McCormick Place, Chicago — Muller Martini Corp. launched almost two dozen new products into the U.S. market at Graph Expo 2004, while completing several significant sales. Under the theme “Integration — Solutions from A to Z,” the finishing systems leader stocked its exhibit with working demonstrations, multimedia presentations and hands-on displays, to present show goers with the industry’s widest range of finishing and press innovations. A number of printing and bindery facilities purchased Muller Martini advancements that were introduced at the show: - U.S. Web in Huntington, New York will be home to the first North American installation of a Concepta press. The direct mail giant purchased an eight-color configuration of the new variable web offset printing press. Concepta utilizes a new JDF-compliant press operating system that automates makereadies and speeds production. - Creative Automation, a direct marketing facility in Hillside, Illinois, will also take delivery of an eight-color Concepta variable web offset press. - Commercial Communications, Inc. of Hartland, Wisconsin will be the site of the first installation of a SigmaBinder in the United States. SigmaBinder is the perfect binding system that integrates into Muller Martini’s new SigmaLine closed-loop digital printing solution. - Imagemasters Financial Publishing of Ann Arbor, Michigan purchased the Esprit three-knife trimmer that made its trade show debut at the Muller Martini exhibit. - Progress Printing of Lynchburg, Virginia will be running North America’s first Compacto Rotary Trimmer. The company plans to move the portable unit between presses as needed for brochure and insert work. - Quad/Graphics will soon be the first U.S. printer to operate the industry’s fastest saddle stitching system — the Muller Martini Supra — which was designed to fulfill the sophisticated needs of publication and catalog printers. Among the other innovations that were launched in North America at Graph Expo were: - The Frontero face trimmer, which can produce gatefold flaps on soft cover books in a single pass. - An integrated group of press delivery innovations that included the Compacto rotary trimmer and the MACOS JDF-compliant press delivery and conveyor control system. - The Alprinta variable web offset press, which features four former roller ink trains for commercial quality results. - Additional components of Muller Martini’s SigmaLine, as well as the complete Sigma digital print and finishing system for delivery in the second half of 2005. Other North American product premieres were featured in the Muller Martini exhibit’s multimedia presentation. They included: - Tempo 22 — a 22,000 copies per hour stitcher with new controls and a new pocket design. - The Supra stitching system, which can produce at the rate of 25,000 to 30,000 copies per hour with a forthcoming rotary feeder. - The Bolero perfect binder – a mid-range solution designed to provide the highest flexibility and automation in its class. The first Bolero in the U.S. will arrive in November this year. - Vivo press delivery bundler. - AvantiPlus Amrys bundler, the first fully automated press bundler with a JDF/JMF interface. Several new and innovative Muller Martini developments were at work in the exhibits of other Graph Expo participants. “This is another aspect of our connectivity objective,” said Werner Naegeli, President and CEO of Muller Martini Corp. “Our products are built on open systems, so they work well with equipment from other manufacturers. That makes it easier for our customers to match specific solutions to their specific needs, while integrating seamlessly into their workflows.” A BravoPlus Amrys was the key finishing component in MAN Roland’s CIMcity workflow. The integrated system produced tour guides and product literature and gave showgoers the opportunity to see how Muller Martini’s integration software works to seamlessly incorporate the finishing components into the JDF/JMF workflow. A second BravoPlus Amrys, meanwhile, was at work in the Muller Martini exhibit. In their North American premiere, the next generation AmigoDigital perfect binder, the new SigmaTower and the new SigmaTrimmer teamed-up to produce commercial quality perfect bound books on-demand. The combination was demonstrated at the Océ pavilion at Graph Expo working in conjunction with that company’s VarioStream 7650cx Twin continuous feed print engine. A second AmigoDigital perfect binding system created over 12,000 copies of classic works of literature at the Delphax exhibit for donation to the Chicago Public Schools. At both Océ and Delphax, the system demonstrated its short-run, zero-makeready production capabilities. A two-color version of Concepta press ran continuously at the Nipson exhibit at Graph Expo. It worked in-line with a Nipson VaryPress 400 to produce variable data, direct mail pieces. Muller Martini was also a participant in Graph Expo’s JDF Pavilion. The company’s integrated workflow solution demonstrated how it makes the bindery a fully active participant in the efficiencies of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). “This year’s Graph Expo was about more than bringing our drupa advancements to North America,” Naegeli concluded. “We connected the dots with working applications, so printers and bindery professionals could see how the new integrated workflows can benefit them and their customers.”