Finishing & Screen Printing

Longer Use of the Machine with MMServices

Wednesday 18. September 2013 - Investment Security for Today and Tomorrow

Muller Martini’s services portfolio covers all requirements throughout the life cycle of the equipment, extends the use of a machine, and optimizes operating costs and investments in the long term.
Patrick Treyer, Program Manager for MMServices at Muller Martini, is convinced that it is worth asking how an existing machine can be expanded in order to keep it in operation for a longer period of time, thus allowing a business to reach its goals: “Graphic arts businesses should have their machinery inspected every year to see if there is room for improvement.”
MMServices Extends a Machine’s Life Cycle
To meet the changing market requirements, Muller Martini has standardized its service range under the MMServices label. Even if a company is unable invest in a new machine, it can still benefit from a higher machine output or take advantage of the latest technology.
“Our service concept is focused on the life cycle of a machine,” explains Felix Stirnimann, Member of Muller Martini Corporate Management. “Whenever a machine is installed for the first time, the performance figures show an immediate increase. This is down to the fact that the operators become more familiar with the machine, as they learn to use it better. The productivity curve, however, is bound to fall again at some point. Whenever this productivity peak is reached, our approach is to maximize productivity figures again and to keep them there for as long as possible.”
Investment Protection for Long-term Profitability
Muller Martini offers an extensive life cycle management program that ensures the equipment remains cost-effective and increases the lifetime of the machines with manageable investments. Operating costs are optimized, and profitability is increased.
An appropriate investment protection program aims to ensure that an existing machine maintains a high level of productivity over a long period of time or, in the case of a drop in performance, is brought back up to optimum production levels as quickly as possible.
“This begins with regular updates and also includes upgrading the machines or even completely retrofitting the equipment – depending on what the customer needs and wants,” explains Felix Stirnimann.
Room for Improvement in Preventive Maintenance
A car undergoes inspection every 20,000 kilometers. The graphic arts industry still has plenty of room for improvement with regard to prevention, as preventive machine check-ups are not yet commonplace.
“Given the tighter production deadlines in the industry, machine breakdowns or even failures end up costing a lot of money,” says Treyer. With standardized inspections, problems that lead to faulty products or costly equipment failures can be detected early and rectified in time.
Muller Martini offers such prevention measures with MMServices. A certified service technician first conducts an inspection of all safety, quality and performance aspects of the equipment as well as all machine functions. A report provides data on the overall condition of the equipment as well as detailed information on all the components inspected. Recommendations based on the findings are then drawn up. “Based on the inspection, we provide details on how to get the most out of a production line, at a relatively low cost,” emphasizes Treyer.
It Pays to Invest in Servicing
For example, the gluing unit is of utmost importance to ensure a perfect binding line can produce high-quality products. Within the scope of its MMServices program, Muller Martini offers reconditioning for gluing units in several countries. After Muller Martini specialists conduct a complete analysis of the gluing units, they draw up recommendations for repairs and measures to improve the units. The objective is not only to rectify defects, but also increase a company’s ability to compete by providing updates and upgrades, thereby also enabling it to enter new markets. Installing a nozzle glue system for PUR processing can enable a customer to produce perfectly bound products that can last a long time and have optimum openability.
“It is worth regularly investing in servicing,” Felix Stirnimann is convinced. “It can optimize operating costs in the long run, allowing for a return on investment over many years.”