Muller Martini is shutting down its press manufacturing arm in order to concentrate on its print finishing business.
The closure will take place over the first half of next year, ultimately with the closure of the plant in Maulburg, Germany, and the end of 80 jobs there. The move follows its agreement to take on service and support for Heidelberg’s Stitchmaster and Eurobind customers.
The decision follows a continuing slump in sales for the blanket to steel web offset presses which have been popular in direct mail and packaging applications. As recently as May, Muller Martini staged an open house to focus on the benefits of web offset printing in the flexible packaging sector. However, new orders have been in steady decline, despite a recent order from a UK customer for a press due to be installed over the new year.
The focus on packaging was to compensate for sharp shrinkage in the forms and direct mail sector. “However, despite extensive investments and years of efforts, the broad take up of offset technology on the packaging market has only succeeded to a limited extent,” says CEO Bruno Muller. The factory has operated extensive periods of short-time working to reduce costs in the hope of a pick up in business.
This is despite predicted growth in the packaging sector and for shorter runs and higher quality that suits the offset litho process. Goss has reached a similar conclusion and has developed machines for packaging to compensate for declining sales in commercial web offset and newspaper presses.
Muller Martini’s Concepta and VSOP presses, the latter acquired from Drent-Goebel, offer variable cut off and drying through UV or electron beam curing. In the past the machines have been popular in forms and direct mail printing, in reel to reel or fold configurations for subsequent personalistion by laser or inkjet.
However pure inkjet presses are squeezing opportunities in commercial and security printing, provoking an unsuccessful search for an outside investor to take on the business. Muller Martini is pledging continued support and spares for existing installations and will complete work in progress at the factory. Production is being passed to a services company which will secure support for the installed base.
