Over 60 New Installations Worldwide in Two Years
With eight new installations in the USA alone over the past 18 months and more than 60 systems sold worldwide since being launched at drupa 2012, the Muller Martini's Alegro perfect binder featuring the revolutionary motion control technology is proving massively successful.
The Alegro perfect binder with a maximum performance of 7,000 cycles per hour is a prime example of Muller Martini's modular machine and design concept. The compact softcover system can be supplemented with a wide range of additional components. All such components are servo-controlled using motion control, which means that they can be controlled individually.
Motion control technology, however, not only enables extremely short processing times for jobs, which translates into maximum profitability, but also forms the basis for a wide range of applications. The Alegro stands out for its ability to process special sizes. It binds products up to A3 in size, and even products in DIN A4 landscape size can be run in double production, which reduces unit costs.
Highly Cost Effective and User Friendly
Motion control technology enables extremely short setup and job changeover times, which are key to cost-effective production given the shift in job structures with the trend toward many smaller jobs. Moreover, compared with traditional perfect binders, the Alegro has 70 percent fewer chains and no line shafts or complicated gear boxes at all. That means less wear, fewer spare parts and lower maintenance needs and costs.
Its high degree of cost-effectiveness is paired with ease of use. Thanks to line control, all aggregates can be viewed and operated on up to four screens for the gathering machine, the binder, the three-knife trimmer and the stacker. If, for instance, the three-knife trimmer reports an error, it is displayed on all screens.
For Offset and Digital Printing
An important factor in the massive success of the Alegro is the shift in the market toward perfect bound products. Runs in traditional offset printing are falling, while digital printing is on the rise, and corresponding print finishing technologies, such as personalization options, are in demand. "With the Alegro, our customers are optimally equipped to meet requirements in offset and digital printing. They have a high degree of investment protection, because the Alegro can be easily adapted to changing needs thanks to its modular design," says Carrington Herbert, Vice President of Sales at Muller Martini North America.
AsirCode, Solit Three-Knife Trimmer and Granit
Eight new Alegro lines have been commissioned in the US alone over the past 18 months. Worldwide, there have been more than 60 new installations in the just over two years since the new perfect binder was launched at drupa 2012. "In addition to motion control, our great success is down to two other innovations from Muller Martini," says Herbert, based on feedback from satisfied customers. First, the book verification system with the patented AsirCode, which is integrated with the control system of the gathering machine. It controls the complete product structure, the correct sequence of signatures and the matching of the cover with the content, prevents production with products that are set up incorrectly and ensures that every cover gets the right book block.
Second, the Alegro perfect binding line is usually topped off by the Solit three-knife trimmer, which can be changed over without tools in less than three minutes. The Solit is also equipped with SmartPress Technology patented by Muller Martini. Thanks to this unique technology, the air in the book block can be released optimally, even if the product is bulky. In addition, the pressing automatically adjusts during production to fluctuations in product thickness, ensuring outstanding trim quality.
The new Granit three-knife trimmer from Muller Martini also suits the Alegro, especially if several books are trimmed together. Like the Solit, the fully automated Granit ensures consistently high trim quality thanks to SmartPress Technology. The operator can perform any fine-tuning needed directly on the central screen of the perfect binder during production.
