Muller Martini announces VDP enhancements to its SigmaLine book production system

The new VDP enhancements can be seamlessly integrated into SigmaLine, the OEM’s digital book production solution. SigmaLine now fits well with production in the much more complex commercial book segments – such as healthcare, financial, brochures, customized text books and many other variable-data book content applications. Connex, Muller Martini’s proprietary data and process management workflow system, now features newly developed Variable Data Printing (VDP) modules that seamlessly integrate into SigmaLine. Companies that currently produce predominantly in batches, can now also produce short runs and ultra-short runs with the same high quality page assembly and print finishing. The new Connex modules include:

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  Variable Production. Enables products with different content or a different page count to be produced in one run. The signatures are tracked using barcodes, and Connex monitors the entire process – including feedback.
• Variable Imposition. This digital page assembly component, which builds on the previous module, enables both normal PDF data and PDF/VT data for variable printing. Intelligent barcodes are placed on every signature for tracking production through the line and for automatically reproducing missing products following the run.
• Variable Bundle. In addition to the Variable Production and Variable Imposition modules, this module pre-bundles books selectively in the SigmaCollator. For example, all books of a student can be produced and collated, eliminating time-consuming hand sorting of products.

“Today’s brand managers are designing innovative, personalized campaigns that reflect a customer’s highly specific preferences and needs – which is why Variable Data Printing (VDP) goes far beyond the printing of a customer name on a product,” said Muller Martini. “Moreover, response rates and the return on investment for VDP campaigns are typically significantly higher than the rates of conventional efforts. Through these powerful VDP enhancements, Muller Martini is helping to facilitate the unprecedented opportunities offered by VDP to printers and binderies around the globe.”