January 23, 2004 -- Düsseldorf, Germany — The first fully integrated, industrial-strength “Book on Demand” system will be unveiled at Muller Martini’s drupa 2004 exhibit in Hall 14. “Muller Martini has been a major innovator in providing finishing modules for on-demand production systems for years,” said Werner Naegeli, President and CEO of Muller Martini Corp. “At drupa, we’re going to move to the next plateau and offer a total solution that integrates prepress, press and finishing components and that’s durable enough to meet the multi-shift requirements of commercial printers.” Designated as BoD, the Book on Demand system will be equipped to accept a continuous flow of prepress data that will be fed to all of its components — fully automating both makeready and production. A roll-fed digital press, capable of applying one color to both sides of the paper simultaneously, is at the heart of the system. Its output will be trimmed then folded in-line. An integrated perfect binder or saddle stitcher will produce the actual printed product. “This is a true on demand system,” Naegeli explains. “BoD will be able to cost-effectively produce one copy of a title, a few thousands of copies, or any number in between, depending upon the requirements of each individual job. That means publishers, authors and entrepreneurs will not have to worry about warehousing costly inventories of printed material. They can print the quantity that meets the immediate needs of their marketplace at any time by utilizing BoD.” Because it provides both perfect bound and saddle stitched solutions, the system will equip printers with the ability to offer a wide range of printed products on a just-in-time basis. One-color books, brochures, catalogs, financial reports, operating manuals, and one-to-one marketing materials can be produced quickly and efficiently, and bound with a level of durability and quality that was previously attainable only from off-line systems. BoD also offers advantages when it comes to printed products that constantly have to be updated. These include medical books, law books, product brochures, operating instructions, textbooks, and diaries. The system also opens new opportunities to customers who want to test market their content or messages, prior to printing at high volume levels. “As the leader in both bindery and variable size web press technology, it is only natural for Muller Martini to design and manufacture the world’s first industrial-strength Book on Demand system,” Naegeli says. “It’s another example of how we’re equipping our customers to meet the needs of their changing marketplaces.” BoD will be demonstrated continuously at Muller Martini’s exhibit at drupa 2004 — Hall 14, Stand A52.