Finishing & Screen Printing
Muller Martini Diamant MC Bookline: Motion Control Technology provides outstanding book quality
Monday 29. December 2008 - The new-generation Diamant bookline from Muller Martini is fully automated. Data input and machine set-up are user-friendly and fast. Integrated drives enable quick changeovers and precise adjustment of processes during production. And thanks to state-of-the-art Motion Control Technology, the quality of book production is optimized.
Bookbinders are familiar with this situation: the machine is set up quickly and production starts smoothly, but then the experienced eye notices that the edges do not match perfectly. What is needed is accurate positioning, a task that until now required not only a great deal of bookbinding experience and extensive knowledge of the machine, but also stopping the bookline and ceasing production. The reason for this is the cam-controlled rubdown device that presses the bookcase onto the bookblock. Up to now in order to achieve excellent book quality the bookbinder needed to compensate the difference in height by manual adjustment. As a result, the bookbinder had to decide whether to prioritize fast production and compromise book quality, or conversely, sacrifice precious time to achieve better product quality. The new-generation Diamant MC bookline from Muller Martini has changed all that, bringing optimal quality and rapid production together.
Motion Control Technology: the Solution
The new Diamant MC bookline has no mechanical cam in the casing-in area. Servo technology enables precise, fast and easy calculation of the glue roller touch-down height while taking into account a wide range of parameters: the Diamant MC considers the measured-in sizes, the rounding degree, the type of backing iron, the necessary exchange parts and even the production speed. The glue rollers automatically touch down at the precise height of the bookblock, meaning that any further adjustments by the machine operator are no longer necessary.
High Product Quality via Servo Drives
Besides the touch-down height, the travel of the rubdown device on the Diamant MC bookline is set according to format and speed. Each book is rubbed down in a time-optimized manner, fitting its width. For each individual production job and with great precision, the system calculates the point at which the bookblock and bookcase meet. If a book is missing in the production process, the rubdown device goes into standby mode without movement, reducing wear and tear. The servo drive synchronizes the rubdown device and the sword. The bookcase is perfectly rubbed down and the bookblock lies accurately in the bookcase. The result is a cased-in book of excellent quality without any readjustments needed.
Perfect Bookblock Gluing
With the Diamant MC, rubbing down as well as endsheet gluing are servo-driven and the machine makes it possible to fine-tune the glue roller speed. Taking into account the endsheet material, the bookbinder can adjust the glue roller speed to fit the product perfectly. The glue rollers turn twice per cycle. Due to the advanced technology of the servo-driven Diamant MC, the rollers glue the bookblock at the desired speed at their first turn. At their second turn, they compensate for the speed of the first one. This means that the rollers run at the precise speed required to touch down exactly at the joint of the next bookblock, a feature that ensures extraordinarily high-quality bookblocks. Other benefits of the servo technology: the machine runs extremely quietly and with very low vibration.
Menu-driven Operation for Efficient Production
As print runs get smaller and smaller, turnaround times get shorter and shorter. Intelligent machines help the book manufacturer remain efficient and also enhance profit potential despite smaller runs. Using the easy-to-operate Diamant MC, the machine operator is able to produce high-quality books at high speed. Servo technology on the Diamant MC optimizes the motions of the machine according to product requirements. Even lesser-experienced operators can produce books of excellent quality, guided by Diamants touchscreen menus and control panels featuring self-explanatory pictograms. Complementing the double bookblock backing and continuous joint forming and pressing advantages of the new Muller Martini Diamant MC bookline, servo-driven casing-in is an important feature not found in any other bookline. Add it all up: highest book quality, shortest changeover times, intuitive operation, efficient hardcover production. The Diamant MC delivers superior value and strong return on investment.