Heidelberg to Showcase Brochure Printing Process

At the Hunkeler Innovationdays taking place in Luzerne, Switzerland, from Feb. 23-26, 2015, Heidelberg will show solutions for the production of digitally printed softcover brochures in booth B02. Themed HEI Flexibility, this is an answer to the trend to smaller runs and high flexibility with the finishing of digitally and conventionally printed jobs.

Together with its partners Hunkeler, ATS, Müller Martini, and Polar, Heidelberg will show a flexible machine network where a complete brochure is produced live. This brochure consists of a content which was digitally produced in rotary printing and a cover which is bound by means of hot-melt glue, producing a three-side trim in one work step. With this configuration, the continuous control of contents and cover per barcode is shown. All units involved use the same barcode system in order to make sure that the product is compiled and produced correctly.

The systems consist of a Hunkeler UW6-unwinding module, a cross cutter CS6-I and the directly connected Heidelberg Inline Stahlfolder TH 56, folding the sheets and transferring them as collected pile to an ATS bundler FAB A 820. By means of the barcode it is ensured that every set has been collated completely in the bundler. Afterwards, the folded signatures are brought together with the cover on the latest Müller Martini perfect binder and bound to a completed brochure. The Müller Martini perfect binder represents a world premiere which is shown to the trade experts at the Hunkeler Innovationdays for the first time. Here, the barcode ensures that the cover and contents fit together. The final three-side trim is done automatically in the Polar three-side trimmer BC-330, where the production barcode is read again.

High flexibility and production variety for both, digitally and conventionally printed jobs
The solution allows for the production of a wide variety of products in small runs without having to do elaborate retrofitting. It is also possible to process both, digitally printed and conventionally printed jobs according to specific requirements.

Heidelberg and Hunkeler have worked together as partners for integrated finishing solutions in digital printing for several years. The Stahlfolder folding units of Heidelberg are used in many Hunkeler installations worldwide, both in rotary printing, as well as in digital sheetfed printing.

Source: Heidelberg.