Muller Martini Panorama, 2012, Spring by Polygraphimport Webman

The magazine for Muller Martini customers

Spring 2012

Stand out from the competition and focus on innovation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Muller Martini presents visitors to its booth at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drupa with a personal fitness program

Editorial

Increasing Competitiveness Thanks to Modern Web Offset Printing Technology E In recent years, the printing industry has completed a wide-reaching structural transformation. New information and communication technologies, innovative printing methods such as digital printing as well as new media like the Internet have created a long-lasting shift in the products and processes in our industry, and are changing the traditional markets. For small and medium-sized companies in the printing industry, this can bring risks but also great opportunities. For example, the competitiveness of these companies today can be built only by differentiation and by finding niche solutions. As a system supplier and specialist partner for variable size web offset printing presses, Muller Martini offers a wide range of new solution alternatives – in particular in niche areas. For example, the production of pharmaceutical inserts as a niche market offers great opportunities for growth. The amount of information on packing slips has increased sharply in recent years. That is why section lengths have been increasingly extended. With the Alprinta web offset printing press featuring size lengths of up to 40 inches (1,016 mm), Muller Martini has the optimal solution for this by offering inline finishing and a complete print image inspection. The area of security printing and highquality mailings also offers great opportunities for growth. Thanks to the full range of configuration possibilities and numerous options for integrating OEM aggregates, our printing presses facilitate the production of innovative print products with scratch-off applications or inline finishing. It is precisely in this market area that Muller Martini has a wide base of installed machines. Many customers have various printing presses in operation, such as the Progress, Concept and Concepta. The company OTK (see article on page 30) is only one of the many examples. In order to be successful with our machines in this niche area, Muller Martini offers various upgrade kits and services through its MMServices division for older printing presses such as the Progress and Concept. The greatest opportunities for growth in the printing industry can be

Dr. Andreas Hitzler, Head of Marketing and Sales, Muller Martini Printing Presses GmbH

found, however, in the labels and packaging market. After the decade-long domination of flexo and rotogravure printing in this sector, with circulations running into the millions, web offset printing is now making further inroads into this promising market. With its Alprinta V and VSOP models, Muller Martini has installed over 100 machines worldwide in this sector. In addition to our printing press solution, we also offer extensive know-how in the complete process – as was clearly demonstrated at the open house held jointly with Pago a few months ago (page 32). Most machine installations from Muller Martini can be found in the labeling sector. Our customers use them to print a wide variety of products from self-adhesive, wraparound and wet glue labels to shrink sleeves (see the article on DPA on page 28). The demand for print applications in flexible packaging solutions has increased in recent years in particular. For this, not only web offset printing units but also flexo and rotogravure printing units are used. These hybrid configurations enable a wide range of applications. The reason why the web offset technology is so attractive to our customers is that in offset printing the costs for pre-printing are significantly lower, the processing times are shorter, and a job is easier to reproduce compared to the established flexo and rotogravure methods. Many print runs, all the way down to ultra-short runs, can be produced at low costs and with the highest level of quality.

Since the acquisition of the patent rights for the VSOP in 2009, we have developed this technology even further and integrated it into the world of Muller Martini. I hope you enjoy discovering the many applications of the variable size web offset printing presses from Muller Martini described in this issue of “Panorama”, and I wish you an exciting experience at this year’s drupa. I look forward to greeting you personally at our booth in hall 14 in Düsseldorf this May, to show you the VSOP and to the opportunity to speak with you about the exciting challenges in our industry! Yours sincerely

Dr. Andreas Hitzler, Head of Marketing and Sales, Muller Martini Printing Presses GmbH Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Contents

Imprint

Volume 27 Muller Martini “Panorama” Editor Dr. Markus Angst markus.angst@ch.mullermartini.com Publisher Muller Martini Marketing AG Untere Brühlstrasse 13 CH-4800 Zofingen, Switzerland Telephone +41 62 745 45 75 Fax +41 62 751 55 50 www.mullermartini.com

4 CEO Bruno Müller talks about Muller Martini’s booth at the drupa as well as about the opportunities and risks of the graphic arts industry.

22 Growth rates around 12 percent for many years now – the graphic arts industry in India is riding a wave of success.

36 HeiRa will soon stitch its one billionth magazine on its Tempo saddle stitcher put into operation in 1997.

Publication frequency Appears three times a year in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish editions. Reproduction with reference to source is permitted. Printed in Switzerland.

neutral Printed Matter No. 01-12-583768 – www.myclimate.org

Interview Bruno Müller – Innovative Finishing Creates New Opportunities for Printed Products

drupa Fitness Program – Muller Martini Shows How You Can Stand Out from the Competition

Digital Solutions Digital Print Group, Nuremberg – The Clocks Run Differently in the Digital Printing Industry

Hardcover Production Livonia, Riga, Latvia – Equipped for Sinking Print Runs Thanks to Modern Machinery

Services posterXXL, Munich – MMRemote Online Ensures Higher Availability of the Machines

BRIC Series India – Exports as an Important Economic Factor in the Graphic Arts Industry

News

Printing Presses DPA, Athens – Invest in Times of Boom, and You Will Profit in Times of Crisis OTK, Kolin, Czech Republic – Conquering New Markets with the Concepta Pago, Grabs, Switzerland – Producing More Shrink Sleeves with the VSOP 520

28 30 32

Saddle Stitching Systems Vocational, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – A new Primera C110 saddle stitcher for its Students HeiRa, Gernsheim, Germany – A Special Kind of Saddle Stitcher Anniversary Hochuli, Muttenz, Switzerland – (Commercial) Love at Second Sight

35 36 38

Newspaper Mailroom Systems Heider, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany – New Customers after Installing the ProLiner

Softcover Production Titoulet, St-Etienne, France – Fastest Changeover Times Needed H.R.G., Litomyšl, Czech Republic – Customers React Positively to the Acoro A5 Wennberg, Vaihingen, Germany – Bolero Optimizes Pre-production Costs and Logistics

42 44 46

Forum Customer Magazines – In Customer Communications, Print is Still the Leading Medium

Sales and Service Muller Martini Ltd. Ridgeway Industrial Estate Iver, Buckinghamshire SLO 9JQ Phone Iver 0845 345 3588 Telefax 65 56 58 (Std Code 01753) info@gb.mullermartini.com www.mullermartini.co.uk Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Interview with Bruno Müller, CEO Muller Martini

“We Are Presenting Offset and Digital Solutions at Our Drupa Stand” In addition to new production systems, Muller Martini is also showing ways to optimize existing machines at its 2,100 m2 stand, C21 in Hall 14, at the drupa in Düsseldorf (from May 3 to 16). “At our stand, visitors can gain ideas about how to expand their existing production machinery and run it more profitably,” says CEO Bruno Müller in a “Panorama” interview.

E “Panorama”: Like many exhibitors, Muller Martini is reluctant to give too much away about its new machines ahead of the drupa. All the same, can you reveal any secrets to us about the innovations that Muller Martini will present in Düsseldorf? Bruno Müller: We will present convincing innovations that meet current market needs in all four divisions: E An entirely new inserting system for newspaper and mailshot production. E The Muller Martini VSOP web printing press for the printing of packaging materials. E Cutting-edge solutions for hardcover production – such as for photo books. 4

E Industrial solutions tailored to the new printing presses for digital printing – for the production of books, magazines and catalogs. E New solutions for saddle stitching and perfect binding – for both low and high print runs. Key topics include the guaranteed high quality of end products, as well as the flexibility, expandability and cost-effectiveness of the production systems. All our solutions are integrated into the Muller Martini Connex data and process management system in order to optimally automate workflow between the various machines. Thanks to this standardization, all ma-

chines can communicate with one another. In other words, we are showing industrial solutions that will equip our customers optimally for both offset printing and digital printing. Many graphic arts companies are not (yet) thinking in terms of new investments right now given the difficult economic circumstances. Why is it still worthwhile for these customers to pay a visit to the Muller Martini stand? The graphic arts industry is experiencing a period of transition. It will continue to change in the coming years, with print media coming under increasing pressure. Personally, I believe that the possibilities of Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

print media are far from exhausted. That is why it is essential to make the best possible use of new technologies in order to position print media optimally. That does not necessarily have to mean investing in new machines. Our modular systems can be expanded progressively and given new functions. At our drupa stand, visitors can learn about ways to expand their existing machines, operate them more successfully and get the most out of them in daily operation. The question of “service” – key expressions here include greater availability of systems, more economical production and longer life cycles of machines – is gaining importance in the graphic arts

industry. How will you present that comprehensive topic to drupa visitors? We will illustrate the current opportunities using specific examples. It is important for us to talk with customers so that we can assess their potential together and develop concrete solutions. Our aim is to support graphic arts companies, so that they can operate their systems optimally throughout their life cycle (life cycle management). At the IPEX 2010 in Birmingham, Muller Martini debuted MMServices, which comprises seven modules. How successful has that proven in the past two years? Our worldwide service network, coupled with the large number of installed Muller

Martini systems, provides the ideal basis for a successful service business. Through MM Services we have successfully stepped up our activities since the IPEX 2010. For instance, through MMStartup we have been contracted by customers to relocate several hundred machines within plants and to rebuild them in a targeted way in the process. We have also supported customers who have opted for used Muller Martini machines both in the purchasing process and during the subsequent in stallation, reconditioning and commissioning of the equipment. We will continue to increase our activities in this important field, with the declared aim of providing optimal support to our many customers worldwide in optimizing their production equipment. In addition to service, digital printing is another focus point for Muller Martini at the drupa. What solutions will you present in that field? Since the enthusiastically received market launch of our SigmaLine digital book production system at the drupa 2004, we have continued to develop our solutions and have kept pace with the innovations of manufacturers of digital printing presses. The first SigmaLine gave rise to a complete

“At our drupa stand, visitors can learn about ways to expand their existing machines, operate them more successfully and get the most out of them in daily operation.”

“Stand Out from the Competition and Focus on Innovation” “Panorama”: Muller Martini’s drupa motto is “fitness”. Could you describe what that means exactly? Bruno Müller: The structural transformation of the media industry is putting pressure on the printing industry to change. By “fitness” we mean the ability to adapt flexibly to market needs, to recognize market opportunities quickly and exploit them in the spirit of Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”, according to which those species survive that adapt successfully to the environment, rather than those that defy everything and eliminate other species. In keeping with the drupa motto, in its advertising campaigns Muller Martni is using the three slogans “fit for difference”, “fit for profitability” and “fit for future markets”. Could you explain what you mean by those in a little more detail?

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

E “Fit for difference.”: WIn what ways can I draw readers’ attention to a print product? When asked that question, I tell the publishers of books, magazines and newspapers that they need to stand out from the crowd and champion innovation in order to convey messages that will stay in people’s minds or to keep costs at a minimum. I am convinced that we will increasingly see new business models that increase the attractiveness of print products, for example special finishing steps or the personalization of content. Alongside quantity, the individually offered value of the end product for readers and advertising customers will be gaining importance in the future. E “Fit for profitability.”: Regardless of whether a machine is old or new, the starting point is always the same: our customers want to run their machines in the most cost-effective

way possible. We will show how the availability of systems can be increased and how their functionality can be adapted to current market needs. E “Fit for future markets.”: Those who stand out from the competition conquer new markets. Trends and market changes make it possible to take even greater advantage of the available opportunities with new products and services. In addition to new technologies, such as digital printing for the book market, established technologies, such as offset printing for the packaging market, also provide new opportunities for that. It is important that the end customer gets what is of interest to them.

Interview with Bruno Müller, CEO Muller Martini

system, which has equipped our product range optimally for the future thanks to its uniform automation solution and continuous workflow. So Muller Martini offers solutions for both offset and digital printing. Today we have installations on all continents in the field of digital printing for industrial production, in saddle stitching as well as softcover and hardcover production. That is why we are presenting sys-

tems that are designed for both offset and digital at our drupa stand under the slogan “digital ready”. The drupa 2008 was already dominated by digital solutions. What trends are you expecting at this year’s drupa? There can be no doubt that digital printing with its numerous innovations will attract great interest this year again. In order to make print products more interesting, linking print and online, for example via QR codes, is needed. It is all about making print products even more interesting and attractive. We will also show solutions for increasing the productivity and cost-effectiveness of production. After all, all market players ultimately have the same aim: they want to run their equipment profitably.

Where will digital printing take the graphic arts industry over the next few years? It is clear that the development of digital printing is far from over. Three factors are critical to its future prospects: printing costs, printing quality and usable substrates (in particular paper). Due to the massive fall in run sizes, the book market offers the ideal entry to digital printing. Even individual products such as photo books are produced today on our machines with high performances. The fact that content can be varied dynamically from page to page means that the possibilities for the design of print products are almost unlimited. We ensure that print finishing supports these new forms of print products.

“After all, all market players ultimately have the same aim: they want to run their equipment profitably.”

“The drupa is unique” “Panorama”: The drupa 2008 took place when the economy was still booming. What is your impression of the mood in the graphic arts industry four years on? Bruno Müller: Shortly after the drupa 2008 there was a massive change in the graphic arts industry, which happened at a pace rarely witnessed in industrial history. Within six months our customers and Martini Muller itself went from growth to decline. Fortunately, markets such as China and Brazil have shaped up well for us in the past few years. These growth markets will continue to have high potential in the coming years. However, in our traditional markets in North America and Europe the picture has changed greatly in the past four years. The print volumes relevant to us as a print finishing specialist have become significantly smaller. The uncertain economic environment and the frequent reluctance of banks to finance investments in the graphic arts industry are putting many projects on ice. You mentioned China and Brazil. Are you expecting particularly large numbers of visitors from those countries at your drupa stand?

Certainly. Many of our customers on those growth markets have successfully expanded their businesses in the past few years and have invested in the latest technology. To maintain that success in the future, they are very interested in global trends and are keen to get an overview of innovations at the drupa. What do you believe are the greatest opportunities, risks and dangers for the graphic arts market and thus for machine manufacturers? Many changes on the market have necessitated new acquisitions. For example, smaller print runs create the need for investments in new automated and flexible production lines. Many of our customers, however, are tending to invest more in new media and are neglecting the print sector. On the one hand, that is entirely understandable because new markets can be tapped by means of digital or mobile media and companies feel that they are well positioned in the print sector. On the other hand, it also leads to lower investment activity in the print sector, which cannot keep up even with the reduced print volumes and poses great challenges to machine manufacturers. It is important for the

graphic arts industry, despite the difficult circumstances, to make efforts to optimize and also invest in new solutions. What is your view of the general importance of the drupa as the leading trade fair for the graphic arts industry, particularly in view of the current situation? The numbers speak for themselves: in 2008, some 230,000 visitors from 138 countries attended the trade fair in Düsseldorf and it attracted 1,953 exhibitors from 53 countries. This year’s exhibition space is an impressive 170,000 m2. The drupa gives manufacturers a one-off opportunity to present themselves on the market, to exchange views with other professionals and, thanks to the length of the trade fair, to give live demonstrations of even relatively large machines. That makes the drupa unique and we anticipate that our stand will attract just as many visitors as it did four years ago.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

As a leading manufacturer of print finishing systems, Muller Martini also offers innovative solutions in (variablesize) web offset printing – with VSOP technology specifically in the packaging market. What will you show to (packaging) printers at your stand? We will demonstrate how quick the changeovers at our VSOP printing presses can be between various print jobs with different section lengths. The Muller Martini VSOP is an infinitely size-variable web printing press designed for sleeve technology. Thanks to extremely quick size changes, a cost-effective image carrier and firstclass printing quality, it is ideal for smaller and medium runs on the packaging market. We view in particular flexible package printing, carton printing and label printing as VSOP markets. What trends have you observed in package printing? In package printing too, offerings are increasingly segmented. Packaging is being used even more actively to position products in an optimal way at the point of sale. The result is that the variety of labels, shrink sleeves and food bags is on the rise, runs are becoming smaller, quality demands are increasing and delivery times are becoming shorter. In such an environment, we believe that our VSOP printing press has great potential. The Muller Martini stand at the drupa also features an “innovative product lounge”. What will visitors find there? When we develop our machines, the focus is on the end products that are produced with these machines. Attractive print products allow publishers to stand out from the competition as well as new media. That is why we will surprise visitors with innovative print products that were produced by our customers using Muller Martini equipment. We support graphic arts companies in making optimal use of print solutions in the competition for the attention of readers. In consultation with our customers, we would like to find the optimal balance between the wishes of end customers, readers and advertisers as well as requirements related to production processes. Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Speaking of the lounge, the “Blue Hour” at the Muller Martini stand proved extremely popular in 2008. Each evening visitors had the chance to talk with sales representatives and technicians over a relaxed drink. Will the “Blue Hour” return this year? Yes, in light of the very positive feedback in 2008. Back then, it was not uncommon for all the tables to be taken. Our “Blue Hour” enables visitors to wind down after a hectic day at the trade fair with a “blue Martini”. They can avoid the crush at the cab stand and discuss their experiences of the fair or new ideas. I warmly invite our customers to this year’s “Blue Hour”! At the last drupa, Muller Martini surprised the graphic arts industry with a new generation of machines with a more ergonomic look and many other innovations. How have these machines been received by your customers in the past four years? The new design came just at the right time. It gave us a distinctive, modern image. The new look and the laser blue color went down very well with our customers. The more ergonomic design of the machines, which increases comfort for operators, is also appreciated by our customers worldwide. In the past few months Muller Martini has concluded partnership deals with Rima-System in the press delivery systems segment and with Sitma in the inserting and film wrapping segment. What advantages do these cooperation agreements have for your customers? In the past, Muller Martini was active on the market with its own product range in both of the business segments mentioned. The partnerships with Rima- System and Sitma, both market leaders in their fields, mean that we have taken a step towards the necessary market shakeout and strengthened our offering. Both cooperation deals are good examples of how we can offer our customers an even wider range of solutions, enabling them to get the very most out of their equipment.

“Attractive print products allow publishers to stand out from the competition as well as new media.”

Muller Martini is positioning itself with the slogan “your strong partner”. Why is Muller Martini the right partner for the graphic arts industry? We combine our many years of experience as a manufacturer of high-quality machines and system solutions for the graphic arts industry with the professional process, technology and consultancy expertise of our local partners on all continents. In addition to advising on expansions, optimization and new investments, as a “strong partner” we also support our customers in the long-term preservation of their equipment. Our modern, modular industrial solutions take account of the latest technologies and offer the highest possible investment protection.  www.mullermartini.com 7

Fit for difference.

Innovative Finishing Creates New Opportunities for Printed Products Attractive printed products that generate more interest, new business models, optimal machine solutions for any job structure: the competition for readers will increasingly be decided by the quality of finishing. At the drupa 2012, Muller Martini will show how innovative solutions can successfully contribute to new business models and how they can be used to meaningfully enhance existing systems.

E Gleaming finish and effective lamination, blind creasing and tactile paper are a treat for the senses – just like colored stitching wire, cover flaps, contour die cutting, a bookmark, merchandise samples or gimmicks. Printed products finished on saddle stitchers and on softcover and hardcover booklines stand out from the crowd due to their added value. That is why the finishing process plays a vital role in the (more) attractive design of printed media. “As a global market leader in print finishing, we actively support our customers in remaining successful in a constantly changing market,” emphasizes Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini. “In addition, due to the modular structure of Muller Martini solutions, systems can be extended at any time and can grow to face new challenges. Expandable systems offer the greatest level of flexibility and help to increase added value with new, highly differentiated products.” Personalizing in the Saddle Stitcher Feeder For example, the full-service graphic arts company ADV SCHODER in Augsburg, Germany can position personalized advertisements even inside magazines and catalogs thanks to a special solution on the Primera C140 saddle stitcher. One of the six feeders has been configured so that the signature can be labeled with an inkjet system. What has long been considered standard in the direct mail industry will become important in other areas of finishing according to Thomas Steigerwald, Director of Design and Executive Committee Member at ADV SCHODER. “Saddle stitching and perfect binding will shift towards more personalized products, as publishers seek to stand out from the crowd in a newspaper market characterized by close competition 8

by providing individually designed products.” Eye-Catching Newspapers Another example of how graphic arts business and advertisers can benefit from innovative solutions is the Niederösterreichische Pressehaus (NÖP) in St. Pölten, in Lower Austria, which produces over a dozen newspapers. Using a ValueLiner card gluer and a labeling system from Muller Martini for the cards and labels that are affixed to cover pages, the newspaper publisher increases the added value in its mailroom while, at the same time, making a good return on investment on the two recently commissioned machines. The advertisers also benefit thanks to the prominent positioning of their advertisements. “Needless to say, labels are somewhat more expensive than the traditional advertising media and they also require a certain amount of lead time,” says Josef Tischer, Head of Sales/Logistics at NÖP. “However,

the attraction of having an advertisement on the front or back page of a newspaper quickly makes up for the additional costs. Thanks to the eye-catching effect of the adverts, our customers are reporting higher rates of returns.” Individualized Products Thanks to Digital Printing One way for printing houses and finishing businesses to stand out from their competition is to expand existing systems by integrating add-on modules. Another option is to produce completely new printed products by using the latest technology. Digital printing, in particular, enables countless new business models. “The clocks run differently in the digital printing industry,” says Oliver Schimek, Owner and Managing Director of the Digital Print Group (DPG) in Nuremberg, Germany, which in a relatively short time period has made the leap from a corner copy shop to a modern industrial company. “The key to the success of our

With cards and labels, the customers of NÖP are reporting higher rates of returns.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Finished printed products immediately catch the reader’s eye – many youth magazines vie for attention at newsstands with free gifts on the front page.

company is first and foremost our business model that features creative, individual solutions for our customers.” In the first month alone after commissioning the machine (see page 14), DPG produced 800 different digitally printed books for large industrial businesses (personalized company brochures) as well as for individual customers (photo albums) on its new Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline from Muller Martini. “Muller Martini is expanding on the possibilities offered by traditional finishing to ensure that the industry can take full advantage of everything digital printing has to offer,” says Bruno Müller. “This shows that the graphics industry can and must promote these advantages even more consistently.” Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Optimized Use of the Machines That goes for niche businesses just as it does for large companies. “We have a range of various perfect binders,” says Martin Wennberg, Managing Director of H. Wennberg in Vaihingen, near Stuttgart, Germany, which is one of the largest bookbinderies in Europe with an annual output of 150 million catalogs, magazines and telephone books (see page 46). “It is our concept to use the optimal machine for finishing for each job.” Keeping with the optimization of pre-production costs, logistics and technology, H. Wennberg commissioned a Bolero perfect binder from Muller Martini to go with its two high-output Corona lines. This enables the company to produce products that require fewer

changeovers on the two Corona lines, while products with smaller and mediumsized print runs that require greater changeovers are run on the Bolero. “With attractive printed products, in novative business models and the right production systems, graphic arts businesses remain successful even despite changing market conditions,” says Bruno Müller with conviction. 

Fit for profitability.

A Higher Level of Availability in Machines Creates Competitive Advantages on the Market Reliable control systems, fully automated production lines and an extensive service package: at the drupa 2012, Muller Martini will show how graphic arts businesses can increase the availability of their machines and thus increase their company earnings.

E In order for the graphic arts industry to continue to ensure more cost-effective production during difficult times, it needs not only continuous workflow from pre-press to the finished product on the ramp and quick job changeover systems, but also, in

particular, reliable machines. Reliability is especially important in two regards: fewer machines stops and prevention of deficiencies in product quality. Ensuring a higher level of productivity and process security has gained impor-

tance at a time of globalization characterized by the opening of markets and the accompanying increased interchangeability. These phenomena influence not only the human factor but also, in particular, the technological possibilities of production

Many small and medium-sized businesses are very successful thanks to innovative machine solutions because they are able to react quickly and flexibly to customers’ needs – for example with a Pantera perfect binder from Muller Martini, whose menu options are nearly selfexplanatory thanks to the Commander.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Franz Dengler (left), Production Manager at Reclam: “Asir 3 gives us 100 percent reliability.” Right: Peter Stein, Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany.

systems. For example, products that are incorrectly stitched or bound can quickly increase costs. “How much do you calculate for complaints?,” Franz Dengler, production manager at Reclam in Ditzingen, Germany, the company known for its little yellow books, likes to ask any bookbinder who does not work with barcode or image comparison modes with a touch of irony. Reclam relies on the automatic signature recognition of Asir 3 on its Bolero perfect binding line from Muller Martini, which is operated in three shifts. It not only recognizes incorrectly inserted signatures in the gathering machine, but also ensures the correct sequence of signatures as well as the consistent quality of products thanks to the AsirCode software developed by Muller Martini. “Asir 3 gives us 100 percent reliability,” says Franz Dengler. Lower Unit Costs Thanks to a Higher Level of Automation In addition to reliable control systems, fully automated production lines also contribute to a higher net output that has a positive effect on company earnings. That goes for large bookbinderies just as it does for niche businesses. “It is precisely in times Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

of economic difficulty that we need highly automated systems,” says José Pinto, owner of Greca Artes Gráficas in Porto, which employs a staff of 40. Despite the difficult economic situation in Portugal, Greca invested in a Presto E90 saddle stitcher and a Pantera perfect binder, two solutions from Muller Martini. “With fully automated systems I can reduce my unit costs,” says José Pinto. “This allows me to increase productivity and makes our company more competitive in the market.” Thanks to innovative machine solutions, many small and medium-sized businesses are very successful, because they are able to react quickly and flexibly to customers’ needs. “We used to produce only 1,000 softcover books per shift,” recalls Daniel Majdiš, head of production and technology at alfaPRINT in Martin, Slovakia, a company with 65 employees. “Now, using the Pantera, we make at least 2,000 books – per hour!” That means a stunning 1,600-percent increase in productivity. As a welcome consequence, they have been able to regain all the customers they had lost because of large production delays and the associated waiting times before the new perfect binder was commissioned. Increased the Number of Orders Even the JKJ Bokbinderi AB in Falköping, Sweden, which has a staff of only 10 employees, produces roughly 50 percent more softcover products thanks to a new Pantera machine. “We have managed to increase the number of orders on hand despite the difficult times,” comment the company owners Jimmy and Johan Ahlrik. JKJ not only increased its customer base but also, in particular, its reliability and flexibility. “That is especially important, because we cover a wide range of print runs – from 500 up to 300,000 copies per job. This means we need to change over the perfect binding line up to six times each day. Now it goes a lot faster.”

tems that graphic arts businesses now depend on due to significant pricing pressure and increasingly tighter deadlines. The fact that machines can maintain a high level of production even years after being commissioned can be seen in the example of the Tempo saddle stitcher from Muller Martini which was installed in 1997 at HeiRa GmbH in Gernsheim, Germany, one of the largest saddle stitching and finishing businesses in Europe. The company will stitch its one billionth magazine on the machine around the time of this year’s drupa (see page 36). According to technical manager Peter Dickler, the only reason why it is possible to have an average annual output of 65 million, a maximum monthly rate of 7.905 million and a daily maximum output of 400,000 is “because we have upgraded or replaced many of the machine’s components over the years and because our machine operators make their contribution by ensuring the machines constantly maintain their high level of availability through preventive measures.” ...Ensures High Investment Protection Since thorough and sound staff training as well as regular maintenance is essential to ensuring a high level of investment protection and good return on investment, Muller Martini has standardized its service package under the label MMServices, which features seven modules. “We provide an extensive service, increase the service life of equipment and make existing equipment suitable for new product ideas and markets using expansion options. For new investments, we create real added value with intelligently linked cuttingedge technology for our customers; and for existing machines, we increase the earning power of our customers with specific measures for a higher level of availability,” says Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini. 

Regular Service… In addition to new investments, regular maintenance and updates are also an integral part in maintaining a high level of productivity and profitability. This ensures a high level of availability in production sys11

Fit for future markets.

“There Are Many Good Arguments for the Added Value of Print Products in the Entire Media Mix” It is the combination of new media and print products, more efficient production processes and new opportunities for digital solutions in saddle stitching as well as softcover and hardcover production: at the drupa 2012, Muller Martini will show how innovative business models can help the graphic arts industry be successful in the future.

Anyone using their cell phone to scan the UpCode in the street plan of Moscow printed by UPC Print will receive information on businesses located in the corresponding areas of the city. The street map’s publisher receives a commission every time an UpCode is accessed.

E “Video killed the radio star” sang British pop act ‘The Buggles’ in their number one hit 30 years ago. They were wrong though: motion pictures took nothing away from radio. “New media is killing print,” is what many pessimists are saying today. “They are wrong,” says Sture Udd. This Finnish media expert is not only the founder and CEO of UPC Print and CEO of UpCode Solutions Ltd. in Vaasa, Finland but also the inventor of UpCode – a system he 12

refers to as “supermedia” that is now present in over 50 countries on the market. “That is why print has a future!” UpCode is a more ingenious way of mixing paper printed with a mobile phone than the normal QR code. Sture Udd’s prime example is a 300-page, perfectly bound street map of Moscow, which he produces for a Russian customer. Previously, the map was issued and sold in a print run of 30,000

copies, but, with more and more drivers turning to satellite navigation, the run decreased rapidly. To combat this, the publisher made some adjustments to the concept: The street map is now produced in a run of 150,000 copies and is available free of charge. It also features numerous pages with an UpCode that can be scanned by a cell phone camera, providing advertisements for sales campaigns at businesses based in the corresponding part of the city. Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

The publisher’s printing costs for the street plan are covered by commission, which it receives every time an UpCode is accessed. This is possible because UpCode allows you to identify the print product from which it was accessed, and that is Sture Udd’s brilliant invention. “Many customers who order catalogs and brochures operate based on cost per product,” explains Sture Udd, who has relied on finishing systems from Muller Martini for years now. “Unfortunately, many traditional advertisers and printers do not realize that working on a cost-per-order basis makes much more sense. I can use a mathematical formula to prove that printing an UpCode on brochures, promotional leaflets and flyers increases sales by 15 to 20 percent. “That is why print has a future!” Print or Online? – Print and Online! How graphics companies adapt to their coexistence with electronic media will also be crucial to their future success. Advertising has always relied on a media mix. In this regard, printed materials have enjoyed a long and successful history with excellent media efficiency rates. With a 35 % share in print advertising, magazines and newspapers are still key players in the advertising market. The advertising industry keeps a watchful eye on the use of media content and pays good money to ensure that consumers are made aware of its products in the correct environment. “Many of our customers are starting to use the printed media as an additional advertising channel,” says Markus F. Hof, CEO of the Direct Mail Company, the industry leader in Switzerland for the delivery of unaddressed advertising. According to a study, over 70 % of German Internet shoppers get their ideas from a catalog. For this reason, DMC's successful strategy is built on a combination of paper and electronic media. For Markus F. Hof, the answer to the question “Print or online?”, is “Print and online!”. How Digital Printing Is Changing the World In addition to combinations of different media, new printing processes also bring completely new business models, in particMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

President of Engineering at Courier Corporation. “We now have highly productive systems for the digital production of books in small print runs.” One main reason for deciding in favor of the SigmaLine was the Connex digital workflow system developed by Muller Martini. Connex communicates with all the machines involved: it ensures high levels of safety and transparency during production, generates job data for all systems and facilitates the sorting, grouping and planning of orders. This is particularly important for increasingly small print runs.

Bruno Müller, CEO Muller Martini: “I am convinced that print media has great development potential and offers the graphic arts industry and advertising customers many new opportunities with innovative business ideas.”

ular in digital printing, which has certainly changed the world of graphic arts. The more efficient digital printing systems become, the more challenging the finishing process will be. Muller Martini responded to these new challenges with intelligent hybrid offset/digital systems for saddle stitching as well as softcover and hardcover production. These systems enable finishing businesses to be ready for the market demands of tomorrow. Particularly attractive are the modern high-tech systems such as the digital book production system SigmaLine from Muller Martini, which the Courier Corporation in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, the third largest book manufacturer in the United States, swears by. “The fact that we have commissioned three SigmaLine systems in a short time period is a clear indication that digital printing is gaining im portance,” says Joseph L. Brennan, Vice

Many New Opportunities The positive economic effects of an intelligent link between digital printing and finishing can be seen at Webcom in Toronto. The BookFWDTM Program launched last year, in which both the Acoro A5 and the Bolero B9 perfect binders from Muller Martini, in addition to three digital printing presses, play an important role, helped to reduce costs for the Canadian company. “More efficient production processes enable our customers to increase savings throughout the entire supply chain – to an extent unparalleled in our industry,” says President and CEO of the company, Mike Collinge. For Bruno Müller, CEO of Muller Martini, such examples clearly show that the graphic arts industry is marketing its strengths more actively and systematically. “Even in the face of the increasingly common argument that print is threatened with extinction, there are also strong arguments in favor of the added value of print products in the entire media mix. I am convinced that print media has great development potential and offers the graphic arts industry and advertising customers many new opportunities with innovative business ideas.” 

Digital Solutions

Digital Printing Runs at a Different Pace With the new Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline from Muller Martini – the first of its kind in Europe – the Digital Print Group in the southern German city of Nuremberg has definitively made the leap from a corner copy shop to a modern industrial company.

E Although originally, Oliver Schimek trained to be a mechanical engineer, he is now owner and managing director of the Digital Print Group (DPG). As he puts it in his typical straightforward manner: “The key to the success of our company is first and foremost our business model that features creative, individual solutions for our

The Digital Print Group installed Europe’s first Diamant MC 35 Hybrid in Nuremberg.

customers. How and with which machines these are produced is ultimately less important.” First for Europe However, as a seasoned expert of the production systems currently on the market, Oliver Schimek naturally chooses customized solutions that meet the special requirements of his company. That is why Digital Print Group invested already eleven years ago in HP Indigo, one of the first digital printing presses in Germany, in order to enter into the book-on-demand business. With the Océ ColorStream 3500 commissioned last November the number of digital printing systems in its four plants in Nuremberg, Munich, Regensburg and Kitzingen increased to a total of 16 and enforces the company’s strong position in the digital printing market. Of course the decision for the first bookline in the company’s 15-year history – previously hardcover books were only produced by hand – was only made after an extensive evaluation. According to Oliver Schimek, the decision was made for the first Diamant MC 35 Hybrid, commissioned in Europe last September, after convincing tests at the Muller Martini Hardcover Forum in Bad Mergentheim demonstrating its sophisticated technology (see box). It enables DPG to offer an extensive range of products, and precisely meets the demands of this young company in terms of print runs, sizes, and cost-effective production. A State-of-the-Art Production Company What this means in numbers E 800 different book titles in the first month alone after installation of the new Diamant MC 35 Hybrid. E An average of 98 copies per book in the book publishing division. E An average of 2.4 copies per photo book. These figures alone prove that the Digital Print Group has long since made the step from a corner copy shop to a major digital printing company known throughout Germany. The numerous visitors could

see for themselves at the open house held shortly after the start-up of the new Diamant MC 35 Hybrid last autumn. “Our guests were amazed to realize that we have grown from a simple manufactory into a modern industrial company,” says Oliver Schimek. 80 Percent of New Customers from the Internet DPG customers come from all over Germany and from a wide range of industries. “We are well- segmented,” comments Oliver Schimek. The list of customers includes large publishing houses (the publishing branch alone makes up 40 percent of the company’s turnover) as well as industrial plants for on-demand operating instruction, on-demand training materials and personalized company brochures (35 percent). The number of private customers who order DPG labeled photobooks is still growing (25 percent). All of these three customer segments have something in common: 80 percent of new customers find their way to DPG via the Internet. Digital cameras and the Internet produce new jobs for the company – welcome to the new world of the graphic arts industry, influenced by electronic media! Regular Guest at the Frankfurt Book Fair Thanks to new media, the Digital Print Group is able to forego external sales representatives. However, in order to be able to fulfill individual customer requirements, personal support is very important. That is why DPG has three additional locations apart from its headquarters in Nuremberg in order to provide optimal customer service. They are also a regular guest at the Frankfurt Book Fair to maintain close contacts with publishers. Since customer needs are becoming more and more specific, in recent years the proportion of creative employees has been steadily growing among the current staff of 78 (54 of whom are in Nuremberg). Thanks to the new Inkjet technologies, there is an unmistakable trend towards full-color digitally printed products in small print runs according to Oliver Schimek. “RespectiveMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Oliver Schimek (left), Owner and Managing Director of Digital Print Group: “We have grown from a simple manufacturer into a modern industrial company.” Right: Thomas Schmidt, Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany

ly, the contribution of our creative division will be all the more important, because digital printing runs at a different pace.” Full-Service Provider “We print originals” is the slogan of the dynamic company – which covers everything from photo books, large posters to web-toprint applications as well as customer-specific work-flow solutions. “As a full-service provider we can offer our partners a complete communication package, not only as a printing house, but also as a solutions provider for all aspects of document pro-

duction and management,” says Oliver Schimek. Linking these aspects will gain more importance in the future according to the company’s owner. “The fact that increasingly intelligent solutions are requested, coupled with the rising demand for color printing (particularly in the area of hardcover people today want color) and the shorter print runs – all plays into the hands of our business model.” 

www.digital-print-group.de

Diamant MC Hybrid Bookline – Ideal for Small and Large Print Runs The Diamant MC Hybrid offers all of the features of the classic Diamant MC combined with those of the Diamant MC Digital. It produces books from ultra-short to large print runs as well as personalized books. Just like the Diamant MC 60 and MC 35, this version is also equipped with a rounding and backing station. In addition, it offers exactly the same possibilities as the Diamant MC Digital including sequential size changeovers and barcode controls. With the options “tandem headbanding station” and “variable case feeder”, the changeover times are reduced even further and efficiency is increased even more. The

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

changeover times between various production runs are sometimes less than a minute. The Diamant MC Hybrid comes in two performance versions. The Diamant MC Hybrid 35 produces in the classic mode with up to 2,100 cycles and the Diamant MC Hybrid 60 up to 3,600 cycles per hour. In the mode for sequential changeovers, both produce at up to 1,800 cycles. Tandem Headbanding Station The tandem lining station consists of two identical headbanding stations. Thanks to this combination, the bookline can be

changed over very quickly. While one headbanding station is producing, the other one is preparing according to a patent pending method. Section length and width are adjusted at the same time. The new station is activated as soon as the previous job has been completed; production continues without skipping a beat. Even for large print runs, the tandem station offers a great advantage. Jobs do not have to be interrupted if the craft paper rolls or the headband rolls run out. The other station is prepared during running production and takes over the headbanding seamlessly once the roll runs out.

Hardcover Production

Trond Erik Isaksen, Founder of Livonia Print (left): “The Diamant is in many ways far ahead of its competitors.” Middle: Bindery Manager Zigmunds Saulitis, right: Piotr Skarbek-Kozietulski, Area Sales Manager Muller Martini Poland.

Well Prepared for Shorter Print Runs Thanks to Modern Machinery Livonia Print in Latvia’s capital, Riga, has made a substantial investment for the second time only five years after its founding. The new Diamant MC 60 bookline as well as the VenturaConnect integrated book sewing system ensure that even shorter book print runs can be produced in a cost-effective manner.

E It is not exactly good news for the graphic arts industry when the number of copies per book declines. However, Trond Erik Isaksen, Founder and Managing Director of Livonia Print, takes this all in stride. “We have also observed a slight decline in the print runs of books we produce,” says the native Norwegian. “Actually, we welcome it, because we are well-prepared 16

for this development with our modern machinery.” Quick Changeover Times Are Essential In the four-color segment, the average print run per book (both hardcover and softcover production) last year was exactly 4,294 copies with an average of 145 pages. In single color printing, the average print run is

almost half of that: 2,263 copies with an average of 233 pages. Projected over a year, these add up to over 15 million books – featuring roughly 4,000 book titles. The print runs can go as low as 200 copies for textbooks and as high as 70,000 (hardcover) or 120,000 (softcover) copies for bestsellers. In order to produce these averages economically, quick changeover Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

times are essential. That is why Nordic's largest bookbinder has relied on systems from Muller Martini for producing its huge range of books and a slightly smaller amount of catalogs since its founding five years ago – this goes for both hardcover books (which make up 51 percent of their production volume) as well as softcover books (45 percent).

45 book case maker from Hörauf. A year later, it added a VenturaConnect integrated book sewing system with two Venturas. Last year, Trond Erik Isaksen decided to start the third stage of investments. It consists of an extensive Hardcover production line including a Diamant MC 60 bookline with Tandem headbanding stati-

on,a Merit S three-knife trimmer, two RPM spine pressing machines, a Collibri backgluing machine, a cooling section with a cooling tower, an endsheet feeder and a fastbook feeder from Solema. Also, a second book case maker (BDM Compact 60), a stand-alone Vesta jacketing machine as well as a second Connect system, with one

90 Percent Thread Sewing The company started out in 2007 with an Acoro A5 perfect binder (with a 16-station gathering machine, CrissCross, Merit S three-knife trimmer and a CB 12 book stacker), a Diamant 30 bookline, a Ventura book sewing machine and a BDM Compact

Two RPM spine pressing machines located in front and behind the Collibri backgluing machine contribute significantly to the high quality of the hardcover books produced on the Diamant MC 60 bookline.

VenturaConnect Reduces Costs In order to ensure efficient, automatic production of thread-sewn brochures and book blocks, Muller Martini can connect up to three Ventura MC book sewing machines into the VenturaConnect integrated book sewing system. This is an impressively simple and efficient solution with which production costs for thread-sewn products can be significantly reduced. The sig natures are gathered, stacked and sub sequently processed into thread-sewn

book blocks – and all that in a single procedure. The Connect system, of which Livonia Print has two in operation in Riga, is designed in such a way that, in an initial expansion step, it can be efficiently combined with a gathering machine and a book sewing machine. Thanks to the modular design from Muller Martini, it is possible to expand the system later on to two or three book sewing machines.

The production costs for thread-sewn products can be significantly reduced thanks to the automation of processes and the related minimal staff requirement. The Connect system is designed to be flexible that both inline as well as offline individual runs of the book sewing machines are possible. The buffer zone before each book sewing machine significantly increases the efficiency of the system.

Muller Martini can connect up to three book sewing machines into the VenturaConnect integrated system. Livonia Print has two such systems in operation.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Hardcover Production 1 If necessary, as a trained printer and bookbinder, company owner Trond Erik Isaksen would be able to operate the Acoro A5 perfect binder installed in 2007 by himself. 2 Livonia Print produces book cases on two BDM Compact 45 and 60 . . . 3 . . . protective jackets are applied on a Vesta.

2 Ventura MC book sewing machine were added. Another Ventura MC will be attached to this second book sewing system this year, as 90 percent of Livonia Print’s softcover and hardcover products are thread-sewn. A Suitable Motto The recent investments in machinery were a result of Livonia’s high growth rate as illustrated here in three figures:

Remote Provides Help Quickly MM

According to Isaksen, the fact that the new machines at Livonia Print were running at full capacity immediately after they were installed was not only due to his experienced machine operators. An important factor is also MMRemote from Muller Martini’s service package. “This solution is really convenient – particularly in the first phase after installation ,” says Isaksen. “The fact that MMRemote enables us to get in contact with Muller Martini quickly has two advantages for us. First, we receive help fast whenever we have a problem, which saves us time. Second, from a psychological standpoint, it is important for the machine operators to know that they can contact the experts at Muller Martini Poland or Bad Mergentheim at any time.”

E Between 2007 and 2011, revenues increased by a factor of 13. “You can see,” Isaksen tells “Panorama” with a grin, “our company is an excellent example of Muller Martini’s motto ‘Grow with us.’ from the drupa 2008.” E During the same period, the number of employees rose from 50 to 250 – nota bene with a very low turnover of four percent, which speaks for the high satisfaction of the employees, who are paid significantly higher than in other graphic arts businesses in Latvia. E Instead of two printing presses five years ago, now six of them run in three shifts. According to Isaksen, Livonia Print again chose the same machine manufacturer, “because Muller Martini has offered us excellent support from the start and, we have established a genuine partnership.” Technologically Far Ahead The trained printer and bookbinder always takes a critical look at the technology. Prior to founding Livonia Print he had his products printed in Latvia as an independent entrepreneur selling them in Scandi navia. “Of course we looked at other booklines,” says Isaksen. “but clearly, the Diamant MC is in many ways technologically superior to its competition.” Regarding the new VenturaConnect system the owner of the company makes a musical comparison: “It is like with Roger Whittaker’s famous song ‘New World in

3 the Morning’ – the handling, workflow and logistics of the integrated system has improved even more.” Ideally Positioned As the machine operators benefited from the experience of working with the previous models, Livonia Print began producing on the new systems practically the first day after installation. “The Diamant MC 60,” says Isaksen, “is running at peak performance for 90 percent of the books we produce.” This high level of productivity enables Livonia to offer attractive conditions, even for smaller jobs, to its customers, most of whom are from the three Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark – including 200 of their regular customers. That is why Isaksen can look to the future with confidence: “With our new, smarter generation of machines that offers us a high level of flexibility, we are ideally positioned as a reliable partner for our customers.” 

www.livoniaprint.lv Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Services

High Automation Is Needed for Ultra-short Print Runs of Photo Books A higher level of automation, a wider range of sizes, fast changeover times – posterXXL in Munich has recently started producing photo books on a Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline and a Pantera perfect binder from Muller Martini. The service module MMRemote Online considerably helps both systems to maintain a high level of availability. E When clicking through posterXXL’s website or paging through its 100-page product catalog, you will find no less than 6,000 different configurations for posters, books and other materials. “When we started out, we wanted to be a photo service provider, and we are now on our way to becoming a service provider for individ-

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

ualization covering the entire spectrum,” says Christian Schnagl, founder and Chairman of posterXXL. For some time now, the company has been expanding from just posters, which was its specialty when it was founded in 2004, to more diversified products such as calendars, canvasses, cards, wallpapers, flags, puzzles, decora-

tions, bags, mugs, pillows and stuffed animals with photos.

Founder Christian Schnagl (right) and posterXXL are on their way to becoming a service provider for individualization covering the entire spectrum. Next to Christian Schnagl (from the right): Franz Josef Grünberger (Operations Manager),

Maximilian Mittermeier (Assistant to Company Management), Thomas Schmidt (Sales Representative of Muller Martini Germany), Michael Roloff (Customer Service Representative from Muller Martini Book Technology GmbH).

A Wide Range of Products “A photograph is an emotional product,” says Christian Schnagl. This is especially important with the still growing market of photo books and the increasing spread of

Services

The Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline provides posterXXL with a high level of security in cover/content matching, preventing deliveries of photo books with the wrong book cases.

digital cameras, since photo books make up a significant – double-digit – percentage of posterXXL’s revenues. Just as with the rest of their product range, the photo books from posterXXL are characterized by wide product variability. Hardcover products with windows, leather and cloth cases, or genuine photo books (digitally lithographed instead of printed) are produced in Munich as well as softcover photo books with ring binding or felt cover ones with individualized embroidered text. The sizes range from A6 to A3 and rectangular sizes from 14 x 14 up to 30 x 30 cm. 50 Percent with One-off Print Runs Almost half of the photo books are produced by posterXXL in just one copy – which shows how important it is to have smooth production processes. The Munich photo service provider has relied for several months on a combined solution from 20

Muller Martini with a Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline and a Pantera perfect binder. Apart from the high level of automation, a wide range of sizes, fast changeover times, there was another deciding factor for choosing the bookline from Muller Martini, according to Christian Schnagl: “The Diamant MC 35 Hybrid provides us with a high level of security in cover/content matching. It would be a disaster if we were to deliver photo books with the wrong content to our customers.” One-Stop Solution In addition, the Diamant MC 35 Hybrid and the Pantera, which is used to produce softcover books and also book blocks for the bookline, complement each other perfectly. “We wanted a one-stop solution,” says Operations Manager Franz Josef Grünberger, “and for us that means having the right machines at the right time.” Both systems, with which posterXXL has ventured

into uncharted technological territory, are in the optimization phase. “However, together with the technicians from Muller Martini, we look for and find again and again the right solutions for our demanding production processes,” underscores Maximilian Mittermeier, Assistant to Company Management. Individual Customers and Cooperation Currently, posterXXL produces exclusively photo books on the Diamant MC 35 Hybrid and the Pantera – . the emphasis is on “currently”. As Christian Schnagl puts it: “Our plans are still open in this respect ,” which shows that an innovative company is always on the lookout for new (print) products. “Stop by a year from now,” the head of the company told “Panorama”, “and everything will look quite different once again.” For example, posterXXL has many individual customers who order their photo Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Together with the Diamant MC 35 Hybrid bookline, the Pantera perfect binder (industry book binding expert Richard Matthes, Head of Book Binding seen here at the touch screen) offers a one-stop solution.

books on the Internet. However, the company, which receives an average of 5,000 orders per day, has been working with several renowned cooperation partners, such as Disney, Lego, Punica, TUI or Alex Springer featuring the magazines “Auto Bild”, “Sport Bild” und “Computer Bild”, for some time now. In addition, approximately 3,000 retailers, most of which are located in Germany and including many photography businesses, sell products ordered from posterXXL under their own label and on their own account. The Next Revolution Is Coming posterXXL, which uses four HP Indigo digital systems for printing, generates around two thirds of its revenues in Germany. For the company, which also won first place in the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award, exports are gaining in importance. That is why posterXXL took the step to enter new markets abroad several years ago, starting up websites in Austria, Great Brit-

ain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States as well as opening its own production plant in New York. It comes as no surprise that the number of employees in recent years has increased to 250 . “However, our turnover has grown faster than the number of employees,” comments Christian Schnagl with pride. “Thanks to higher automation, we have systematically increased our productivity –

which is necessary given the strong competition.” This aspect of productivity should gain more importance in the future according to Christian Schnagl: “If inkjet printing catches on, we will experience another digital revolution, which will lead to slashing prices, making inline solutions a must.”  www.posterXXL.de

The Online Pioneer Relies on MMRemote Online Half of posterXXL’s annual revenues are generated in the fourth quarter – that is, during the attractive Christmas shopping season. During this hectic time, the company’s daily production volume increases up to five-fold compared to the rest of the year. “You can imagine just how important a high level of availability of the machines is, precisely during this important phase,” comments the company director Christian Schnagl. “Customers want a solution; they’re not interested in the technological aspect.” That is why posterXXL has relied on the MM Remote Online module from Muller Martini’s extensive range of services, with telephone conferences, webcams, online analyses and 24/7 support since the very day the Diamant MC 35 Hybrid and Pantera

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

were installed. “We are ourselves an online company,” says Schnagl. “It was clear to us from the very beginning that just as with the manufacturers of our other machines, we chose Muller Martini because we needed a networked services solution.” For Operations Manager Franz Josef Grünberger, MMRemote is “a great tool for finding where the errors are – especially in peak times. Just as our customers’ expectations have increased with regard to the shortest possible delivery times, we also have higher expectations towards the machine manufacturers when problems arise.” posterXXL is permanently linked to Muller Martini via MMRemote Online, and not only in times of trouble. “We have all our cards on the table,” says Christian Schnagl.

For the digital printing pioneer, there is no doubt: The future of an optimized service lies in the full networking between customers and the machine manufacturers as well as the ability of the machine manufacturer to take action proactively. “That is how we will receive more information on the machines and our time frames for production.” Equally important for Franz Josef Grünberger are the specific training programs for personnel enabling them to solve smaller problems on the machines themselves. “Precisely in an innovative and creative company such as ours, you need to keep improving, and show interest in technological advances and team spirit – that is typical for the age of the Internet.”

“Panorama” Interview Series BRIC Countries

Brazil, Russia, India and China are commonly referred to as the BRIC countries. According to prominent economists, the four emerging markets can overtake

the seven most important industrial nations (G7) in two decades. Parallel to a healthy economy and a high level of dynamic economic growth, the graphic

Interview with Romi Vohra and P. R. Lakshminarayanan

“Greater Automation Needed at Many Indian Printing Plants” In addition to India’s strong population growth rate, the government’s considerable efforts in the field of education are contributing greatly to the boom of the graphic arts industry in India. Romi Vohra, managing director at Repro India Ltd., headquartered in Mumbai, and P. R. Lakshminarayanan, managing director at Muller Martini India, believe that their industry will continue to grow in the coming years in a similar fashion.

E “Panorama”: India’s graphic arts industry, unlike that of many Western industrialized nations, has been recording annual growth of around 12 percent for some time now. What lies behind this welcome development in your country? Romi Vohra: High population growth is contributing greatly to the increasing print volumes. More people also means more readers. Second, and this is of significantly greater importance for our industry, due to the considerable efforts of our government in the field of education the demand for textbooks and learning materials is increasing. Approximately a half of all Indians are aged fewer than 24. That gives you some idea of the massive demand for books at all levels of education! Is this growth distributed evenly throughout all segments of the graphic arts industry, or are certain print products benefiting more than others? Romi Vohra: The book market for schools and universities, which I am very familiar with, is undoubtedly the most important pillar of India’s graphic arts industry. In light of the great challenges in education in India, that will remain the case for some time. 22

P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Daily newspapers are also recording strong growth. On the other hand, stand-alone consumer magazines are somewhat stagnant in India. There is an increasing number of titles, but the print runs are generally decreasing, with the result that the total quantity of magazines is barely changing. Looking to the future, are you expecting the graphic arts industry in India to report similar growth over the next few years? Romi Vohra: I do not anticipate that the boom will tail off in the coming years. The thirst of young Indians for more education is too great for that. Our company’s figures are indicative of that: in 2010 our turnover grew by 30 percent, and 35 percent in 2011. We are anticipating growth of 30 to 35 percent again this year. P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Since 2004, the Government of India has been collecting a special tax called “education cess” of 3 percent towards education. From those massive revenues, a lot of money is also flowing into the printing industry. More print products for students means that more Indians have a higher level of education and better paid jobs. That makes a more attractive target audience for adver-

tising – a spiral effect that has positive results for our industry. How important are exports to the Indian printing industry? Romi Vohra: Exports really are a great opportunity for our industry. That will remain the case, provided that Indian printing houses can better combine their strengths. That is why Repro launched the “Book City” project. Together with other firms, we would like to create specialists for certain products and production processes, such as higher automation, on the present heterogeneous market. Everyone should play

“The book market for schools and universities is undoubtedly the most important pillar of India’s graphic arts industry.” Romi Vohra

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

arts industry is flourishing in all four countries – for “Panorama”, the aim of an interview series is to take a look behind the scenes at printing houses and

finishing businesses in the BRIC countries. See Panorama 2/2011 (Brazil) and 3/2011 (China).

What effect does the increase in printing houses have on finishing? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Finishing has undoubtedly gained in importance. Many (new) customers of Muller Martini India who have invested in printing presses come to us later because they would like to finish larger volumes automatically. Since many such companies previously performed the entire finishing process by hand, the new machines often come from the entry-level or middle performance segment. Then would you say that print finishing will continue to gain importance in the coming years? Romi Vohra: There is no doubt about it in my opinion. Higher automation is needed at many Indian printing houses, as I men-

They know India's graphic arts industry like the back of their hand: Romi Vohra (right), managing director at Repro India Ltd., and P. R. Lakshminarayanan, managing director at Muller Martini India.

dominantly capacity adjustments or are they also motivated by the desire to modernize production systems? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Both factors are driving the investments. Expansions are generally to cater to increased print volumes and modernization due to relative scarcity and resultant higher wages for skilled labor.

to their strengths on their market. By investing in larger equipment on the basis of cooperation arrangements, we can strengthen our position in the export business. P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Exports have grown continuously in the past few years. Indian printing houses have also recently discovered Africa in particular as an attractive growth market. However, logistics and increasingly tight timeframes will pose a growing challenge to Indian companies. That is why many companies are setting up their new production facilities to the vicinity of the larger ports.

What is the situation with regard to the production machinery of medium to large-sized Indian printing houses and finishing companies? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: The spectrum is very wide. Only a few large companies, however, have the necessary cash flow to be able to afford the most modern, highly automated equipment. That is why many medium-sized and also smaller printing houses are investing in secondhand machines. That holds opportunities for Muller Martini India. We often install and service these older machines. By doing so we create a relationship with the customer that one day will result in the purchase of new systems.

In parallel with the growth of the graphic arts industry, companies have also significantly increased their investments in production machinery over the past few years. Are these increases preMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Facts and Figures about the Printing Market in India E Between 2006 and 2011, the graphic arts industry in India grew by an amazing 73 percent. E In 2011, the graphic arts industry in India had a turnover of 21 billion US dollars. E India’s printing houses print 10 million tons of paper per year. As a result, the Indian paper industry shows an annual growth rate of 8 percent. E There are 250,000 printing presses in India – among these 75 percent have either one or two printing units, nearly 30,000 are large format machines. E Almost 80 percent of all Indian printing houses are family-run businesses. E In India, 2,200 graphic arts businesses produce 1.3 billion softcover books per year. E Every year, 90,000 new books are issued in India by 19,000 different publishers. E The total daily circulation of all 8,000 Indian daily newspapers is 107 million copies. E According to a survey, leading representatives in the graphic arts industry expect annual growth rates of over 35 percent for digital printing, over 20 percent for large size printing, over 15 percent for package printing as well as over 12 percent for both web offset printing and sheet-fed printing.

In the past three years, 325 new printing houses have sprung up in India, and similar growth is anticipated in 2012. 23

Interview with Romi Vohra and P. R. Lakshminarayanan

P. R. Lakshminarayanan: “Thanks to our local presence, we are very close to our customers” “Panorama”: Mr. Lakshminarayanan, the graphic arts industry in your country has been enjoying very high growth for years now. What does that mean for Muller Martini India? P. R. Lakshminarayanan, managing director at Muller Martini India: It is true that the graphic arts industry in India has grown at a continuously high rate over the past decade. However, owing to the capital-intensive nature of our industry, there have been ups and downs with regard to investments. The great challenge for Muller Martini India is to serve the market and our customers optimally during both the up and down periods. Which segments in particular have experienced growth in the past few years? All business divisions of Muller Martini have experienced growth. However, growth has been particularly high in the areas of newspaper mailroom systems and hardcover and softcover production.

“Print finishing needs to reach the same high technological level like printing presses.” Romi Vohra

In your eyes, what is the reason for Muller Martini’s huge success in India? Thanks to our local presence, we are very close to customers despite the size of the country. Such close partnership based on proximity to customers, coupled with great confidence in the Muller Martini brand, gives graphic arts companies a strong sense of comfort. With a population of 1.2 billion and a surface area of 3.3 million square kilometers, India is a huge country. How do you guarantee service and delivery of spare parts to such a widely spread customer base? Several years ago we set up local support centers in the most important cities. Although we have centralized our spare parts service at our headquarters in New Delhi, we have steadily increased the inventory of spare parts at those local support centers according to the machines installed in the given area. It is said that “the salesman sells the first machine, and then the service sells the next!” That is why we – using

erators in the graphic arts industry, they do not come cheap.

tioned earlier in connection with the country’s export opportunities. We have many modern printing presses in India, but print finishing needs to reach the same high technological level.

How important are finishing processes (keywords: finishing, inserts, glued-in inserts) in the production of print products? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Making print products more attractive has recently increased slightly in importance. However, since these processes can be performed by unqualified, and therefore inexpensive, workers, they are mostly done by hand. That is why there are few card gluers in use in India, for instance.

What role do wage costs play in the increasing automation? Romi Vohra: Salaries are one aspect. To remain an attractive partner to our foreign customers ensuring shorter delivery is much more important. P. R. Lakshminarayanan: It is true that wage costs are rising in India in parallel with economic growth. Since it is increasingly difficult to find qualified machine op-

As you mentioned, daily newspapers are booming in India, unlike in many Western industrialized countries. Some 107 million copies are sold daily, accounting for 20 percent of world production. What makes the Indian dailies so strong? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: In addition to the strong population growth, it is predominantly low prices that explain this great in-

P. R. Lakshminarayanan: “We place great emphasis on service.”

the big advantages of the Muller Martini service package MMServices – will continue to place great emphasis on service.

crease. More and more Indians can afford to buy a daily paper. A second and third daily newspaper is also quite common. At newsstands they cost between 3 and 5 rupees (6 to 10 US cents), while a monthly subscription with door delivery costs just 100 to 150 rupees (2 to 3 dollars). However, these low prices also have a downside, which is not without its risks. Because newspaper publishers depend heavily with about 70 % coming from advertising revenues, in an economic slump, that would have disastrous consequences. What is the situation with regard to inserts in such newspapers? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: They are (yet) nowhere near as popular as in other countries. The number of inserts has increased significantly in recent years, but for many newspaper companies it is still more economical to have them inserted by hand. That job is usually performed by the hawkers directly at distribution points. That is why there are still few inserting machines in India. Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

“More and more Indians can afford to buy a daily paper. A second and third daily newspaper is also quite common.” P. R. Lakshminarayanan

Do you believe there is great potential in that field? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Yes, certainly, since magazines or semi-commercials are increasingly delivered free as inserts to make newspapers more attractive. That business model is relatively new in India and will increase in importance in the coming years. Are you anticipating unabated growth of newspapers in the coming years? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: I am convinced that newspaper print runs, especially those of non-English language in tier-II towns and cities, will increase in a similar fashion in the next few years. With 90,000 new titles and a total of 1.3 billion softcover books produced annually, the letterpress figures are also impressive. Are you anticipating similar growth in this segment to that of newspapers? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: Yes, the number of books will increase to a similar extent. There will be increasing focus on automation for hardcover production. I am expecting that more and more companies will switch from working by hand to machine production. That will enable them to satisfy the increasing demands of both the domestic market and the export market in terms of quality and production speed. What role does package printing play in India? P. R. Lakshminarayanan: The growth rate in package printing is double the average for India’s traditional printing industry. For Muller Martini, in India, this is largely an unMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

explored segment but potential will be huge when the printers will want higher print quality of packaging products. In the last three years digital printing in India grew by 25.8 percent per year. How important are digital print products in India today? Romi Vohra: To be honest, for us this business segment has been disappointing so far. We purchased a digital printing press four years ago, but the volume of orders has not lived up to our expectations at the time. It is true that we produce our textbooks predominantly for the government and are not in open competition. However, colleagues in other printing segments also report that they have not yet achieved a breakthrough in the field of digital printing, either. P. R. Lakshminarayanan: We need to take a nuanced view of the digital printing business in India. It is still mainly smaller print shops that are successful in this segment, which is why the investments also tend to be smaller. However, it is only a matter of time before a greater number of larger companies jump on the digital bandwagon. How strong is the competition from electronic media (for example e-books) in India today? Romi Vohra: In the field of textbooks, which is our strength that is unlikely to be an issue for many years. The experiences of my colleagues in the industry also show that the runs of print products are not suffering because of e-media. Mr. Vohra, the drupa is not long off. Will you be flying to Düsseldorf? Romi Vohra: Naturally. I have attended five drupas since 1990 and the long journey was worth it every time. This year we will fly 18 people from our company to Düsseldorf to see the innovations live at the many stands during the three to four days. We are expecting, in particular, that machine manufacturers will also show us simple solutions enabling us to produce more costeffectively. 

Romi Vohra launched the forward-looking “Book City” project.

Repro produces 500,000 books – per day! With roughly half a million books a day, Repro India Ltd. is one of India’s leading book manufacturers. Some 80 percent or more are books for schools and universities. Repro prints these for various publishers, who in turn are contracted by the government. Some titles have print runs of as many as a million copies, although the number of copies typically ranges between 10,000 and 35,000. The company, which employs 800 people at its three factories in Mumbai (where it has its headquarters), Chennai and Surat, has been relying on Muller Martini systems for perfect binding and saddle stitching since it was founded in 1993. Its most recent investment was an Acoro A5 perfect binder in 2009. In order to improve the export prospects of India’s entire graphic arts industry, Repro launched the “Book City” project that involves combining forces with printing houses (see adjacent interview). “Together with other firms, we would like to produce specialists for certain products and production processes on the present heterogeneous market,” says managing director Romi Vohra. “Everyone should play to their strengths on their market. By investing in larger equipment on the basis of cooperation arrangements, we can strengthen our position in the export business.”

News from Muller Martini A First for Italy: Inline Finishing Line for Digitally Printed Books

Roughly 100 visitors from over 50 companies, including the most renowned graphic arts businesses in Italy, came to the open house of Muller Martini.

Together with several partner companies, Muller Martini Italy showed how digitally printed books can be finished inline cost-effectively in short print runs during the well-visited three-day open house in Sesto San Gio vanni. It was the first time that

a completely inline finishing line for digitally printed books was presented in Italy. The line presented at the open house in Sesto San Giovanni close to Milan consisted of a unwinding system (for the rolls printed by HP) and a trimming system from Hunkeler,

an MBO folding machine, a Palamides collator, a Solema conveyor belt and a sub-line of Muller Martini SigmaLine with a SigmaBinder, SigmaTower and SigmaTrimmer. “First, with these practical, fully integrated solutions we wanted to show how digitally printed books can be made costeffectively in inline production even for short print runs – down to just one copy – and how easy it is to switch from one size to the next without interrupting production,” says Bernd Volken, Managing Director of Muller Martini Italy. Second, according to Bernd Volken, the objective of the open house was to provide the visitors with more information on the individual components of the inline system. “Many of our customers already have one or two machines for digital processing – a folding machine, a perfect binder or a three-knife trimmer. We

wanted to show them how they can turn their existing systems into a complete line with a manageable investment.” The topicality of the issue was demonstrated by the response to the open house. Roughly 100 visitors from over 50 companies, including the most prestigious graphic arts businesses in Italy, made their way to Sesto San Giovanni. The demonstration room from Muller Martini Italy was abuzz with activity on all three days. “We were positively surprised by the response to our event,” commented a visibly satisfied Bernd Volken. In addition to the demonstrations from Muller Martini Italy, presentations on digital printing and digital print finishing were held. The numerous visitors also received detailed information on the various modules of Muller Martini’s MMServices division at one of the info booths.

Leading Packaging Producer in the United Muller Martini and States Chooses to Invest in a Second VSOP 520 Sitma Seal Partnership

Belmark, Inc. has installed its second VSOP 520 web offset printing press.

The Muller Martini VSOP web offset printing press is ideal for printing flexible packaging, labels, films and cardboard. That is why Belmark, Inc., one of the leading packaging manufacturers in the United States, has installed a second VSOP 520 web offset

printing press at its plant in Wisconsin. Belmark, Inc. is one of the top names in the United States when it comes to the manufacture of high-quality labels, flexible packaging and folding boxes. The company supplies customers from many different industries, including producers of dairy products, candy, long-lasting consumer goods and animal feed. According to Karl Schmidt, President and CEO of Belmark, Inc., the key factors behind the decision to purchase a second printing press from the VSOP series included the quality and high level of automation. “We were very happy with the output of the first machine, and we have absolute faith in Muller Martini and its products. We are convinced that it will continue to provide outstanding support to us and our machines.”

Similarly to the insertion business, the foil wrapping business is growing worldwide. Foils provide a high level of protection during transport, ensuring that print products reach readers together with all inserts, gadgets and vouchers in a compact form and in immaculate condition. Foils have also been proven to be better for the environment than paper wrapping. In order to offer their customers a wide range of inserting systems and foil wrapping systems as well as comprehensive service support to ensure high availability of machines, Muller Martini and the Italian company Sitma, market leaders in the field of packaging and mailroom systems, have sealed a partnership. “Our cooperation strengthens the supply of flexible production systems featuring intelligent automation,” say Felix Stirnimann from Muller

Martini’s corporate management and Aris Ballestrazzi, president of Sitma Machinery S.p.A. “That provides our customers with high investment security and lets them optimize their equipment.”

From left to right: Lamberto Tassi (President of Sitma S.p.A.), Aris Ballestrazzi (President of Sitma Machinery S.p.A.), Felix Stirnimann (Muller Martini corporate manage ment) and Alois Hochstrasser (Director of Muller Martini Market ing AG) seal the partnership be tween Muller Martini and Sitma. Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

A New Bolero Provides Future Professionals with Modern Perfect Binding Technology

From left to right: Fritz Gödan (Senior Technical Instructor of the school), Ulrich Grossmann (mechanical service engineer at Muller Martini Germany), Peter Stein (Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany) and Andreas Hack (Technical Instructor) in front of the new Bolero perfect binder at the Johannes Gutenberg School in Stuttgart.

The Johannes Gutenberg School in Stuttgart has installed a new Bolero perfect binder in its bookbinding facilities in order to en-

sure that its graduates are up to date on the latest perfect binding technology. Muller Martini systems have been used at this training institute for a long time. Several decades ago, the young ‘Gutenbergs’ learned by using a Rotorbinder RB 5, a Junior saddle stitcher and a book sewing machine operated by a foot pedal, all from the Swiss machine manufacturer. A Bolero perfect binder is the most recent addition to the school, which offers the latest in finishing technology with Muller Martini’s BravoPlus saddle stitcher commissioned in 2005 and a Venture book sewing machine commissioned in 2008. “Not only must we provide our students with the highest quality in our production machinery, but we must also be able to show them the wide range of production options available today,” emphasizes Fritz Gödan.

PVS: Two-Up Production Makes the Integro 300 the Unbeatable Option

From right to left: Horge Ciprian (Production Manager P.V.S.), Erich Romano (Managing Director P.V.S.), Reinhard Romano (Tech nical Director P.V.S.) and Gerhard Urban (Muller Martini Austria) upon acceptance of the Integro 300 at the Muller Martini plant in the Swiss city of Zofingen.

Prospekt Versand Service (P.V.S.) is investing in an Integro 300 inserting system from Muller Martini for its production plant in Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Sopron in neighboring Hungary. The special construction of the new inserting system enables a net production of 50,000 copies per hour. P.V.S., with its headquarters in Müllendorf, Austria, produces 1.5 million advertising brochures daily in Sopron. “We already have seven BiLiner and two AlfaLiner machines from Muller Martini in use, and have had excellent experiences with them over the years,” says Managing Director Erich Romano. The decisive factor for the new investment was a special construction from Muller Martini that enables P.V.S. to insert brochures, which often have just two inserts, on the Integro 300 in two-up production. “That enables net production of 50,000 copies per hour, which to the best of my knowledge is unbeatable on the market,” says Romano.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner Inaugurates Muller Martini Saddle Stitcher The Arcángel Maggio printing house in Buenos Aires has once again opted for the fully automated Primera C140 saddle stitcher from Muller Martini. This important step for the graphic arts industry in Argentina was honored by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner with her presence at the inauguration ceremony for the new machine. She demonstrated the importance of having an advanced graphic arts industry and pointed out Arcángel Maggio’s role in it. Cristina Kirchner also seeks to ensure that school textbooks used in Argentina are produced exclusively in the country. Of course, the Arcángel Maggio printing house can play an important part. “With the Primera C140, we are heralding a new era in our company,” says CEO Sebastián Maggio. “We believe Argentina has enormous potential, parti cularly in printing school text-

Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Sebastián Maggio (CEO of Arcángel Maggio printing house) take a closer look at the final product, a magazine stitched on the Primera C140 saddle stitcher, at the Perfetto com pensating stacker.

books. We want to invest further in this area.” In a fiercely competitive market, it is particularly important for Arcángel Maggio to stand out from its competitors.

140 Printing Specialists Visit the Muller Martini Training Center Presses in Maulburg The RadTech Conference 2011 in Basel, Switzerland, under the motto “UV/EB – Green Techno logy for Innovation” offered participants the opportunity to make an excursion to Maulburg, Germany to view the Muller Martini Training Center Presses, where they were able to learn more about modern food packaging printing through practical examples. The highlight of the event was the live demonstration of the VSOP (Variable Sleeve Offset Printing) web offset printing press, recently introduced by Muller Martini. The roughly 140 visitors were able to view firsthand how a bakery package was printed and the printing ink dried using an electron-beam hardening method. The VSOP demonstration was accompanied by expert presentations on various topics in the field

of web offset printing with EB drying methods. Dr. Andreas Hitzler, Head of Marketing and Sales at Muller Martini Printing Presses GmbH, presented the advantages of VSOP for printing labels, flexible packaging solutions and cardboard packaging.

The highlight of the event at the Muller Martini Training Center Presses in Maulburg was the live demonstration of the VSOP web offset printing press.

Printing Presses

“Invest in Times of Boom, and You Will Profit in Times of Crisis”

At DPA Label Pack in Greece, the new Alprinta 52V by Muller Martini leads the way for a completely new production plant in the most unlikely of times. E The unique Greek printing house DPA Label Pack was founded in 1995 and specializes in two very different but apparently complementary fields of the printing industry: large format digital printing and label converting. According to their latest strategic assessment, despite the current, economically turbulent climate, the filmic label and flexible packaging markets could prove most resilient and profitable. The key was the highly innovative hybrid Alprinta 52V press. Its main feature, the infinitely size-variable web offset printing capability, gave DPA’s executive team the confidence to take a bold step into the future with the goal of breaking into these 28

new markets. They commissioned and installed a seven-color, triple process press from Muller Martini in the middle of Greece’s largest economic recession. New Plant in Corinth “Save up in good times, and then you will have the money when you need it,” goes an old German saying. For DPA Label Pack one could adapt this saying to “Invest in times of crisis, and you will be the first to see the return of the good times.” This summer, the company will also be opening a completely new, generously designed, 2,500-m2 production plant on a greenfield land in Corinth, about 65 kilom-

eters from its current headquarters. The new Alprinta 52V along with a complete new finishing line (custom ordered for the production of adhesive labels, shrinksleeve labels, wrap-around labels and flexible packaging), an HP Indigo digital offset printing press with a fully equipped ABG Digicom finishing line, and three further narrow web printing presses, will all be soon moved to the new plant. Part of the Five-Year Plan “We look to make counter-cyclical investments, and now is the best time for that,” says CEO Kostas Gikas. However, DPA would not have decided on the first AlMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

printa 52V to be commissioned in Greece, if the company had not been convinced of the positive future prospects it would provide in general and for their entry into the filmic labels and flexible packaging markets in particular. DPA has been supplying its predominantly Greek customers – including several subsidiaries of global players – with (selfadhesive) labels for seven years. However, with the new web offset printing press, the Greek label pioneer is taking an important step forward and now also prints roll labels on mono foils (wrap-arounds) and shrink sleeves. According to Michael Diamantides, Vice CEO and Strategic Development Manager, “the Alprinta 52V is part of a five-year plan for penetrating these new markets with the

1 From left to right: Michael Diamantides (Strategic Development Manager at DPA), Kostas Gikas (CEO), Spyros Tatarakis (Production Manager) and Tina Papadimitriou (Managing Director of Muller Martini’s agent in Greece, Omnicom S.A.) in front of the new Alprinta 52V infinitely size- variable web offset printing press. 2 DPA produces predominately for the Greek market; however, an increase in exports is one of the company’s strategic objectives. 3 The labels printed on the Alprinta 52V are in part finished on web trimmers and delivered to the customers on narrow rolls. 4 Three printing processes in one machine: the Alprinta 52V has a flexo printing and gravure unit in addition to five web offset press units.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

goal of becoming Greek market leaders and also for achieving a strong strategic position in certain markets. Building on our know-how and expertise, our plan is to improve the Alprinta’ s ability to print on paper, adhesive and film stock for all applicable markets including food, dairy, soft drinks/water/beverage, cosmetics, detergents, lubricants and pharmaceutical. This way, we can gradually develop new product lines such as filmic labels (shrink-sleeve and wrap-around), foil lids, paper instruction leaflets, paper (wet-glue) labels, IML and flexible packaging.” Handy Format Change That print runs in the Greek market are mostly in the small to medium range, and can go as low as 1,500 running meters was one of the reasons DPA chose the Alprinta 52V. “A quick Make Ready system and low workflow costs from pre-press to the printing press are two important factors in our job sizes for cost-effective production,” emphasizes Production Manager Spyros Tatarakis. Three Processes in One Machine What’s more, the Alprinta 52V commissioned in last September features a flexo printing and gravure unit in addition to five web offset press units. “This enables us to have three printing processes in one machine. We are currently expanding our expertise in each method as well as in the skillful combination of the three in order to fully benefit from the Alprinta’s flexibility and produce premium-quality and cost-effective solutions for our customers,” Kostas Gikas says. This is because the Alprinta V processes a wide range of printable sub-

strates, from paper to films and composites. In several reference visits and during the testing of their own products at the Muller Martini Training Center Presses in Maulburg, Germany, the DPA executives could see for themselves how quickly the Alprinta 52V can be changed over from one job to the next. “We are now experiencing the same quick changeovers in our daily production, which in combination with the Alprinta’s generous 52" width and extremely productive speed of 300 m/min give us the ability to cater for virtually all production runs from small to large”, Kostas Gikas points out. The Objective Is to Increase Exports Kostas Gikas, who oversees 42 DPA employees, lists two additional advantages of the new machine: “First, it is very easy to operate and second, it exhibits a consistently stable and high printing quality – even with large print volumes.” There should be more of this in the future, for the innovative printing house’s five-year plan includes an increase in exports. Michael Diamantides comments that “We have set a strategic plan which is spearheaded by Muller Martini’s Hybrid Virtual Offset printing technology coupled with the expertise, creativity, commitment, and team-work of the people of DPA. We are confident that our reputation for value, service, quality and unique solutions will precede us, and many serious companies, including those from neighboring countries, will soon become interested in what we have to offer.”  www.DPAhellas.gr

4 29

Printing Presses

Conquering New Markets with the Concepta Entering new markets and shifting print products towards web offset printing – with the investment in a Concepta from Muller Martini, the large printing house OTK in the Czech town of Kolin has expanded the range of products offered to its customers.

E Classic business forms printed predominantly for the domestic market still account for 90 % of the volume in forms, one of the four business divisions at OTK. “However, it is our declared aim to conquer new markets with the help of the new Concepta,” said Rostislav Šoukal, director of the division in question. One way to do that is with marketing products involving lottery coupons for ad30

vertising campaigns, such as those recently printed by OTK for a world-famous restaurant chain. That played an important part in OTK's choice of a Q74 cross cutter with a Unistack 2000 stacker for inline print finishing to support the Concepta. Progress, Concept, Concepta The new Concepta is the third press from Muller Martini. In addition OTK also has a

Concept with eight printing units and a Progress with four printing units. With the new machine OTK is to launch new products in new market segments. Its second goal is to shift print products from the three other OTK divisions, namely flexible packaging (the company’s most important division), paper labels and self-adhesive labels, towards web offset printing. For in addition to the new Concepta from Muller Martini, Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

1 OTK is also printing innovative marketing products in increasing numbers on the new Concepta in the best quality, as Division Director Rostislav Šoukal (left) and Lubos Kunze, Managing Director of Martini Muller in the Czech Republic, saw for themselves fresh from the press. 2 With the new Concepta web printing press, OTK is expanding into new markets . . . 3 . . . while the company predominantly prints business forms on the older Concept model from Martini Muller.

OTK also has several rotogravure, flexo and sheet-fed offset printing presses. Increase in Foil Printing With the news Concepta OTK has its sights set on two product extensions. First, the company, which was founded in 1879 and employs 455 people, is now in the position to print foils, whereas in the past, its operations were limited to printing (paper) labels only. Second, OTK is also now able to print in-mould labels. “The foodstuffs industry will gain in importance for the printing industry, including us,” said Šoukal. “That’s why it is important that we can print on a wide range of materials and take even greater advantage of our company’s ability to react flexibly to the requirements of our customers.” Finding Creative Solutions in Tandem with Customers OTK has both a special department for innovations and a strong design department. “In the future it will be even more important to come up with creative solutions in tandem with our customers,” said Šoukal. Such future perspectives contributed decisively to OTK’s choice of the Concepta, which can be used across the board. “While our Concept, which was commissioned seven years ago, continues to work excellently, with an eye to new markets, we were keen to invest in an additional highMuller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

quality printing machine with extremely fast changeover times,” said Šoukal. Demo Clinched the Decision… A fast “Make Ready” process and a good workflow with a CIP4-compliant connection, which significantly reduces production waste, are especially important in view of the relatively low print runs produced for the domestic market. “Unlike rotogravure printing used to date, flexible web offset printing contributes considerably to optimizing costs in the case of smaller jobs,” the Division Director said. It was the technological developments from the Concept to the Concepta, presented during a demo at the Training Center Presses in Maulburg, that clinched the large Czech printing house’s decision to go ahead with the investment. “That demo convinced us fully,” said Šoukal. …Concepta Lives Up to its Promise The fact that setup times are low in daily practice contributes greatly to OTK’s high

level of satisfaction. Since the machine operators, after a short training on site, were able to transfer their considerable experience with the Concept seamlessly to the Concepta, the new machine was ready to produce even at high speeds within a very short (learning) period. 

www.otk.cz 31

Printing Presses

“New Applications for Shrink Sleeves Are Constantly Emerging” Pago, located in the town of Grabs in eastern Switzerland and specializing in label printing and labeling technology, seeks to increase its market share in shrink sleeves with the world’s first VSOP 520 web offset printing press made by Muller Martini.

E Shrink film still only makes up a modest part of the printing volume at Pago, an internationally active company with production facilities and branches in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, England and Romania. However, it is the declared objective of the innovative printing house to successively increase its share in this growing market in the coming years. For this reason, Pago has created a special strategic business unit called Sleeves, in addition to its six existing business units. 32

According to Manager and Vice-Director, Rolf Köppel, product designs are becoming more and more creative. “That is why new applications for shrink sleeves are constantly emerging in terms of form, color and design.” The first VSOP from Muller Martini In order to utilize the full potential of the diverse possibilities for decorative and promotional packaging – keywords “point of sale” and “360-degree labels” – Pago has

commissioned a VSOP 520 web offset printing press. It is not only the first VSOP printing press built by Muller Martini worldwide after obtaining the patent from Drent Göbel in 2009, but also the first web offset printing press and the first solution from Muller Martini in Pago’s 116 year history. Previously, shrink sleeves were printed on narrow web flexo machines in Grabs. The new VSOP 520 provides Pago with many new possibilities in wrap-around production: Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

From left to right: Rolf Köppel (Vice Director and Head of the Sleeves Pago Business Unit), Bernd Dehm (Production Manager of the Sleeves Pago Business Unit), Roland Gautschi (Sales Manager of Muller Martini Switzerland) and Dr. Andreas Hitzler (Marketing and Sales Manager for Muller Martini Printing Presses) in front of the new VSOP 520 web offset printing press at Pago in Grabs.

E Better print quality, above all in fine screen processes. E Higher production speeds of up to 365 meters per minute. E Greater web widths of up to 520 millimeters. E Higher level of reproduction reliability.  Wider range of application. “The VSOP is predestined for sleeves,” says Bernd Dehm, Production Manager of the Sleeves Business Unit, explaining the decision to invest in the machine. “It not only features great size variability and a high level of reproduction, but also quick set-up times. That is particularly important to us in Grabs because we often print relatively small runs for the Swiss market.”

E More cost-effective production thanks to reduced printing plate costs (see box on VSOP). E The ability to combine several printing processes (offset/flexo/rotogravure).

Open House Underpins Customer Benefits Customers and partners from Germanspeaking countries, Pago’s main client base, were able to see for themselves the

advantages of the new printing presses at the company’s “Sleeve Day” open house in October 2011. “The event was a great success,” says Rolf Köppel. “Although we had only expected 50 visitors, 80 people showed up and we received a lot of positive feedback.” Apart from demonstrations on the machines, Pago also organized five workshops, one of which was dedicated to the topic of “shrink sleeves” that particularly received a lot of attention from the visitors. Bernd Dehm together with Dr. Andreas Hitzler, Head of Marketing and Sales at Muller Martini Printing Presses GmbH in Maulburg, presented the customer benefits of the VSOP printing technology that is gaining importance especially in the food industry. Good Teamwork between Pago and Muller Martini The joint open house appearance of Pago and Muller Martini was a further milestone

Pago Also Builds Labeling Systems At the company’s headquarters in Grabs, where 400 employees work and 22 printing presses are in operation, Pago has been producing labeling systems for several decades in addition to sleeves and self-adhesive labels. The market leader in labels generates a fourth of its revenue in this business division. Pago is the world’s only internationally active system manufacturer that offers a complete range of solutions from a single source. “As we not only print but also build machines for the use of our print products, we are able to exploit a lot of synergies between the two business divisions,” says Rolf Köppel, Head of the Sleeves Business Unit. In addition to installing the machines for the automatic application of self-adhesive labels for customers, Pago also has them in operation in Grabs. Given the smaller print runs with correspondingly larger variability of products for the Swiss market, many customers (particularly new ones) appreciate the fact that Pago, with its high level of expertise, delivers finished Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

products at attractive conditions. In order to ensure that not only the machines but also the labels are designed according to the latest technology, Pago has its own laboratory and a modern pre-press division with the corresponding software tools in Grabs. “This way, we can work together with advertising agencies to check the designs of the labels and ensure they ideally match the products,” says Rolf Köppel. “In our industry, innovations are just as important as close cooperation with customers.” That is why Pago not only provides its customers with complete solutions, but, under its Pagomedia label, also offers its own creative products in the promotion and information areas – for example, for multi-page and multi-layer labels as booklets, leporello brochures and other formats. “We set the bar internationally for the highquality decoration and functional use of products and labels,” underlines Fritz Beglinger, CEO of the Pago Group, during the introduction of the company.

In Grabs, Pago has its own labeling system in operation because many of its customers appreciate having finished products delivered to them.

Printing Presses

Pago machine operator Kenan Sehic checks the quality of the shrink sleeves printed on the VSOP.

in the close cooperation the two companies have maintained since Pago decided to invest in the VSOP. “Good teamwork for optimizing production is particularly important, because the VSOP is our first Muller Martini solution,” emphasizes Bernd Dehm. It is precisely in the two important aspects of size variability and changeover times – which, according to Bernd Dehm, take half as long as with narrow web flexo machines – that the new printing press has fulfilled Pago’s expectations. 

www.pago.com

VSOP: Easy Print Size Changes Thanks to Sleeve Technology The VSOP (Variable Sleeve Offset Printing) web offset printing press from Muller Martini enables quick and simple size changes during offset printing. Sleeve technology allows print sizes to be changed easily without having to remove entire printing inserts, meaning this process is not only quick and simple, but also exceptionally cost effective for print lengths that change frequently. Plate and rubber blanket cylinders in the VSOP printing unit are designed as handy sleeves. The sleeves can be replaced manually in no time at all. Each sleeve axis has its own shaftless drive, which is why none of the gears need to be changed. VSOP is a complete solution for a whole range of applications and can be used in the following markets: E Label printing: Roll labels made of paper or film, shrink films, wet-glue labels, self-adhesive labels, in-mold labels.

Sleeve technology on the VSOP allows print sizes to be changed easily without having to remove entire printing inserts (Pago machine operator Severin Much pictured).

E Flexible package printing: Films, laminate, grocery packaging. E Cardboard box printing: Folding boxes, drinks packaging. Thanks to individual drives the printing length can be changed within a defined range without affecting the printing quality. The speed of the back-up roller is

adjusted for each of the printing units ensuring that complex materials such as aluminum, thin foils or very thick substrates can be printed on with register accuracy. To maximize productivity, every print job can be prepared offline and while the machine is running. A quick changeover system automatically enters the settings.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Saddle Stitching Systems

“Our Students Have to Be Up to Date on the Latest Technological Developments” At its training center for specialists in the graphic arts industry in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the government-run Technical and Vocational Training Corporation now has a brand new Primera C110 saddle stitching machine from Muller Martini.

E From pre-press, offset and digital printing to finishing, the over 40 machines in the recently established graphic arts institute in Jeddah are all equipped with the latest technology. Accordingly, there is a fast growing interest in the popular training center, one of four such institutions in Saudi Arabia (with two others in the capital, Riyadh, and one in Damman). With the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, Saudi Arabia is pursuing its goal to be one of the global leaders in technical and vocational education. “We need well-trained people” “Each year, the training center in Jeddah alone receives 200 applications from Saudi Arabia for the three-year, parallel program, but we can only accommodate 70 trainees,” says Mohammed M. Alsoubae, Assistant Manager of Printing – this shows how popular the graphic arts industry is in Saudi Arabia. “Our industry needs welltrained people,” emphasizes Mohammed M. Alsoubae. “That is why our students have to be up to date on the latest technological developments.” Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

This public institute, founded 35 years ago, has a correspondingly complex evaluation procedure for the new machines in its workshop. Before the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation chose the Primera C110 with four feeders, a cover feeder and a three-knife trimmer, representatives of the school had the opportunity to take a closer look at the saddle stitcher from Muller Martini at several trade shows. Arabic on the Touchscreen Apart from the quick job changeover times, the various control systems and the modular design of the unit, Mohammed M. Alsoubae and his colleagues were particularly impressed by the touchscreen that features the Arabic language. This presents a major advantage for the students. “The many ideas provided by Jawad Mustapha Hachicho were extremely helpful to us,” says Alsoubae. Hachicho, General Manager of Muller Martini’s representation in Saudi Arabia, Yousef Al Sanad Trading Est., is proud of the fact that the school chose the Primera C110: “For Muller Martini, this choice is particularly

Mohammed M. Alsoubae (left), Deputy Instructor of Printing at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation: “The graphic arts industry in Saudi Arabia needs well-trained people.” Right: Jawad Mustapha Hachicho, General Manager of Muller Martini’s representation in Saudi Arabia, Yousef Al Sanad Trading Est.

important because many graduates of the program go on to work in leading positions in the graphic arts industry in Saudi Arabia.” 

www.tvtc.gov.sa 35

Saddle Stitching Systems

At HeiRa, the Tempo is Increasing the Tempo: 1 Billion Stitchings in 15 Years! During this year’s drupa, a special kind of anniversary will be celebrated for the first Tempo machine commissioned in the spring of 1997 at HeiRa GmbH in Gernsheim, Germany, one of the largest saddle stitching and finishing businesses in Europe. 15 years after its first “workday,” the high-performance system from Muller Martini stitched its one billionth magazine.

E Average annual output in the last 15 years: 65 million. Highest monthly output: 7.905 million. Maximum output per day: 400,000. A peek into the “log book” of the first of the four Tempo lines currently installed at HeiRa shows a very high number

1 36

of stitching jobs. “The tempo is like an allin-one solution,” says company owner Klaus Heist. “I know of no other saddle stitcher that offers a better combination of speed and flexibility. This is an ideal machine for our job structure.”

High Availability for Many Years The fact that the high output line with eight feeders, a merchandise tipper, three-knife trimmer, a Robusto compensating stacker, and loading via a stream feeder or a PrintRoll continues to provide reliable service even 180 months after it had been commissioned is due to two main reasons, says Technical Manager, Peter Dickler: “First, we have upgraded or replaced a few of the machine’s components over the years – and I would call the annual maintenance costs at under 5 percent quite low. Second, our machine operators make their contribution by ensuring the machines constantly maintain their high level of availability by way of preventive measures. Only reliable machines in combination with regular

1 Company owner Klaus Heist (right): “As the first company to gain experience with the Tempo machine, we were able to get ahead of the competition in terms of know-how.” Peter Dickler, Technical Manager (middle), Reinhold Achtner, Branch Manager of Muller Martini Germany (left).

maintenance can enable us to keep production at a high level over many years.” In order to guarantee this, the necessary maintenance work is carried out on Saturdays when the production lines are not running.

2 The Tempo machine, commissioned in 1997, stitches on average 65 million products per year.

Tips from Users for the Manufacturers Peter Dickler was there as Europe’s first Tempo was installed as a field testing machine in Gernsheim in the spring of 1997, and again for the then newly released Supra in 2004. He remembers the fruitful dialogue with Muller Martini technicians very well: “We gave the machine’s manufacturer a lot of input and tips for improvements. And I can say that most of them have been implemented.” Company executive Klaus Heist also has some very fond memories of that time: “As even back then, we believed that the future lay in high output saddle stitching, it was clear for us from the beginning that we wanted to participate in this field test. If you consider yourself innovative, you will want to stay on the cutting edge. As the first company to gain experience with the Tempo machine, we were able to get ahead of the competition in terms of know-how. However, without technically-inclined people such as Peter Dickler and the motivated machine operators at HeiRa, this would not have been possible.”

3 As with the Tempo, HeiRa also conducted field tests with the Supra machine. Since being installed in 2004, the Supra has produced roughly 800 million products.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

HeiRa: Up to 1,000 Palettes Every Day As it was at that time and so it is today: the Tempo stitches between 240,000 and 400,000 consumer magazines, company catalogs and supplements every day. Together with three additional Tempo machines and the Supra (which has produced almost 800 million products in eight years) the high performance pioneer facilitates an annual output of roughly 325 million products. In peak times at HeiRa, that amounts to nearly 1,000 palettes with a total weight of 600 tons – per day! Of course, our job structure has changed in recent years. “The added value has decreased,” says Klaus Heist. “The products today have fewer print runs, page counts, supplements and cards.” Since finishers who only work on that one process take on a back-up function for the printing houses, a high level of flexibility is all the more important to Klaus Heist. “Whoever is best equipped in this area has the best chances in these difficult times.” 

www.heira.de 37

Saddle Stitching Systems

(Commercial) Love at Second Sight

The Hochuli AG printing house in Mutten (Switzerland) had intended to invest in a secondhand saddle stitcher. However, after doing the sums again, the company, which employs ten people, decided on a new Presto A90 from Muller Martini.

E A Muller Martini JGV saddle stitcher had served the Hochuli AG printing house dependably for almost half a century (!). Rudolf Huser, managing director and, for 25 years, owner, was satisfied with the oldtimer and its manufacturer throughout. “Muller Martini always gave us prompt support if a wear part was required.” 38

Last-minute Decision Nevertheless, Huser decided to invest in a replacement because the signs of the machine’s age were becoming more apparent and the Hochuli printing house requires high production reliability for its main product, the local events calendar (see text box), which has a print run of over a million copies. In fact Huser first had his sights set on a second-hand solution. “To tell the truth, the contract for a used Muller Martini saddle stitcher was virtually already signed,” says the printing house owner. Then at the last moment Huser opted instead for a new Presto A90, which is essentially the entry-level saddle stitcher from Muller Martini.

1 Martin Ryser (left), Print Finishing Team Leader and machine operator at the Hochuli printing house: “The various quality controls of the Presto A90 contribute greatly to perfect end products.” Richard Hofer (right), Sales Manager at Muller Martini Switzerland. 2+3 Martin Ryser appreciates the simple operation of the Presto A90 saddle stitcher and feeding at the ergonomically ideal height. 4 A Muller Martini JGV saddle stitcher served the Hochuli printing house for almost half a century. 5 The local events calendar, which is published in over 100 regional print runs, is an important pillar of the Hochuli printing house’s business.

On Closer Consideration… The saddle stitcher at the Hochuli printing house is only in use for around 500 hours per year, which means fewer than two and a half hours per workday. “As a full-service company we need our own saddle stitcher so that we have control over quality and Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

deadlines, but given the relatively low operating time, it doesn’t seem to make business sense at first glance for a relatively small printing house like ours to invest in a new machine,” says Huser. However, on closer consideration the sums look quite different. Although the new Presto A90 was somewhat more expensive than the second-hand machine that Huser originally had his eye on, in the medium-term the investment makes sense for the company, says the owner of the printing house. “The depreciation of a new machine is much lower than that of a second-hand model,” Huser says. Reliability, Quality, Flexibility Not to mention the fact that the Hochuli printing house benefits from considerably higher production reliability, quality and flexibility with the Presto A90. All three aspects are of great importance to the longestablished company, which employs ten people. E Production reliability is important because it means that even large print runs can be stitched without any problems.

E Quality is important, “because our good reputation demands high-quality print finishing,” says Huser.

E Flexibility is important because delivery times are increasingly short. “Today we print and stitch 30,000 copies in two days, which earlier was unthinkable,” says the managing director. Ergonomic Feeding What is more, the Presto A90 commissioned last July has a cover feeder in addition to three twin feeders (with a total of six stations). Hochuli needs the cover feeder particularly for the local events calendar, which has a large print run. “The cover feeder is working excellently,” says the print finishing team leader and machine operator Martin Ryser. “The three-knife trimmer also provides significantly higher quality than the predecessor model.” Although it took Ryser a certain time to adjust from the JGV to the Presto A90 and get used to the electronic components, operating the machine is really simple and feeding occurs at the ergonomically ideal height, he says. “The various quality controls function optimally and contribute greatly to perfect end products.” 

www.hochulidruck.ch Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Newspaper Mailroom Systems

“The Inserting Principle on the ProLiner is Brilliant” As Heider Druck was reaching is capacity limits in inserting inserts in advertising magazines, the family company in Bergisch Gladbach in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia invested in a new ProLiner from Muller Martini. A decision that has already paid off has also brought new customers to Heider Druck.

1 E On peak days, Heider Druck inserts roughly 1.8 million inserts. On such days, the mailroom of the family company in Bergisch Gladbach run by the fourth generation of the family by the three brothers Guido, Roberto and Hans-Martin, is abuzz with activity. “All processes have to be optimally interlinked so that we can distribute all the newspapers on time,” says Guido Heider. The Insert Business Is Running Well It was on the 18-hour, non-stop production days that Heider Druck reached its speed and capacity limits with its old inserting system from another manufacturer. In recent years, the number of inserts has increased steadily, and it continues to grow slightly even during these economically difficult times. “We have observed that inserts are enjoying increasing popularity over classic 40

advertisements in newspapers, since the individual products of furniture manufacturers, home improvement stores and beverage suppliers attract more attention,” says Roberto Heider. MPC Makes Everything Easier After several visits to other newspaper producers, Heider Druck decided on a ProLiner inserting system with a main section feeder, 14 stations (four of which are loaded by stream feeders), two NewsStack compensating stackers, a TABA F top sheet feeder as well as film wrapping and strapping stations. According to Guido and Roberto Heider, there was one factor in particular during the evaluation of various models that tipped the balance in favor of Muller Martini’s solution: “The inserting principle of the ProLiner in which each insert is inserted individually into the safely opened newspaper is simply brilliant.”

2 Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

1 Both Managing Directors Roberto Heider (right) and Guido Heider (second from left) together with their father, Hans Heider, and Frank Skorna, Sales Representative for Muller Martini Germany, in front of the new ProLiner in the mailroom of Heider Druck in Bergisch Gladbach. 2 The packages move from the NewsStack compensating stacker to the TABA F top sheet feeder. 3 Magazines, annual reports and other commercial work are finished on a Prima saddle stitcher. 4 With the new ProLiner, Heider Druck has decidedly higher production stability in newspaper inserts.

3 On top that there are additional advantages according to both managing directors, including the fact that the ProLiner’s modular design allows it to be expanded to fit any need, that the machine not only has a sturdy construction but also runs quietly (“compared to the previous model there is no comparison”), and that it is easy to operate thanks to the Mailroom Production Control (MPC) system from Muller Martini. Higher Production Stability MPC also provides Heider Druck with special services, since depending on the geomarketing data, a newspaper must be produced for up to 100 different zones, with up to 35 different inserts, some of which can weigh over 100 grams, per newspaper publication. “With the new machine we have a decidedly higher production stability, which is also what our customers want,” emphasizes Roberto Heider. Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Speaking of customers: Since Heider Druck commissioned the ProLiner last July, the company has gained several additional jobs as a welcome consequence of the expansion in capacity. Today, the company, founded in 1889 by Johann Heider and employing a staff of roughly 90, prints a wide range of weekly and monthly newspapers and advertisement magazines in broadsheet and tabloid formats. The smallest print run of the newspapers, which are mostly printed for external customers, is 5,500 copies, and the highest is over one million. Wide Range of Products While inserts are mostly supplied to the company ready to be inserted, Heider prints, in addition to newspapers, numerous magazines, annual reports and other commercial work such as catalogs, advertising flyers and legal texts. The magazines

and brochures, which are mostly printed in runs of 2,000 to 30,000 copies, are finished on a Prima saddle stitcher from Muller Martini that was commissioned 15 years ago. However, (local interest) books and novels published in-house by Joh. Heider Verlag GmbH or for other publishers are bound by a partner company. With its wide range of products, of which newspapers make up the largest part, the Heider Druck GmbH is not only well-positioned but also delivers very high output, says Guido Heider. “As a company owned and operated by a family, we have narrow structures and short routes to be able to quickly react to our customers’ needs.” 

www.heider-druck.de 41

Softcover Production

A Perfect Binder with the Fastest Changeover Times Was Needed A new plant, its first PUR production line and a fast Make Ready – three reasons why Loire Offset Titoulet in St. Etienne, France, invested in a new Bolero perfect binder from Muller Martini.

1 Patrick Titoulet (right), Head of Finishing at Loire Offset Titoulet: “The book spines on the Bolero are of excellent quality just as the fast and precise trimming on the Orbit.” Left: Philippe Michelon from Muller Martini France.

E Patrick Titoulet, head of the finishing department at Loire Offset Titoulet, founded in 1921, is the third generation in the company’s management. Regarding the machinery of this family business, it is apt to use the term third generation, as Loire Offset Titoulet, in choosing a Bolero perfect binder, has installed its third machine from Muller Martini after a Pony Binder in 1963 and a Starbinder in 1993. “Over the years, we have established an excellent relationship with Muller Martini,” says Patrick Titoulet. “That is why we remained true to the trusted manufacturer – 42

also as we had a very good experience when we installed an Acoro A7 seven years ago.” A Replacement for the Starbinder There are several reasons why Loire Offset Titoulet, which has 130 employees working three shifts, invested in a new perfect binder. The first reason had to do with location. The company, which previously had two different plants for printing and finishing, opened a completely new 22,000 m2 production facility in the industrial area of St. Etienne in the middle of last year. All

production processes from pre-press to the mailroom are now all under one roof. “It was clear from the very beginning that we only wanted to move the Acoro, and not the Starbinder, to our new plant,” says Philippe Reymondier, Chairman of the Board. PUR and a Fast Make Ready The second reason for choosing the new Bolero, which, as with all of Titoulet’s machines, was delivered in red: Loire Offset Titoulet urgently needed a PUR solution for its softcover customers, most of which are Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

2 Philippe Reymondier, Chairman of the Board at Loire Offset Titoulet: “As we supply a significantly large number of variations in diaries with ever smaller print runs per model, we needed a bookline with a higher output and above all with faster change overs.”

3 On the new Bolero, Loire Offset Titoulet binds print runs between 500 and 150,000 copies.

4 As part of the third generation of machines from Muller Martini, Loire Offset Titoulet also has a second Acoro A7 perfect binder.

from France. The third reason: due to varying print run structures – job orders for (text-)books, brochures, art reviews and magazines range from 500 to 150,000 copies with an average of 10,000 copies – a perfect binder with the fastest changeover times was needed.

experience working with other machines from Muller Martini, the commissioning of the new Bolero line with an 18-station gathering machine, an Orbit three-knife trimmer, CB 18 book stacker, bundle film wrapper and shrinking machine and a Book Data Center BDC went smoothly. This quickly had a positive impact on the print products. Two aspects in particular caught Patrick Titoulet’s eye: “The book spines on the Bolero are of excellent quality just

as the fast and precise trimming on the Orbit.” 

Excellent Book Spines Speaking of operating: As some of the machine operators already had many years of

www.loireoffsettitoulet.com

New Diamant MC 35 for Diaries In addition to softcover products, Loire Offset Titoulet has also been specializing in diaries for 15 years. The company produces half a million of its own calendars in St. Etienne every year, while in the area of softcover production Loire Offset Titoulet exclusively offers contract printing services. Despite the competition from digital calendars, this segment continually shows an upward trend. Loire Offset Titoulet exports roughly 20 percent to several African countries where the company has many business clients.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

In order to also provide optimal quality in this business segment, Loire Offset Titoulet will also commission a new Diamant MC 35 bookline from Muller Martini in a few weeks. For this family business, this also represents a generational leap in the machinery for this segment. The Diamant will replace a Bookline 200 from VBF that Loire Offset Titoulet bought second-hand some time ago. “As we supply a significantly large number of variations in diaries with ever smaller print runs per model, we needed a

bookline with a higher output and above all with faster changeover,” says Philippe Reymondier, Chairman of the Board, describing the reasons behind this most recent investment. In addition to the new Diamant, Loire Offset Titoulet will continue to produce diaries on the 15-year-old Bookline 500 from VBF.

Softcover Production

Three Success Factors: Short Time Slots, Good Prices, High Quality (More than) full order books motivated H.R.G. tiskárna in Litomyšl, Czech Republic, last fall to commission an Acoro A5 perfect binder from Muller Martini in addition to a new printing press. Since then, they have received lots of positive feedback from customers.

1 E What started as a one-man business in a garage in the center of Litomyšl’s historic old city (see box) has grown, in just 23 years, into a model company today with 130 employees working three shifts. A company needs to have this size today, says Managing Director Leoš Tupec, in order to be successful in the equally competitive Czech market. “A company can only offer its customers short delivery times and attractive prices if it has the right size.”

1 H.R.G. Managing Director Leoš Tupec (middle): “Top-class technology, coupled with well-trained and highly motivated employees, ensures high quality and high productivity.” Production Manager Václav Loufek (left) and Lubos Kunze, Managing Director Muller Martini Czech Republic (right).

High Quality and Productivity Short time slots and attractive terms are two of the main reasons behind the meteoric rise of H.R.G. tiskárna, which moved into new production facilities on the outskirts of Litomyšl in 2007. The company produces exclusively for external clients, and 80 percent of its turnover comes from printed products for commercial work. “The third reason is high quality,” says the

son-in-law of the company’s founder. In order to meet these three important demands, we need state-of-the-art machines. Because first-class technology, coupled with well-trained and highly-motivated employees ensures high quality and high productivity.” This can be seen in H.R.G. tiskárna’s order books that show a growing number of new customers. 90 % of the company pro-

2 H.R.G. offers its customers a wide range of magazines and brochures – with an increasing trend towards high-quality products. 3 Since commissioning the Acoro A5 perfect binder, they have received lots of positive feedback from H.R.G. customers.

ducts printed on its five sheet-fed presses is for Czech customers, though the company has plans to increase its export business. Thanks to these positive business developments, last October this family business commissioned a new Acoro A5 in addition to installing a perfect binder from another manufacturer as well as a Komori printing press at the same time. Besides the convincing complete solution – on Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

which Leos Tupec commented “Our machine operators are impressed by the new technology” – and the renowned name of the Swiss machine manufacturer, according to the Managing Director of H.R.G., there are two particular reasons for deciding on the Muller Martini line with a 12-station gathering machine and an Esprit threeknife trimmer. “First is the fast switch from PUR to hotmelt production, and second, the very short changeover times.” Note: A Fast Make Ready One should point out that most print runs for perfectly bound books, textbooks and softcover magazines range from 500 to 15,000 copies. The new perfect binder has to be changed over frequently. “A fast Make Ready system is much more important to us than high production speeds, although this was also an argument for the new Acoro,” says Leoš Tupec. In addition, H.R.G. is moving away from saddle stitching for the roughly three dozen magazines it prints and is increasingly using perfect binding to produce them. Higher value does not necessarily have to mean higher production costs as demonstrated by H.RG. which uses a VPN nozzle for its PUR jobs facilitating minimal glue application. More and More Positive Feedback This also goes for H.R.G.’s 2 to 3 millimeter thin products, one of its specialties. “Our softcover quality has drastically improved since commissioning the Acoro machine,” says Leoš Tupec. “As a result, we have received more and more positive feedback from our customers, whom we

support for many quality assurance reasons throughout the entire production process from design to delivery.” 

www.hrg.cz

Everything Started with a Demolished Printing Press from the Junkyard Graphic arts businesses often have a unique beginning. However, the story of H.R.G.’s founding is particularly unique. The company was started with a pile of old metal, or to be more precise, with a printing press that had been dropped by a crane from 8 meters during a move and thus ended up at the scrap yard. Petr Lorenc, who founded his company in 1989 shortly be-

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

fore the political changes in the former Czechoslovakia and whose attempts to get hold of a new machine were frustrated by government restrictions in the printing industry, bought the demolished machine at the junkyard – in order to, as he says, use the scrap metal. However, Lorenc, who had previously worked in the pre-press division of a government printing house,

quickly changed his mind. After six months of meticulous work, he had repaired the printing press in his garage and managed to get it running again. Thus the foundation was laid for a successful career as a dishwasher.

Softcover Production

“We Can Only do Perfect Binding, but We Do it Particularly Well”

The H. Wennberg Grossbuchbinderei in Vaihingen an der Enz, close to Stuttgart, Germany, specializes in large print runs in softcover production. However, it also produces smaller and medium-sized print runs and, after choosing two high-output Corona C13 lines, has now also commissioned a new Bolero perfect binder – in keeping with an optimization of preproduction costs, logistics and technology.

E With an annual output of 150 million catalogs, magazines and telephone books produced in rotogravure, web and sheetfed offset printing, Wennberg, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary and employs a staff of 150 working in three shifts, is one of the largest bookbinderies in Europe. However, in no way does Wennberg only 46

produce enormous print runs on its six perfect binders with a performance range between 8,000 and 15,000 cycles. “That is why we have a range of various perfect binders,” says the Managing Director Martin Wennberg. “It is our concept to use the optimal machine for finishing for each job.”

Recommended by the Machine Operator Keeping with the optimization of pre-production costs, logistics and technology, the Wennberg Grossbuchbinderei installed a new Bolero last May. After a thorough evaluation by a Wennberg machine operator, the company decided in favor of the perfect Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

binder from Muller Martini, which is the new standard in the mid performance range and an ideal solution for large formats. The machine operator was enlisted by company executives to conduct various test runs on all types of machines, evaluate them and submit his recommendation. “We followed his recommendation,” says Martin Wennberg with a smile, adding in the same breath with a straight face: “We take the machine operator at his word, calculate the changeover figures and discuss these every month.” This enables Wennberg to produce products requiring fewer changeovers on

1 Managing Director Martin Wennberg (middle): “It is our clear concept to use the optimal machine for finishing for each job.” Machine operator Manuel Hermanns (left), and Peter Stein, Sales Manager at Muller Martini Germany (right). 2 The fact that the gathering machine can be loaded on both sides allows us to load the machine on one side for the current production, while the next job can be prepared on the other side.

the two Corona lines, while products that require greater changeovers are run on the Bolero. This, for example, includes magazines that should ideally be delivered to subscribers before they hit the newsstands. In such cases, a finishing line for subscriptions runs parallel to the newsstand production. As the Grossbuchbinderei is a High Performance Partner of the Deutsche Post, it sends an additional truck every day at 5 p.m. to pick up everything that is ready for delivery but which could not be guaranteed the previous day due to the company’s tight schedule in print production. This ensures that the magazines are delivered to

Producing One’s Own Energy The H. Wennberg Grossbuchbinderei is not only a model company in terms of modern machinery but also in an ecological sense. For three years now, the company, in an unprecedented move, has been heating its entire production facilities in Vaihingen an der Enz with self-produced energy without any external energy supply, using the leftover palettes that are burned in the company’s own wood-chip heater. As wood is a renewable resource, a valuable benefit of wood heating is CO2-neutrality. As Wennberg produces more energy than it needs, it can provide neighboring industrial plants one megawatt hour of energy each year. Even the plant’s complete hot water needs are covered by converting waste heat from the generation of compressed air without any need for external energy supply. Günther Oettinger, the current Commissioner for Energy of the European Union in Brussels, would be delighted about Wennberg, where, as the then Minister President of BadenWürttemberg, he personally inaugurated the two Corona lines (see «Panorama» 4/05).

2 Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Softcover Production

households on time even to the tightest deadlines. Frontero for Brochures with Flaps In addition to medium-sized and small print runs, Wennberg also produces softcover products such as brochures with flush front flaps on its Bolero. That is why the perfect binder is linked to a Frontero front trimmer from Muller Martini in addition to an Orbit three-knife trimmer and a CB 18 book stacker. It produces brochures with flaps cost-effectively in one single operation. Martin Wennberg sees a great advantage in the ability to digitally connect the perfect binder with the peripheral systems to prepare them for production: “If we are going to have centralized changeovers, then we should have them in all stages of production!” The fact that the gathering machine can be loaded on both sides enables even more flexible and swift production flows. While the current production is being loaded on one side, the next job can be prepared on the other side. A Reliable and Competent Partner With its various machine types, despite a difficult economic environment with increasing costs for personnel, energy and glue (glue costs increased from 9 to 15 percent of its gross yield within a short period), the company is in a good position according to its managing director. “We withstood the crisis and made investments in 2009, 2010 and 2011,” emphasizes Martin Wennberg not without pride. This allows H. Wennberg Grossbuchbinderei to consolidate its status as a reliable and competent partner in softcover production for printing houses located far away from the company’s facilities in Baden-Württemberg. Speaking of softcovers: Martin Wennberg was recently asked whether his company also offered saddle stitching. His answer was short but sweet: “We can only do perfect binding, but we do it particularly well.” 

A dynamic boss: Martin Wennberg makes his rounds through the plant in his Efatec Jumper.

www.wennberg.de 48

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

Forum

“In Customer Communications, Print is Still the Leading Medium” With 110,000 different titles in the United States and 15,000 in the three German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, printed customer magazines maintain their position as the leading medium in corporate publishing despite the competition from electronic media. Even the Internet giant Google issues a sophisticated book to selected customers every quarter. E In 2008, two years after its founding, the European Institute for Corporate Publishing (EICP) commissioned an in-depth study of the corporate publishing market in the three German-speaking countries, and the results astonished even the experts. Over 14,000 printed customer magazines – 52 percent in the business to business (B2B) segment and 48 percent in the business to customer (B2C) segment – were issued in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at that time. “Up to that point, the corporate publishing market had been considerably underestimated,” concluded the authors of the ECIP pilot study.

Management at the Media University (HDM) in Stuttgart, Germany, who with 40 years of experience in the field is an old hand in the industry: “I must admit that I was surprised by how many titles are published and that they generate such massive revenues. Corporate publishing is a topic that is often underestimated.” Companies Continue to Rely on Print In the United States, the figures are even more impressive. According to a study published by the Custom Content Council

in 2011, approximately 110,000 customer magazines are published with an annual total circulation of 35 billion copies – with an average print run of 52,010 copies per title and an average 29 pages per issue. This recent study from the United States also shows something interesting: when asked, only 5 percent of the publishers of customer magazines indicated that they planned to reduce the amount of print products they publish in the near future. This means that 95 percent of American companies that distribute a magazine to

A Topic That Is Often Underestimated Two years later, the number of magazines has reached the 15,000 mark – with an annual total circulation of over three billion copies and nearly three billion Euros in expenses every year. These figures, which have leveled off at this high rate, surprise even Professor Bernd-Jürgen Matt, director of the degree program in Print-Media

Printed customer magazines are the ideal means of communication as they provide professional expertise and have a high level of credibility.

Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

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For example, 58 percent of German banks contact their customers by way of print products. The industry leader Deutsche Bank alone has five different magazines for its various customer segments. Even the Internet giant Google has been publishing its magazine “Think Quarterly” for a year now. The magazine is publicly available online; however, selected customers also receive it in the form of a sophisticated book.

Professor Bernd-Jürgen Matt, Director of the degree program in Print-Media Management, Stuttgart Media University:

“Corporate publishing is a topic that is often underestimated.”

their customers do not seek to reduce their budgets for printed customer communication – despite all the new forms of electronic media. Forum Corporate Publishing (FCP) in Munich did not show such a high rate in a survey conducted in the Germanspeaking region, yet it is respectable, nonetheless. Almost 75 percent of the companies asked were convinced that any additional growth in electronic media will not have a negative effect on their print budgets. Google Book for Premium Customers In an article for the German publication ‘Bankmagazin’, Wolfgang A. Eck, Managing Director of eckpunkte Kommunikationsberatung in Weilburg, Germany, comments that “customer magazines have not become any less important for sustainable corporate communication and customer loyalty, as they are still at the top of the list of the most important corporate media.” 50

Value and Credibility For Bernd-Jürgen Matt, a printed customer magazine is “the ideal basis for communication as it sparks the interest of its target groups for the brand name. It is effective because you can read it at your own pace. Given its value, a print product cannot be beat. Since it also provides you with a higher level of expertise, its contents and topics have a higher level of credibility than a newsletter, for example.” However, one condition must be met, according to the professor from Stuttgart: “There is nothing more important in customer magazines than quality. In this regard, the same rules apply for customer magazines, which are developing more and more into high-quality magazines in terms of content, language and design, as for consumer magazines sold at the newsstand. It is particularly important for it to be serious, as customer magazines have to be extremely credible in order to establish loyalty to the company brand.” B2B Magazines Create Trust Precisely with B2B products, high quality in terms of more in-depth information is even more important, according to Professor Matt: “The magazines act as a form of consulting – for example, with machine manufacturers it is not primarily about machines but also about the entire market environment.” Product messages are placed in an appealing and customer-friendly setting, in order to avoid a marketing effect. As Thomas Göllner, Managing Director of medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH, tells “Panorama”: “B2C tends to be more like product placement and seeks direct sales success. B2B, on the other hand, is more indirect, it improves the image and creates

trust.” However, reading a customer magazine also has to be enjoyable. According to Bernd-Jürgen Matt, the editorial content is the deciding factor from good journalism, the entertaining factor – all the way to a highly qualitative special-interest title. “That is why there is a demand for the highest level of creative design and printing technology,” Professor Matt tells “Panorama.” Finishing Is Becoming More Important “BMW Magazine”, published quarterly in 29 languages with a total circulation of 3.3 million copies, is one example of a perfectly bound customer magazine. “In terms of content and design, there is hardly any difference between ‘BMW Magazin’ and a well-made lifestyle magazine,” comment four students, Katrin Girod-Mörgenthaler, Maria Krahmer, Romy Peemüller and Olga Sokolovksa, in their Masters thesis project created in the summer of 2010 at the Stuttgart Media University and commissioned by the printing press manufacturer manroland. Printing well-researched stories with good photography work on low-quality pa-

Facts and Figures about Customer Magazines E American companies publish roughly 110,000 different customer magazines. E Their annual total circulation is 35 billion copies. E In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, about 15,000 customer magazines are published. E The annual total circulation of all printed corporate publishing products in the three German-speaking countries is three billion copies. E Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest financial institution, publishes five different magazines for its various customer segments.

Thomas Göllner, Managing Director of medienfabrik Gütersloh GmbH:

“Customer magazines will maintain their importance, and I do not expect a drop in these magazines.”

per or using low-quality finishing in the process does not impress customers, and certainly not premium customers. Professor Matt is convinced that in the future, print products will greatly differ in terms of finishing, because this makes magazines more interesting. However, he warns against using too many emotional, haptic or optical elements. “This could reduce the credibility of the magazine. You always have to take the quality of the content into consideration. As is the case with all print products – if it is a local rag, even the best packaging in the world can be of any use.” High Quality Is Guaranteed by Professionals To ensure that both the content and packaging are right, corporate publishing is increasingly relying on specialized agencies. “External knowledge can be very valuable,” says Bernd-Jürgen Matt. One example of this is medienfabrik Gütersloh Muller Martini Panorama Spring 2012

GmbH, a member of the Arvato/Bertelsmann Group, which has 350 employees at its four locations in Gütersloh, Berlin, Bonn and Munich. According to the Managing Director of medienfabrik, Thomas Göllner, there are three important reasons for turning over the production of customer magazines to agencies: “First, as third parties, we have an objective view of the company. Second, we are professionals. Third, our customers often do not have the necessary personnel to create a magazine themselves.” medienfabrik supports its customers in the four business segments of corporate communications, sales communications, publishing and ventures (personnel recruitment) and produces roughly 50 periodicals with a total circulation of 60 million copies for a number of different companies. Thomas Göllner is convinced that “as an essential part of customer communications, print is still the leading medium.” From Print Product to Digital Keyboard “However,” emphasizes Göllner, “print is not the only medium in corporate publishing. The target group and thus a meaningful cross-media integration of various media is still a deciding factor.” Magazines act as a teaser for the online/mobile/website satellites, as Katrin Girod-Mörgenthaler, Maria Krahmer, Romy Peemüller and Olga Sokolovksa emphasized in their Masters thesis project. According to their thesis, 97 percent of businesses believe that the advantages of digital tools can best be demonstrated in print. However, according to Bernd-Jürgen Matt, cross-media links between printed magazines like Apps, OR-Codes, Click2C or links to online content have to bring in a real added value, “and that costs money.” Paper Creates Emotional Reactions Speaking of costs: Thomas Göllner thinks the idea that online magazines can be produced considerably more cost-effectively than printed customer magazines is a misconception. “Online magazines cost just as much as print products due to the technology used to produce them – and I am not saying that because I want to defend print by hook or by crook.”

Apart from the fact that electronically distributed magazines or newsletters can be dismissed with a single click, the haptic experience is also missing. “Even I read media on my iPad every now and then when I am on a bus or train,” Rolf Steiner, Managing Director of Vogt-Schild Druck AG, wrote recently in the (naturally printed) “newslettor” of their design business located in Derendingen, Switzerland. “The iPad has not brought about the end of paper. Paper embodies emotions and does so in a different way every day, in all respects. Humans are, in the end, emotional beings and not digital ones.” No Fears for the Future Thomas Göllner is not worried about print in corporate publishing: “It is, of course, difficult to predict what the future will bring. However, I believe customer magazines will maintain their importance, even though they alone will not be enough. At any rate, I do not expect a drop in these magazines.” Manfred Hasenbeck, President of FCP, is of the same opinion: “As a navigation instrument, printed media will continue to play an important role in corporate communication in the future. With the explosive development of new forms of media, company magazines increasingly have a push factor as a navigation instrument and as a driver of new channels of media.” 

www.hdm-stuttgart.de www.medienfabrik.de www.eicp.eu www.forum-corporate-publishing.de www.customcontentcouncil.com 51