In order to increase automation in both saddle stitching and perfect binding, Silber Druck, based in Lohfelden in the German state of Hesse, has invested in two new finishing systems from Muller Martini – a Primera PRO and an Alegro.
“WELCOME TO SILBER DRUCK – THE BROCHURE PRINTING COMPANY” is emblazoned in capital letters on the website of the family-owned company, which was founded in 1965 and employs around 100 people in a three-shift, five days a week operation.
In fact, brochures, magazines and catalogues were the specialty of the graphic arts company, which originally started in the publishing business, a long time ago. Since the company launched its own online store, the focus has shifted from perfect binding to saddle stitching, which now accounts for a good 60 percent of the production volume.
Up to 50 different jobs per day
Silber Druck prints up to 50 different jobs a day for customers in the three German-speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland – mainly using offset printing. With print runs ranging between 250 and 60 000 copies - with an average of 2500 to 3000 copies - the finishing systems have to be changed over frequently. Due to the ST 450 saddle stitcher, coming from the second-hand market in Heidelberg in 2018 and the EB 4000 perfect binder, which was also purchased as a used machine in 2021, no longer meeting the latest standards, the operation decided to invest in two new solutions from Muller Martini.
For saddle stitching, the choice fell on the 14 000 cycles per hour, with features that include innovative Motion Control technology and a user-friendly interface with larger touchscreen. And for perfect binding, the 6000 cycles per hour Alegro, whose stations are directly driven and individually controlled and which, thanks to its high degree of automation, boasts short set-up times.
In addition to fast job changes that require only a few manual interventions, Lucas and Niklas Silber also found the wide range of size variability offered by the two Muller Martini finishing systems to be a major selling point. They inspected both machines at the training centre in Zofingen and at another customer's premises before final sales negotiations commenced - immediately after drupa 2024 in Düsseldorf.
The Primera PRO is already up and running, with the Alegro to follow in March
Silber Druck put the Primera PRO, which features five flat pile feeders, a cover feeder and a Perfetto compensating stacker, into operation last November – ‘to our complete satisfaction,’ as Lucas and Niklas Silber emphasised. The Alegro, with a twelve-station 3692 gathering machine and Granit three-knife trimmer, will start production next March.
‘We are strengthening our position in the market with the two new machines, because we now have significantly greater production reliability for sensitive delivery dates. We also wanted to send a signal to our staff that we believe in the future of the printing industry and our company,’ Lucas and Niklas Silber added.