is networked with digital printing and print finishing.

Connex controls and monitors all processes required for production, thereby ensuring a seamless workflow from the PDF to the finished print product at the maximum level of automation.

By taking small runs as they are dispatched for production, Connex groups them in batches of “like work” to maximize efficiencies so these jobs can run non-stop

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

for maximum output. New to Connex is the ability for full cut-off and format size changes on-the-fly, so that, in most cases, the system does not need to shut down between format changes unless the roll stock needs to change also.

In parallel with the extension of the Sigma­Folder II modular system, Connex has therefore also been extended to include all new configuration options. The multitude of digital printing presses and their web widths, together with the various types of print finishing, calls for an enormous variety of print layouts. Connex generates all printing data dynamically and can manage all types of digital print production

– be it saddle stitched products from a narrow web to softcover books printed using a wide, high-speed inkjet press.

“Connex played a key part in our decision to invest in the six new SigmaLine systems,” says Bill Jalbert, Plant Director of the Quad/Graphics plant in Versailles. “That system puts Muller Martini way ahead of the competition.”

33

Digital Solutions

Overview of Quad/Graphics Quad/Graphics is a $ 4.9 billion global provider of print and media solutions that is redefining print in today’s multi­ channel media world by helping market­ ers and publishers capitalize on print’s ability to complement and connect with other media channels. Headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin, USA, the company has approximately 25,000 employees serving a diverse base of clients from ap­ proximately 70 facilities in North Amer­ ica, South America and Europe. Add­ itionally, the company has strategic investments in printing operations in Brazil, Chile and India.

With consultative ideas, worldwide capabilities, leading-edge technology and single-source simplicity, Quad/ Graphics has the resources and know­ ledge to help a wide variety of clients in distinct vertical industries, including but not limited to retail, publishing, insur­ ance, financial and healthcare. Products include magazines, catalogs, retail ad­ vertising inserts, direct mail, books, di­ rectories, in-store displays, packaging and more.

The company’s first SigmaLine system was relocated to Versailles from the Worldcolor plant in Dubuque in 2012.

High Investment Protection The six new SigmaLine systems, of which Quad/Graphics already has two lines oper­ ating 24/7 as of mid-April 2015, feature the new, fully automated SigmaFolder II signa­ ture folder. It can be adapted even more flexibly to market requirements and market segments since, in addition to the estab­ lished 42-inch applications, it can now al­ so be configured optimally for belt widths from 20 to 60 inches, and every gradation in-between. Thanks to this scalability, the system can be extended later at any time in the future if market requirements change or new digital printing technologies emerge, providing Quad/Graphics with a high degree of investment protection.

Furthermore, the SigmaLine system can also enable new business models when used downstream of digital printing press­ es with smaller web widths. Quad/Graph­ ics in Versailles, where Muller Martini sys­ tems are used both for hardcover (Diamant 34

bookline) and softcover (perfect binder, modular binder) book production, also in­ creasingly prints educational materials in addition to books. The runs for those ma­ terials are naturally in the short-run seg­ ment. “We want to be a major player in the short-run market, so the SigmaLine sys­ tems play an important role for us,” says Robarge.

To Touch the Products as Little as Possible Quad/Graphics has been impressed by the new technology. “We benefit from the fact that Quad/Graphics and Muller Martini have had a strong partnership for many years and we can exchange a lot of ideas,” says Jalbert, who has worked in the graph­ ic arts industry for 27 years.

According to Jalbert, the newer employ­ ees are particularly excited by the new Sig­ maLine technology. “They find it interest­ ing working with such state-of-the-art

machines.” That is made much easier by the Connex data and job process manage­ ment system (see also box), explains Jal­ bert. “Our express aim is for our machine operators to have to touch the products as  little as possible.”

www.QC.com Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Portrait

Peder Schumacher: “We Need to Involve End Customers Even More” As the CEO of V-TAB, northern Europe’s largest printing plant group and Chairman of the Nordic Offset Printing Association (NOPA), Peder Schumacher is an expert on the graphic arts industry in the north. “We may be competitors, but we’re all in the same boat,” says the 54-year-old Swede.

E With seven plants, 750 employees and annual turnover of SEK 1.7 billion (just ­under USD 200 million), V-TAB is the leading graphic arts business in northern ­Europe. V-TAB has several production sites in Sweden, including in Vimmerby, where the company uses state-of-the art Muller Martini print finishing systems, including a Corona C18 perfect binder, which was ­recently equipped with two merchandise tippers, together with a high-performance 3697 gathering machine, and a complex Primera E140 saddle stitching line with six flat pile feeders, a cover feeder, stream feeders, a Perfetto compensating stacker,

a Sitma inserting system and a Solema ­ luton palletizer.

P The Pit Stop Decides It V-TAB publishes numerous titles of its own and is also involved in the direct mail business. The company generates 80 percent of its turnover with jobs for outside companies – both other publishers and large retail chains. “We face the same challenges as most printing plants and bookbinderies across the world,” says Schumacher, who has been CEO since 2000 of V-TAB and the distribution company VTD that was founded in 2014. “More titles, shorter runs,

greater flexibility. That’s why we rely on Muller Martini systems with their short make-ready times. In our industry it’s like in Formula One – the race is decided during the pit stop.”

NOPA: All in the Same Boat Schumacher is particularly well aware that his competitors (“many of whom also use Muller Martini solutions”) are in a similar situation, since he has been Chairman of the Nordic Offset Printing Association for the past four years now. NOPA’s members include some 70 graphic arts businesses and suppliers from eight northern Euro­ pean and Baltic states. John Jansen, Managing Director at Muller Martini Nordic, is the only representative of a machine manufacturer on its eleven-member board.

“We may be competitors, but we’re all in the same boat,” says Schumacher. The members therefore meet twice yearly – once outside the Nordic region – with a conference on one day and two visits to interesting companies on the other day. According to the Chairman, the meetings typically revolve around the same questions: “Where can we find new market segments and business models? How can we make print products more attractive? How can we maintain our profitability? It’s clear to me what we need to involve our end customers even more in order to answer those questions.” www.v-tab.se www.nopa.nu

Peder Schumacher (right) is CEO of V-TAB and Chairman of the trade association NOPA, whose board members include John Jansen, Managing Director at Muller Martini Nordic.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

35

Hardcover Production

“The Diamant MC 35 Digital Is the Ideal Solution for Our Short Runs” The runs of hardcover books produced for libraries by R&R Bindery Service, Inc. in Girard in the US state of Illinois have an average of 30 copies. The Diamant MC 35 Digital with a barcode reader comes into its own for such short runs.

E R&R Bindery has been successful for 25 years with a business model that is specific to the US, but also represents a typical niche. For US municipal and school libraries who purchase hardcover books, the bookbindery has specialized in converting paperbacks to hardcover.

Win-Win Situation R&R Bindery buys small quantities of finished softcover books from publishers that produce in large quantities, removes their covers and turns the book blocks into hardcover books. “For the printing plants supplying us, it isn’t worth producing so few

hardcover books using a single bookline,” says Alan McIntire, Co-CEO of the family business that was established by his fatherin-law Robert Mullins and Rick Roberts in 1978. “For us, however, it would be unprofitable to print short runs in-house – we ­only print hardcover book covers ourselves,

1 36

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 Ensuring that the right cover is matched to the right book block is a crucial part of the day-to-day work at R&R Bindery.

2 Alan McIntire (left), Co-CEO of R&R Bindery: “We used to check every single book manually, whereas today we just ­perform spot checks.” Next to Alan McIntire is Machine Operator Brad Riley. Beside him are James K. Kaeli and Richard Allart, both Sales Managers at Muller Martini North America.

3 R&R Bindery produces up to 170,000 different titles each year, with a total volume of four to five million books, using the ­Diamant MC 35 Digital.

2

­using two digital presses. That’s why the current model is a win-win situation for our suppliers and for us.”

Up to 170,000 Titles Annually At R&R Bindery, short runs means runs of 30 copies per job on average. With an annual total volume of four to five million books, that means a respectable 140,000 to 170,000 different titles. Until recently, R&R Bindery produced these with a combination of (semi) automatic production and manual work. The company, however, decided to invest in the fully automated Diamant MC 35 system in order to make its workflow considerably more efficient. It was the first investment in a Muller Mar­tini machine in the company's 36-year his­tory.

There were two main reasons for that decision, explains McIntire. “First, our new Diamant MC 35 is the ideal solution for short runs. Second, the barcode reader, for which we take data from our MIS, ensures the optimal production sequence.”

Now Spot Checks Only Since commissioning the Diamant MC 35 Digital, R&R Bindery not only produces three times faster than before (“we produce the same quantities, but in fewer shifts,” says McIntire), it also achieves sigMuller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

3

nificantly higher book quality. “We used to check every single book manually, whereas today we just perform spot checks,” says the Co-CEO, who heads up the company, which employs some 120 people, together with his brother-in-law Rick Roberts.

McIntire attributes the fact that the workflow and quality are so good to the optimal exchange of ideas with Muller Martini USA before and after installation. “I’ve never bought a machine before where the support from the manufacturer was so good. There was intensive exchange between our in-house IT department and the Muller Martini experts concerning the barcode reader in particular.”

Fit for the Future R&R Bindery very rarely performs conventional hardcover production runs alongside its jobs for libraries, which is why, for instance, the Diamant MC 35 does not have a rounding station. And even though the successful company does not currently have any plans for new business models, “we’re flexibly positioned for the future thanks to the new Muller Martini book-­ line that can be extended,” emphasizes ­McIntire. 

37

Hardcover Production

The New Diamant MC 60 Is Set to Boost Japan’s Photobook Segment Masumoto, which is based in the Japanese city of Kyoto, is relying on the state-of-the-art technology of two digital printing presses and a Muller Martini Diamant MC bookline to tap into new business segments.

1 E The company, which was established as a photo studio in 1932 in the former southern Japanese port town of Moji, which merged with four other cities to form the new megopolis of Kitakyushu in 1963, by the grandfather of the current President Keizaburo Matsumoto, experienced a huge upturn in the immediate post-war years.

The reason was that the US servicemen stationed in Moji sent photos home to their families. The company later focused on the education sector, in particular the production of school yearbooks containing photos of all the students. Initially the yearbooks were sent out for printing, but in 1947 Mat38

sumoto launched its own printing operations. In those days producing high quality prints was far from easy, with the company using the collotype method to try and replicate the quality of photographs in a printed book. That type of printing is challenging in many respects. Since the results are also influenced by the immediate climate, Matsumoto relocated the print business 1,000 kilometers to the north, to the historic center of Kyoto.

Number 2 in Japan The development of the offset technique allowed Matsumoto to leave collotype be-

hind and begin a new era of color printing.

At that time Matsumoto was one of 150 similar print businesses in Japan, and, as Keizaburo Matsumoto freely admits, was “one of the smallest”. However, it was the first to offer offset color printing, sparking a huge growth cycle for the company. ­Today, Matsumoto holds the second-largest market share of the 20 players in the Japanese market.

The company has experienced a similarly seismic change in technology this year.

Since January all jobs are now performed using two sheetfed inkjet presses, and one offset press. The hardcover books are finMuller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

1 From right: Shotaro Kinoshita (Deputy Manager of the Matsumoto Bookbindery), ­Takumi Kusu (Manager of the Matsumoto ­Bookbindery) and Takashi Gotanda (Sales ­Director at Muller Martini Japan) in front of the new Diamant MC 60 bookline at ­Matsumoto in Kyoto.

2 The Diamant MC 60 is the ideal solution for the ultra-short runs planned

by Matsumoto.

2 sought a technology partner with the right solution and technical expertise. “That’s why we looked to Muller Martini, whose Diamant MC 60 has the right technology for our goal of producing ultra-short runs.”

Keizaburo Matsumoto traveled to Eur­ ope for the specific purpose of seeing the various options for himself. “The Diamant stood out. As soon as we visited a Dutch factory, I realized that it was time for something new.”

Matsumoto already had experience of using Muller Martini systems, which played an important role in the decision to invest in the new solution, explains Keizaburo Matsumoto. “Our goal is to produce short runs efficiently at a price that’s acceptable to the market, and the Diamant helps us to achieve exactly that.”

ished using a new Diamant MC 60 from Muller Martini. Keizaburo Matsumoto explains that the aim is to develop the market for ultra-short runs right down to runs of one copy. “In Japan this market is uncharted territory compared to the European market. However, we see great potential here, and can, for instance, envisage photobooks for weddings, holidays, family ­gatherings and sports teams,” he says.

Ideal for Ultra-Short Runs The company leader explains that to gain a foothold in this market at volumes that make it commercially viable, Matsumoto Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

for them and price the photobooks at an acceptable level. We believe that this is a promising business model.”

“Ideally Positioned” Keizaburo Matsumoto joined the company in 1975 immediately after his school graduation at a time when the business had around 40 employees. Today, 200 permanent employees and 100 part-time employees work for Matsumoto. “Our company has always invested in new technology to provide customers with the products they desire,” emphasizes Keizaburo Matsumoto. “We’re confident that we’re ideally ­positioned for the future with the two ­digital printing presses, the Diamant and photobook short runs.” 

“I’m Delighted” Matsumoto installed the Diamant MC 60 at the beginning of this year, just in time for its traditional peak period in February and March, since school yearbooks have to be ready by April. “The Diamant ran without interruption,” says Keizaburo Matsumoto, “producing perfect quality hour after hour for virtually two months. I’m delighted.

Now we’re also using it for ultra-short runs in the photobook market.”

Matsumoto is setting up a web-to-print site with the help of off-the-shelf software that will enable Japanese customers to upload their photos from their smartphones, arrange them into pages and then send them off to be printed and bound. “Today everyone takes photos with their smartphone,” emphasizes Keizaburo Matsumoto. “New images are constantly being created, and hardly anyone can view them all.

We believe our customers would like to keep a permanent record of special events in a photobook, providing we make it easy 39

Softcover Production

Alegro and Ventura MC – the Compact Solution that Convinced Resl A year after investing in a Presto II, D.R.J. Tiskárna Resl s.r.o. in the Czech town of Náchod has taken the next step to upgrade its bookbindery. After increasing the level of automation of its saddle stitching operations, it has now done the same for perfect binding and thread sewing by investing in a new Alegro A6 and a new Ventura MC.

Jiˇrí

1 E The Managing Director of the successful family business, Jiˇrí Resl Jr., whose father Jiˇrí Resl Sr. established the familyowned business, which employs 35 people, in 1991, and whose son Jakub is also involved in the company, has a sustainable company philosophy. “Our primary goal is not to provide the market with products at rock-bottom prices. Instead, we strive for in-depth, long-term cooperation, including consulting and service provision, with partners that value high-quality print products and are willing to pay a slightly higher price.”

Scrutiny of Factories The same philosophy is espoused by Jiˇrí Resl Jr., who discusses major investments with his father, still active for the company at over 70, in depth. They scrutinize the fac40

tories of manufacturers together to gain an impression of the dimensions and mark of quality of suppliers ahead of purchasing a new machine.

That was also the case when the company recently decided to replace two aging perfect binding and thread sewing systems. “Muller Martini didn’t make us the cheapest offer, but the Alegro and the ­Ventura MC were the most convincing compact solution.”

Identical Operating Philosophy The company head was convinced, in particular, by the high degree of automation and the identical operating philosophy of the two new systems. “We definitely wanted to reduce our set-up times. And, since Muller Martini systems are operated in a similar way, we can use our personnel at

1 Managing Director Jiˇrí Resl Jr. (center): “We’re consistently receiving new orders that we wouldn’t have been able to produce with the old perfect binder”. Right Jakub Resl (grandson of the company founder) and Jiˇrí Resl Sr. (company founder), left Lubos Kunze (Managing Director of Muller Martini Czech Republic) and Roland Henn (Regional Director of Muller Martini Eastern Europe).

2 The new Granit three-knife trimmer is fully automated and has a wide range of applications in softcover and hardcover lines.

3 Products that used to be glued using hotmelt and then needed to be thread-sewn for quality reasons are today glued with PUR using the Alegro (pictured) and do not require additional thread sewing.

4 Resl has doubled its thread sewing capacity since commissioning the new Ventura MC.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

2

The Czech Republic’s First Alegro and First Granit Resl, which also runs a forwarding compa­ ny with 60 trucks and two Scania buses, features not only the Czech Republic’s first Alegro perfect binder, but also the coun­

different machines. That played an import­ ant part in our decision to invest in Muller Martini machines.”

In addition, Muller Martini is the only manufacturer of graphic arts machines to have its own agency in the Czech Repub­ lic. “That naturally has a lot of advantages for us in terms of after-sale services and language,” explains Jiˇrí Resl.

try’s first Granit three-knife trimmer. The new Granit from Muller Martin impresses with its consistently excellent trim quality thanks to innovative SmartPress technolo­ gy, confirms Managing Director Jiˇrí Resl Jr. The fully automated equipment has a wide range of applications in soft­cover and hard­ cover lines.

The Granit uses patented SmartPress technology, which has proven its worth in the higher performance range, to provide optimal, consistently high trim quality. It ensures a gentle and controlled pressing procedure in which all air between the sheets of paper completely escapes, even if the product is bulky, allowing for the

Today, products that used to be glued using hotmelt and then needed to be thread-sewn for quality reasons are glued with PUR using the Alegro and do not re­ quire additional thread sewing. “That gives us another good sales argument in the market,” emphasizes Jiˇrí Resl.

All School Text Books Are Thread Sewn Tiskárna Resl, which has two Ryobi sheetfed offset printing presses and finances all its investments without EU support, sup­ plies solely to customers in the Czech ­Republic and Slovakia. Sixty percent of the products are delivered to publishing houses, 30 percent to companies and 10 percent to a range of customers.

While the school text books, with runs ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 copies, are all thread sewn using the Ventura MC, the same is only true of 2 to 3 percent of the catalogs and brochures, where the typical run size is 1,000 to 3,000 copies. The vast majority are conventionally perfect bound using the Alegro.

Double the Amount of Thread Sewing This February, shortly before commission­ ing the Alegro, the company received a ­major order of 60,000 perfect bound cata­ logs from a construction firm. Other Czech printing plants are also increasingly having their products produced in Náchod, since Resl boasts the country’s most modern bookbindery thanks to the two latest ma­ chines and the Presto II saddle stitcher, which was commissioned in 2013.

Resl benefits from the fact that, in add­ ition to the increase in capacity (thread sewing jobs have rapidly doubled), the new systems also give it far greater flexibility.

“We really need that flexibility,” says Jiˇrí Resl. “With the school text books it’s not so much of a problem, but the lead times have become extremely tight for many ­other jobs.”

A Constant Stream of New Jobs The fact that the new perfect binding line with a 12-station gathering machine, crisscross outlet for thread sewing, manual feed and the latest Granit three-knife trimmer (see box) features the VPN nozzle system developed by Muller Martini has boosted Resl’s position on the Czech softcover mar­ ket in no time at all. “We’re consistently re­ ceiving new orders that we wouldn’t have been able to produce with the old perfect binder,” says Jiˇrí Resl.

Diamant Bookline on the Horizon Jiˇrí Resl will soon have yet another ace up his sleeve. The company, whose job vol­ ume has increased thanks to the favorable economic situation in the Czech Republic, has decided to commission a Diamant MC 35 bookline next year.

“When my father and I tested the Ven­ tura MC at the Muller Martini Hardcover Forum in Bad Mergentheim, we also took a look at the Diamant,” says Jiˇrí Resl. “Our customers regularly ask us when we’re go­

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

product to be trimmed perfectly, which is key to consistently high product quality.

The Granit ensures cost-effective pro­ duction in a wide range of applications. The Granit takes full advantage of seamless au­ tomation in a fully networked perfect bind­ ing line, such as with the Pantera or Alegro A6 perfect binders. The operator can ­perform the necessary fine-tuning directly on the central screen of the perfect binder during production. In addition, the trim­ ming cassette and pressing pad can be ­exchanged in just a few steps, which ­shortens job changeover times consider­ ably.

3

4 ing to enter the hardcover segment. Since the Alegro already gives us a solution for backgluing, we’ll make that investment for the future in 2016.” 

www.tiskarnaresl.cz 41

Softcover Production

The Largest Investment Package of a Swedish Bookbindery for Years Having opened a new production site, the Swedish Vindspelet Grafiska AB printing plant in Borås, together with its newly founded sister company for print finishing, Viareds Bokbinderi, now also offers perfect binding, thread sewing and saddle stitching.

E For years Vindspelet Grafiska AB, which was founded in 2002 and employs 29 people, concentrated solely on printing, and had its finished products produced by partner companies. That, however, all changed this spring when the family business, which is located on a greenfield site in the industrial zone of Borås, opened a new, state-of-the-art plant.

Now a Full-Service Graphic Arts ­Company In addition to two sheet-fed offset printing presses and two smaller digital printing systems, several print finishing systems have been installed. They belong to Vindspelet Grafiska AB’s sister company ­Viareds Bokbinderi, which was founded specifically for print finishing and employs eight people.

“Our aim in becoming a full-service graphic arts company was to achieve five key goals,” explains Tommy Dise, CEO of Vindspelet Grafiska AB and Viareds Bokbinderi. “First, we were keen to keep the entire value added chain in-house. Second, we wanted the distances involved to be shorter in order to optimize the printingprint finishing workflow. Third, we wanted to be able to plan more reliably as a result of no longer being dependent on external partners. Fourth, we were eager to improve the quality monitoring of our finished prod42

1

ucts. And, fifth, we wanted to position ourselves on the open market as a bookbindery that not only finishes in-house printed signatures.”

Short Runs Have Advantages Too The run sizes of books, catalogs and maga­ zines are also falling in Sweden by between 10 and 15 percent per title and per year, while the number of titles is increasing.

That is not without its advantages, how­

ever, says Dise. “Shorter runs are often more attractive to us financially because customers are willing to pay a decent price for a high-quality product.”

In order to be competitive precisely in the shorter run segment, the CEO had a clear idea of what was needed: “We need a perfect binder that can be changed over quickly for our run segment – 2000 to 10,000 copies in a wide range of sizes per job.”

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

2

Recommendation of the Bookbindery Managers Viareds Bokbinderi’s decision to invest in Scandinavia’s first Alegro with a 12-station 3692 gathering machine featuring the Asir 3 signature scanning system, the ­Granit three-knife trimmer and the Uno book stacker was based not only on Muller Martini’s reputation but also on the opinions of the two newly appointed bookbindery managers Jim Månsson and Magnus Magnusson. “We involved them substantially in the evaluation of the softcover equipment.” And since both (Månsson 35 year as a bookbinder, Magnusson 32 year as a bookbinder) have extensive experience of Muller Martini machines, the Alegro with its great size variability soon emerged as the favorite.”

The very first weeks of production have proven that to be well founded. “Our new perfect binder is really easy to operate, and job changeovers are much quicker than before – it’s in a different league from the machine types that I worked with previously.”

What is more, the two bookbindery managers were present during the installation process. “That allowed us to familiarize ourselves even better with the Alegro,” ­emphasizes Magnusson.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Print Finishing of Digitally Printed ­ ignatures on the Horizon S Currently the Alegro is solely used to bind offset printed signatures, since for now Vindspelet Grafiska AB only uses digital printing for smaller products such as fourpage mini catalogs and flyers, which are not print finished. However, the company’s in-house digital printing volume is growing slowly but surely (by “3 to 4 percent a year”, according to Dise’s estimate), so it is likely that the Alegro will be used to finish products from both print segments in the not too distant future. The digital-ready perfect binder is geared up for that.

Primera and Ventura Together with the Alegro and three MBO folding machines, Viareds Bokbinderi also commissioned two additional Muller Martini print finishing systems – a Primera C130 saddle stitcher with a cover feeder, six flat pile feeders and a Robusto compensating stacker, and a Ventura book sewing machine. “Today there is just one motto: invest or die,” says Dise, explaining the reason for the largest investment package of a Swedish bookbindery for years. “Since all our systems are from the same supplier, it’s easier for us in many ways when it comes

1 Tommy Dise (right), CEO of Vindspelet Grafiska AB and Viareds Bokbinderi: “Smaller jobs are often more attractive to us financially.”Beside him are the two ­bookbindery managers Jim Månsson and Magnus Magnusson, as well as John Jansen, Managing Director at Muller Martini Nordic.

2 The bookbindery managers of Viareds Bokbinderi expressed their preference for Muller Martini’s Alegro during the evaluation process for the new perfect binder.

to operation, servicing and training.” The Primera is used to produce magazines, company brochures, a small number of peri­odicals and commercial work with runs of between 2,000 and 10,000 copies, while the Ventura is used for runs of between 500 and 10,000 copies. The company’s customers are predominantly located in western Sweden..  www.viaredsbokbinderi.se 43

Softcover Production

“Perfect Binding Is the Start of a New Era for Us” After entering perfect binding and installing an Alegro from Muller Martini, Johann Sandler GmbH & Co. KG in the Austrian town of Marbach has almost doubled the number of jobs it prints and finishes annually. Its value added along the whole production chain has also increased to an impressive 95 percent.

1

E Until summer 2014, Sandler print & packaging produced around 1,700 jobs per year – mainly saddle stitching jobs with runs of a million copies and more. Since commissioning the new Alegro last August, the number of jobs for its customers, 25 to 30 percent of which are located abroad, has risen to around 2,800. “Perfect binding is the start of a new era for us,” says Managing Director and trained printer Hannes Sandler, who has been involved in the family business, which was established by his father Johann in 1982, since he was ten.

Changes Afoot A new era for Sandler means that 32 years after the company was established, it has first employed two sales representatives, 44

with the welcome result that the volume of products printed both for other printing plants and for direct customers has increased significantly.

The new era also means that Sandler has increased its permanent staff from 40 to 50 over the past two years as it has expanded its range of products and services.

The company also employs 15 temporary workers. “We need them to back up our permanent staff, since our job volume fluctuates widely at times. We generate some 50 percent of our turnover in late summer and fall, when we produce catalogs for the Christmas business.”

More Machines than Employees However, the changes are not solely a consequence of entering perfect binding and

installing the extensive Alegro line (see box). Sandler print & packaging with its four core segments of commercial printing, package printing, finishing and mailshots/bookbindery invested some EUR 9.5 million in new printing presses a year before commissioning the new softcover system from Muller Martini. Today, it has no fewer than thirty 75 x 105 cm printing heads at its disposal, two of them with roll/ sheet feeders, spread out over three machines.

Together with the Alegro, layer folding production has been doubled and a cellophaning machine has been installed to film wrap the covers. Two screen and flexo printing machines for UV and LM coatings are also used for production. “With our technology, we’re uniquely positioned not Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

2

1 Managing Director Hannes Sandler (left): “If we’re going to enter softcover, then it has to be in-house.” Right: Max Demczuk (Technical Director). Center: Peter Cerer (Sales Manager at Muller Martini Austria).

2 A high level of automation, central control and as few staff as possible – Sandler has achieved those three key goals with the new Alegro perfect binder.

3 The Orbit three-knife trimmer (right) ­ensures maximum net output, while the CB 18 book stacker produces top-quality stacks.

only in Austria, but also in Europe. I don’t know of any similar operations,” says Hannes Sandler with pride.

Guaranteeing Print Finishing The fact that Sandler has commissioned a perfect binder for the first time since a brief period of using a small three-clamp man­ ual machine in the early 1990s was also a dir­ect result of the investment in new printing technology. “We’re in for a penny, in for a pound – if we’re entering print finishing,

then we also have to guarantee quality, transport and deadlines,” emphasizes Sandler.

“With such an investment, it’s also important to create the right conditions in terms of space, staff, the folding process and palletizing, and to plan processes ­fully, right through to loading onto the truck.” It was therefore clear to Sandler from the start: “If we’re going to enter softcover, then it has to be done in-house, since that’s what our key customers require.” >

3 Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

45

Softcover Production

For the Alegro investment, Sandler created the right conditions in terms of space, staff, the folding process and palletizing (pictured is the Pluton palletizer), and fully planned the relevant processes, right through to loading onto the truck.

95 Percent Value Added In-House Before commissioning the Alegro, Sandler had one or two perfect binding jobs per week, which it outsourced. Now that num­ ber has risen to two to four jobs a day, and, thanks to the new machines, Sandler can keep an impressive 95 percent of the total value added chain in-house. Only hard­ cover is still outsourced today.

The company chose the Alegro, the company’s first solution from Muller Mar­ tini in its 33-year history, because “Muller Martini presented us with a complete con­ cept as a total solution,” says Hannes Sandler. “Second, we wanted a perfect binder with a high level of automation and central control so that as few staff as pos­ sible would be required.” Sandler has achieved that goal. Today, 50% of soft­cover production is performed by two people, in­ cluding the machine operators. A maxi­ 46

“AMS Was an Important Factor”

mum of three operators are required for the remaining 30 percent of jobs.

More and More Short Runs The Alegro is predominantly used to pro­ duce magazines and brochures, in A6 land­ scape to A3 formats, in run sizes of be­ tween 3,000 and 50,000 copies, though the run sizes can exceed 100,000 copies in rare cases. However, Sandler also prints short runs with as a few as 300 copies, even including a special catalog in Japan­ ese recently.

“Run sizes are falling, in some cases dra­ matically, but the number of jobs continues to rise,” says Hannes Sandler. That is where the new Alegro with its quick make-ready  comes into its own.

Sandler’s extensive Alegro line with hot­ melt and PUR, a splitting saw for in­ creasing double production, a 3696 gathering machine (with 15 stations plus a book block feeder), an Orbit threeknife trimmer, a CB 18 book stacker, shrink tunnel and Pluton palletizer from Solema also includes the System Adhe­ sive Monitoring System developed by Muller Martini.

AMS minimizes glue consumption and production waste in perfect bind­ ing. A laser near the gluing unit contin­ uously monitors glue application, even for differing glue patterns, by means of heat measurement. That enables the amount of glue applied to be adjusted at any time.

“AMS was an important factor in our decision to invest in the Alegro, since it enables us to provide our customers with even greater reliability in terms of glue application.”

www.sandler.at Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

Interview with Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe (ZinePak)

“Think Print Is Dead?

Take a Look at ZinePak!” Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe were just in their mid-20s when they established their own company in 2011 and published the first ZinePak in the same year – a print magazine with lots of value added for super-fans. Four years on, the company has grown from having a staff of two to eleven, generates ­turnover of millions of dollars and located on the prestigious Fifth Avenue in New York.

ZinePak established by Brittany Hodak (right) and Kim Kaupe is one of the most remarkable startups in the American publishing scene.

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

47

Interview with Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe (ZinePak)

E “Think print is dead? Take a look at ZinePak!” wrote the “Wall Street Journal”, the renowned business daily, when it nominated ZinePak as “startup of the year” in 2013. The company, which was established by Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe without any venture capital and remains self-funded today, is one of the most extraordinary startup stories in the American publishing scene. In 2013, it won the Gold Stevie Award for Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year and was named startup of the month in April 2013 by Entrepreneur Magazine.

In an interview with “Panorama“, the two young company founders explained why their business model, which combines print and music, is so successful despite declining record sales and falling magazine circulations.

“The company hasn’t taken any external funding to this day.”

“Panorama“: How did you get the brilliant idea of launching ZinePak in 2011?

Brittany Hodak/Kim Kaupe (founders of ZinePak): We worked together earlier at the same company – an ad agency, where we had a lot do with music. One day we said to ourselves: let’s set up our own business and focus solely on music. So four years ago we set up our own company at our own financial risk – the company hasn’t taken any external funding to this day.

And how did you come up with the company and product name of ZinePak? Since we worked at an ad agency, we’re kind of branding specialists, so we brainstormed and developed a list of 22 different company names. Finally, we decided on ZinePak – a cross between magazine and packaging.

An additional zig-zag fold booklet with lots of i­nformation about the winners is bound into this ZinePak about the ACM Awards 2015.

Do you two have a background in journalism or in publishing?

Yes and no. Kim worked earlier for Condé Nast, the publisher of such well-known t­ itles as Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, while Brittany was solely involved in the music business.

Could you explain to our readers in a few words what a ZinePak is?

It’s a combination of a print magazine featuring interesting stories, lots of photos, some of them rare, and value added (mostly also printed) such as posters, stickers and decals, as well as a CD or DVD in ­many cases. In short, it’s a creative souvenir for fans, or super-fans, as we call the target group of our products.

How has the concept of ZinePak changed in the four years since it was launched?

Since it’s proven highly successful, the concept has largely remained the same.

However, we’ve extended our product range, in terms of both topics and formats.

The ZinePak magazines, which are saddle stitched or perfect bound depending on their page count, are published in a wide range of formats.

48

And how has your personal role in the company changed?

That’s changed to a greater extent. At the start we did everything ourselves, from networking and writing the text of each magazine, to checking the layout in the page proof stage. Now we have nine employees, because the content of each magazine is Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

always tailored to a specific topic. That means as heads of the company we can now focus more on optimal processes and marketing.

How young or how old are ZinePak ­readers?

That varies enormously and always de­ pends on the topic of the relevant issue.

Our readers range from kids to the older generation. Of course the younger gener­ ation gets more excited about a ZinePak on Justin Bieber, Katy Perry or Taylor Swift, while older readers are more interested in The Beach Boys, Kiss or our special pack­ ages for the Academy of Country Music Awards.

The success of ZinePak is due not least to fans’ passion for collecting, be it in the field of music, film or sport. Was that the plan from the start or is that simply how it came about?

Our aim has always been, regardless of the topic, to gear ourselves to super-fans so that they can learn as much as possible about the lives of their idols and collect memorabilia. Evidently, we’ve found a suc­ cessful niche.

How do you sell ZinePak – by means of subscriptions, newsstand sales or online orders?

We sell the majority in Walmart, America’s leading music retailer. Subscriptions don’t make sense for our product because we have so many different topics, which each have their own target group. We aren’t an episodic publication; each release is a oneof-a-kind title for a specific artist or event.

“Since we established the company, we’ve always had the same target group: super-fans.”

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

The Katy Perry ZinePak includes the CD “PRISM”, (fabric) stickers, finger nail stickers and tattoos, as well as a sample of Killer Queen, the perfume created by the American singer.

How much does a single copy cost?

It depends on the content. The average price is around USD 15, but the price can range from USD 10 to USD 50. The upper price segment contains exclusive prod­ ucts, which, for instance, have been handsigned by the artists.

artist. Sometimes the emphasis is on the recording of a new CD, while in other ­cases it might be a story from the artist’s life or pictures from when they were young.

That variety is apparently part of what makes our product so popular with read­ ers.

How many pages does each magazine have, and how high are the run sizes?

The page count is 64 on average, and can range from 16 to 148. A super-limited run has 100 copies. The largest ZinePak run to date was 250,000 copies.

How many members does the editorial team have?

Two members of our team, which now has eleven people, concentrate solely on writ­ ing. However, we also work together with specialist freelancers.

How does ZinePak differ from conventional teen or music magazines?

First, every single ZinePak is dedicated to a specific topic, while conventional maga­ zines have a large mix of topics. Second, we always work together with the artists and talk with them about what would par­ ticularly interest fans. Often that gives us access to previously unpublished photos.

For instance, for the special on Katy Perry we sat down with the singer as equal part­ ners to discuss the concept and the includ­ ed merchandise.

How has the number of ZinePaks that you bring to market each year changed from 2011 to today?

In the first year we published six. In 2012 there were 24, including seven on the same day. For the first 30 ZinePaks, the two of us organized and wrote everything ourselves.

Thirty-five ZinePaks were released in 2014, and 40 are planned for this year.

What kind of stories and topics does ZinePak feature?

The content differs enormously and is al­ ways decided jointly by us and the given

How many ZinePaks have you sold in ­total since 2011 Around 3.5 million copies, spread over some 100 different projects.

You have an all-female staff. Could that be because men aren’t keen to work for two female bosses . . .?

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Interview with Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe (ZinePak)

“Augmented reality is essential today as a way to make our magazines even more attractive.”

Super-fans of Lindsay Stirling will find not only her current CD “Shatter Me”, but also all the lyrics, lots of childhood photos and magnets in the ZinePak on the American violinist.

We don’t think so. The fact is that after all the interview rounds, which included male candidates, the female candidates made the best impression in each case.

The music industry complains of declin­ ing sales figures and the graphic arts in­ dustry of falling circulations, yet you’re successful with a combination of the very two. “Entrepreneurs like Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe are a rising eco­ nomic force,” wrote the New York Post about your success. How did you man­ age to establish ZinePak in such a short time on the fiercely competitive print market?

It’s an interesting question that we don’t have a simple answer to. There are fewer and fewer buyers of CDs and magazines, but the number of collectors keeps on rising! People read a lot online nowadays, especially about showbiz stars. However, we provide super-fans not only with reading material, but also with a wide choice of ­value added. Fans have always wanted to have as much information and materials about their idols as possible, but appar­ently that need wasn’t properly catered to ­earlier.

Our product hit the mark.

As you just mentioned, many young people consume news and, increasing­ ly, music online, for free. Why do your readers opt for a printed magazine that they have to pay for?

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The reason is that our magazines give them genuine value added. Customers, as our success proves, are willing to pay for that.

ZinePak can’t be downloaded. It’s only available as a hard copy, in a physical or haptic form!

What marketing tools do you use to at­ tract your target readership?

The best advertising for us is partnership with the artists. They write on Facebook or Twitter about a newly published ZinePak, making them our most important promoters. We’re not the only ones to benefit from that; the stars do too, whether through higher record sales or full concert halls.

Both sides benefit. It’s a classic win-win ­sit­ation. These days we’re even contacted by artists asking if we could publish a ZinePak about them.

Are the print issues of ZinePak accom­ panied by online elements?

Yes, we have up to 15 augmented reality elem­ents per ZinePak. They're mainly videos that can be watched on a smartphone via our app. We began adding such elements in 2013, and it’s essential today as a way to make our magazines even more attractive.

What do you consider to be the strengths of print in your business segment?

Print products are ideal for people who love collecting information and materials about

stars. The popularity of our ZinePaks, which are published in a wide range of formats, is shown by the fact that some limited editions are now offered on eBay for up to 20 times the original selling price.

ZinePak is published in 19 different countries today. Did you have such an international focus from the start?

At the start we were only focused on the American market, but then we began to be successful in Canada, and had our inter­ national breakthrough in 2012 with our ZinePak on Justin Bieber.

Is ZinePak only available in English or is it also published in other languages?

Most of the ZinePaks only come out in English, but certain editions are printed in up to eight languages.

So does the ZinePak concept also work across country or language borders?

Yes, because super-fans are an international phenomenon, they exist all around the world. Our limited edition ZinePaks give them the sense of holding something really special in their hands.

Do you involve your readers in the maga­ zine?

Partly. Sometimes the fans can ask questions, which are then answered by the artists in the magazine. We’ve also used social media to let fans vote on cover artwork and insert items.

How important are customization and interactivity for ZinePak? They’re increasingly important, because our readers want to see themselves as part of the story. That’s why we’ve been pushing interactivity through our app for two years.

Creating customized elements isn’t so easy, however, since we don’t have subscriptions, Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

which means we don’t have data about our customers.

ZinePak isn’t just a magazine. It also provides real value added through nu­ merous merchandise items. What do customers get for their money in add­ ition to the printed magazine?

A whole range of collector items, from trading cards and stickers through to pos­ ters, magnets and tattoos. Such merchan­ dise items are always linked to the focus of the magazine.

Speaking about the magazine’s focus, does it tend to be on music, film and show business, or are other areas such as sports, politics or business also cov­ ered?

Since word has got around of the success of our ZinePaks, we increasingly receive in­ quiries from companies about attractively designed B2B projects. Those can be inhouse materials, e.g. for conferences, or general marketing tools. We’ve also ex­ panded into other segments, such as cof­ fee table books and digital publications.

What are your requirements in terms of exclusivity of the content?

Since we write all the stories ourselves, the content of each ZinePak is 100% exclusive

and cannot be found elsewhere. That was our aim from the start and it’s a corner­ stone of our success.

How do you acquire the rights for your ZinePak issues, for example if a CD or DVD is included?

Since we work together with the artists right from the start of the project, the legal ques­ tion doesn’t arise for either CDs and DVDs or photos from the artists’ private lives. As we mentioned, the stars also benefit from the additional publicity.

No, we only dreamed of it! Somehow our company’s a typically American success story, which undoubtedly involves an ele­ ment of luck.

Ever more ZinePaks, even more customers, new target groups . . .  www.zinepak.com

ZinePak is one of the most extraordinary startups in the American publishing scene of the past few years. Hand on heart, did you anticipate this success when you started out four years ago?

­

“Some limited ZinePak editions are now offered on eBay for up to 20 times the original selling price.”

What the American Media Says about ZinePak’s Success “Think print is dead? Take a look at ZinePak!” (“Wall Street Journal”) “Hodak and Kaupe came up with a busi­ ness model that competes with the lure of online purchasing and piracy.”

(“Forbes”) “Entrepreneurs like Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe are a rising economic force.”

(“New York Post”) “ZinePak built a growing publishing em­ pire on the back of Bieber Fever.” (“Young Entrepreneur”)

“ZinePak grossed USD 2.6 million in­ 2012 in only its second year.” (“Billboard”)

The added value of the ZinePak includes ­previously unpublished photos from when the stars were young (pictured is the American country singer Miranda Lambert).

Muller Martini Panorama Fall 2015

“At a time when most publishers and rec­ord companies have declared physi­ cal distribution to be a lost cause, ZinePak is reviving the market by creat­ ing a tangible compilation for the 21st century music fans.”

(“Entrepreneur”)

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