With over one hundred installations in the United States, Muller Martini’s 304 trimmer is recognized as the most reliable, precise automated trimmer available in high speed production, delivering accuracy and repeatability.  The 304 trimmer is perfect for complex selective binding jobs demanding large page swing.

Now this unmatched achievement in trimmer innovation has been enhanced even further with patent pending variable front trim technology, a technology that’s proven in the field to run a multitude of trim sizes, i.e., two, three, four or more, all in one pass at high speed processing, with accurate and repeatable size variations.  In addition, the Muller Martini 304VT trimmer provides:

•    Seamless integration with the inkjet controller reducing make-ready
•    Book to book variability up to 1 ¼”
•    Precise book dimensions even with high page swings (+/- 100 pages)

Currently, some of the world’s largest manufacturers of catalogs, B2B and magazines are realizing clear, measurable benefits using Muller Martini’s variable trim technology.  Commented Roger Bilodeau, VP Corporate Sales and Strategic Markets for Muller Martini, “The industry has been talking for some time about variable trim, and there’s been some concern as to actual net speed degradation as you increase the overall complexities associated with running multiple titles and now multiple trim sizes.”

Continued Mr. Bilodeau, “Today we can say that users have realized greater net outputs at higher net running speeds in spite of the additional complexities.  Moreover, the key difference here is that Muller is actually doing it with our 304 variable trimmer platform.  The 304 is running and delivering very successful output in multiple locations.  As a matter of fact, many of our clients have said that in moving up to the variable trim arena, the transition has been a seamless integration experience”.

Variable trimming from Muller Martini provides customers the opportunity to increase their client base by introducing existing and potential clients to the world of multiple title and now multiple format size co-manufacturing “one pass, in-line co-mail”.  Variable trim production can be done while maintaining address-specific content capability where each magazine or catalog is a unique and personalized end product.  In-line multi-title, variable format size processing lowers the client’s overall production costs by reducing the need for transportation, storage and labor often associated with traditional offline co-mail operations.  Variable trimming also provides the ability to run different trim sizes within a given job based on demographic market testing, processing multiple sizes/titles from one publisher that need to be collated or on-serted in-line.

The 304 variable trimmers are available in-line with Muller Martini Tempo 22, and are also offered in-line with multiple trimmers providing dual output configuration allowing for variable head to foot, in addition to variable face-trim combinations.  These revenue-producing options that transform into cost-saving solutions provide the ultimate in production flexibility and allow users to take significant advantage of extensive options for in-line co-manufacturing and co-mailing efficiencies.

In addition to the new Tempo 22 solution, variable trim is retrofittable to existing Tempo platforms and has been successfully installed on other manufacturer’s stitching lines.