The Flexible and semi-automated saddle stitcher for offset and digital print.
Digital Printer magazine arrived at Müller Martini’s Print Finishing Centre in Zofingen, Switzerland, just in time to see the latest Presto II Digital saddle stitcher that is bound for these shores go through its paces before being dismantled and packed for the UK. British engineers and their Swiss counterparts were on hand to answer questions, as digitally printed sheets flew through the integrated MBO folder and plow folder onto the saddle, then beneath a pair of feeders and a cover feeder, before being stitched, trimmed and delivered.
The Presto II Digital saddle stitcher is a modular finishing device,making it a perfect hybrid solution for print companies that are operating both offset and digital printing. Launched at drupa 2012, the machine is also seen as a suitable back up to the company’s higher volume Primera saddle stitching lines, which can take A3 format sheets.
‘The typical environment for this market will be a small printer that runs small size sheetfed offset and more and more digital,’ explained Heinz Businger, manager of the training centre at the Print Finishing Centre. ‘For reel to reel presses, we can put in Hunkeler unwinding equipment, trim it and fold it and collate it, then it drops on the chain without stopping,’
The Presto II Digital is quick and easy to set up, making job changeovers a matter of minutes. It has a maximum operating speed of 9000 cycles per hour where a single signature is being stitched, but for most customers, the running speed is of secondary importance. Efficient job changeover and reliability are greater concerns, and in any case speed is governed by a combination of product thickness and number of signatures. It can handle job sizes from 93 x 60 mm up to just over A4 size. A4 landscape is also possible.
The Presto II Digital is set up largely using the simple touchscreen controls (universal across the Müller Martini product range), with screens for general job data and signature definition. A series of handles are used for setting the signature assignments, trimming parameter and delivery, guided by the settings produced by the computer. The position of the stitching heads is also set by hand, according to the computer settings. However, the yoke timing, gathering chain, trimmer and feeders are automatically synchronised. Regular jobs can be stored in the software.
There is a wide variety of possible configurations for the saddle stitcher, depending on a customer’s needs. In-line MBO folding and plow folding (with static eliminator) can be integrated, Asir 3 bar code reading can be used to track jobs being processed; up to six signature feeders and three cover feeders can be used, and various additional finishing processes, such as die-cutting and hole punching can also be integrated into the system.
The stitching heads are the same used in all Müller Martini’s high quality saddle stitching systems – Q-stitching heads for quick set up times that can be adjusted using a single tool, and can produce a large range of stitch shapes. A SEMKO (Side Electro-Mechanical Caliper Option) caliper can also be used to measure the thickness of the product. The company said 75% of lines are sold with this option. The trimmer can carry out up to eight cuts, and post-trim, there are stacker and belt delivery options, including gap control, which is very important for digital jobs. The machine is controlled with CIP4 data through Müller Martini’s Connex management system.
‘The Presto II Digital provides a high degree of investment protection, making it an ideal solution for small and medium-sized enterprises,’ said Mr Businger. ‘It is a saddle stitcher that is equipped with signature feeders for conventional use, but can be expanded at any time for use in digital printing. The modular design provides elegant expansion options and prepares the Presto II Digital for future requirements in the field of digital printing.’ Someone in the UK has just taken delivery of an impressively flexible piece of finishing equipment.
