MULLER MARTINI IS TO SHOW AN automated three knife trimmer at GraphExpo aimed at digital book production and a further step in offering automated finishing technology in modular form.
The SigmaTrimmer has previously been part of the company’s flagship SigmaLine end to end finishing line. These have been delivered to the largest book printers seeking inline finishing to their digital web presses. RR Donnelley last year ordered six during the Chicago show. However, the SigmaLine is very sophisticated and consequently beyond the reach of many printers who may already have some form of book block production or binding.
A weakness of automated book lines has been the ability to offer accurate three knife trimming to the ‘run of one’ style production. This is the gap that SigmaTrimmer seeks to address. The rotary unit will operate at up to 1,000 cycles an hour.
EACH INCOMING BOOK IS READ TO check its setting against the data base. It is gripped on the spine and moved towards three separate guillotine style knives. These are in a fixed position; it is the movement towards the cut position that changes as the format of the book varies. The book is rotated and moved to the different knives to complete the sequence and deliver the completed book.
Muller Martini reckons that SigmaTrimmer will appeal to printers with a mixed bag of book types where there is usually a lengthy set up time for the trimmer relative to the books being produced and digital printers wanting a less expensive solution than the full SigmaLine. The unit can cope with a maximum thickness of 75mm.
THE INTRODUCTION MARKS A FURTHER step towards Muller Martini emerging as a provider of a full range of digital finishing equipment. At Hunkeler earlier this year, it showed a reel to saddle stitched products line for variable pagination products. Further developments are expected for Drupa next year.
In a busy autumn season for the company, Muller Martini will be at Ifra (October 10-12) where the focus is on delivering added value from the mailroom, and it will be at Labelexpo. At this show the focus will be on the VSOP sleeved offset technology it acquired from the demise of Drent. The aim is to show lightweight packaging in production and with electron beam curing to show food safe packaging production in collaboration with Sun Chemicals.
