Flexible and Automated: Book of One with Hunkeler and Müller Martini
From the digital web printing press to the cutting robot with subsequent sorting line — for efficient Book of one production, Müller Martini and Hunkeler offer a highly automated all-in-one system.
To address the challenges facing the printing industry — such as declining print runs, a shortage of skilled labor, and rising energy and space costs — Hunkeler and Müller Martini provide a perfectly coordinated all-in-one system. It seamlessly automates the entire production workflow for on-demand manufacturing.
Following the digital web press, the following units combine to form a highly automated system:
- Starbook Plowfolder book solution,
- Antaro Digital perfect binder,
- Cooling section,
- InfiniTrim trimming robot,
- and a sorting line for precise sorting and stacking of the finished books.
“The key feature of this system,” emphasizes Marco Kunz, Product Manager at Hunkeler, “is that each of the three sub-solutions can be retooled for new jobs extremely quickly, offering outstanding flexibility in format and substrates. This sets new standards in the industry.”
From the perfect book block…
The highly automated Starbook Plowfolder from Hunkeler is exceptionally flexible: different page counts and variable spine lengths can be produced from book to book without any manual intervention. Thanks to semi-automatic adjustment between different folding patterns in under three minutes, the system is ideal for short runs – down to Book of one.
The Plowfolder PF8 and the new vacuum signature transport in the Book Delivery BD8 significantly expand the processable paper range — from ultra-light 40 g/m² paper to bulky book papers up to 160 g/m² and 150 µm in thickness. The result: excellent book block quality with perfectly straight, square, and flat blocks — ideal for both softcover and hardcover applications. With a production capacity of up to 2 000 individual books or stacks per hour in continuous FIFO sequence (First In – First Out), this solution sets new benchmarks for media diversity, automation, and productivity.
…to the finished softcover book!
The Antaro Digital perfect binder from Müller Martini — now also available for hardcover production when combined with an end sheet feeder — seamlessly processes the book blocks and produces them into finished books of the highest quality. Each clamp has its own servo drive, enabling individual adjustment. Thanks to barcode matching, the cover and content are automatically paired correctly for softcover books.
The finished books are then taken over by the InfiniTrim cutting robot. The InfiniTrim enables fully variable format changes with zero setup time, providing maximum efficiency in Book of one production. Its innovative drive, transport, and cutting concept ensures precise cutting edges without damage.
“To ensure an efficient and reliable Book of one production, the solutions from Hunkeler and Müller Martini are centrally controlled via the Connex workflow system,” explains Marco Kunz. “This ensures full networking of all production steps — from prepress to the finished product.”
Take a look behind the scenes and see how a book comes to life! This video was created in collaboration with HP and UPM and shown at Printing United 2025.