Higher, faster, further – the pursuit of speed and efficiency with increasing product quality is particularly important in production companies. We have responded to this and invested in a new gathering machine.
Ensuring the competitiveness and profitability of the company creates a competitive position on the market. To ensure this, it is necessary to meet the increasing demands of digital transformation and invest in modern technologies. This is the only way to ensure efficient production with high-quality end products that are also customer and employee-oriented.
In our case, this means modernizing our production. We have replaced our old gathering machine and invested in a state-of-the-art model. Our new 3692 gathering machine enables us to make our production and manufacturing process more efficient and thus significantly increase productivity. It strengthens our thread sewing in the hardcover sector and is therefore a valuable enrichment for the entire production of Beltz Grafische Betriebe.
We have upgraded – Everything about the new gathering machine
What tasks does a gathering machine perform?
The gathering machine, or ZTM for short, performs an important operation in the finishing of printed products. It prepares the printed products for subsequent stitching in the thread sewing machine and is therefore an essential part of the process of producing the finished product.
An MDT basically does what the name suggests – it puts things together. To be more precise, this means that it compiles so-called signatures from sheets that have already been printed, i.e. page sections of the later book.
The work step is a production line similar to an assembly line. After passing through the gathering machine, further processing takes place in the thread sewing machine, where the stitched end product is finally produced.
On the left of the two following pictures you can see our old ZTM. The photo on the right shows the new machine. At the same time, the processing steps that occur when passing through the ZTM are mapped.
Facts, figures and data
Our new ZTM 3692 clearly stands out from its outdated predecessor model in terms of reliability and efficiency. The new machine impresses with its time savings and high performance, combined with high production quality and a broad processing spectrum.
It now allows us to collect a total of 30 signatures instead of the previous 28. This means that print products with a large number of pages can be processed in a single operation. Previously, this sometimes required two passes by the dental technician.
We have summarized some key facts about the new model:
👉 Designation: Gathering machine 3692
Manufacturer: Muller Martini
👉 Suitable for small to medium print runs
👉 Investment: more than half a million euros
👉 Advantages: less set-up time and downtime, better operability, compact design
👉 Scope of services: Compilation of up to 30 signatures
Since the beginning of the year, the new machine has been doing an excellent job in our production and has already proved its worth.
From the ZTM to the thread sewing machine
After the signatures have been collated in the ZTM, a further machine-supported processing step is required on the way to the finished end product: stitching in the thread sewing machine. Thread sewing is one of the centerpieces of our production and is part of our core business. This is another reason why a modernization of the ZTM was long overdue.
At the turn of the year, we also invested in new technologies in the area of thread sewing and expanded our machine park with two machines for thread sewing. Here, too, we relied on the manufacturer Muller Martini and opted for two Ventura MC160 machines.
The purchase of these machines is a valuable investment for us, enabling us to increase our production capacities and thus further strengthen our core business. With the additional acquisition of our new ZTM, this is now particularly successful.
We are particularly pleased that the manufacturer Muller Martini has published an exciting article about us and our activities as part of our new acquisitions. The importance of thread sewing for our company is once again emphasized here. Currently, around 65% of our books are thread-sewn – a considerable proportion from our point of view. Investing in the modernization of this division therefore makes a decisive contribution to the future viability of our production. The entire article by Muller Martini can be accessed via this link.
We are very pleased about the many years of cooperation and the close business relationship with the machine manufacturer. In Muller Martini, we have had a competent partner for many years, who impresses with reliable advice and excellent products.
