Our customers are seeking investment security, says P R Lakshminarayanan

We had several launches with innovations across all our divisions - be it with the Alegro perfect binder, the hybrid bookline Diamant MC Hybrid, OnDemand digital book production system SigmaLine with Pantera binder or the book sewing machine VenturaCompact – to mention just a few. The feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive.

Which technology should printers have and why really depends on the segment in which the printer operates. For example, the SigmaLine digital book production system can produce a finished book from a PDF file, hard cover system for photobook production, web press for flexible / carton packaging, etc. applications.

Muller Martini, as a practice, installs a pilot batch  of new launches closer to its factories in Europe. Hence we expect these machines to be delivered for commercial production all over the world, including India, by end 2012 or early 2013. The Drupa management has recorded a 20% fall in visitor number this year compared to 2008; our stand though slightly below the level from 2008 was very well visited. I have also noticed that many customers were looking for solutions not just for today but with all flexibility to meet the fast-changing requirements in the future.

Having put so much into showing our innovative strength and market performance, of course we want that to result in sales. Drupa has been successful for us in that respect too. We have made sales in all continents, and in emerging markets, such as Brazil, China and India, in particular. However, companies were also investing in Muller Martini systems in our traditional markets of North America and Europe. We are also pleased to see that our MM Services modules have gone down well with customers. Many customers have spontaneously decided to purchase a service package at our stand.

At Drupa 2012 many providers were showing ways in which print products can be optimally presented and made as unique as possible so that they stand out and highlight the advantages of print compared to digital media. That is why many discussions were above all about today’s market requirements. The focus was less on individual machines than on complete systems, which came across very clearly with our Drupa performance. In-line, automated print finishing and book binding for very short runs were exciting products.

Certainly, the number of sales reports suggests that this Drupa has offered Mullur Martini, whose machines are built with this pre-requisite from customers so that they are able to grow with the machines in future, opportunities for growth.

My takeaway: In an environment that is changing more rapidly today than before, our customers are seeking investment security.