Currently, four Muller Martini inserting systems are in use at the plant in Rodenberg, which Oppermann has invested tens of millions of euros in to handle the three daily newspapers and a dozen weekly newspapers that it started producing a few months ago for the MADSACK media group in addition to its existing 70 weekly titles. The two eleven-year-old SLS3000 lines were joined at the start of this year by two ProLiners, with 20 feeders each, automatic main-section and preprinted-section loading, and three FlexPack bundle building systems per line. The impressive performance of the two ProLiners – which run at 45,000 cycles per hour, have fully motorized changeovers and are designed for the Berliner and Rhenish newspaper formats – during their first months of operation has led to Opperman's decision to update its machine line-up by investing in a third ProLiner. “We’re highly satisfied with the performance of our two ProLiners,” says Werner Rohrsen, executive at Oppermann. “That’s why we’re confident that a new inserting system can handle the volume that we’ve been managing with two SLS3000 lines until now.”

Replacement of the two SLS3000 systems by a ProLiner has several advantages for Oppermann. Reducing the number of inserting systems, while maintaining the same net output, will lead to increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition, the use of three systems with an identical design will result in greater synergy effects in several respects, such as maintenance, spare parts and the considerably more flexible deployment of machine operators.

Like the existing systems, the new ProLiner will be loaded from FlexiRoll buffers. It will have 21 insert feeders, three FlexPack bundle building systems and several mini feeders for automatic insert feeding. Like the other two inserting systems, it will be managed by the Connnex.Mailroom control system to provide an optimal production overview.

The third ProLiner will be commissioned next summer. It will be installed between the two SLS3000 lines, enabling a virtually seamless transition from the two old inserting systems to the new one.

(http://www.mullermartini.com)