Redacción Alabrent
Flexibility for Changing Market DemandsWhile Pustet has long utilised digital printing systems primarily for smaller print runs, the installation of the HP PageWide T490 scales up high-speed inkjet for much larger production volumes. The transition allows Pustet to respond dynamically to the fast-paced publishing world, where producing books on demand without long lead times has become a critical competitive advantage.
Jakob Pustet, seventh-generation member of the management team, describes the investment as follows: “We do not see digital printing as a replacement, but as a meaningful complement to our offset business. The combination of both technologies gives us the necessary flexibility to meet the diverse demands of the book market.”
More Efficient Processes Through Integrated Production Workflows
The true power of this new setup lies in its continuous, end-to-end production flow. In traditional offset printing, post-press finishing must wait until the entire print run is complete. By contrast, Pustet's new digital workflow seamlessly unifies printing and finishing. This eliminates several labor-intensive steps - such as the separate collation of individual book blocks - resulting in significantly faster turnaround times and lower operational costs.
Digitally-based web printing also opens up new economic opportunities for publishers. Smaller print runs can now be produced more cost-effectively. By reducing the reliance on massive initial print runs, Pustet’s customers can minimise warehousing costs and avoid waste from unsold stock, directly aligning production with real-time market demand.
In Performance mode, the HP PageWide Web Press T490 reaches speeds of up to 305 meters per minute with a print width of up to 1,060 millimeters, making it ideal for high industrial throughput.
End-to-End Inline Finishing
To achieve this seamless inline finishing, Pustet invested in a SigmaLine finishing system from Müller Martini, as well as a Pluton palletizer from Solema, alongside the HP PageWide Web Press T490. With this production line, Pustet is relying on highly automated inline finishing that directly links printing and book block production.
Florian Hetzenecker, Plant Manager at Friedrich Pustet said: “The system installation went smoothly — everything worked very well. The different teams worked hand in hand, and we are very proud. This investment is the first step in making our book production flexible and future-proof in the long term.”
Pustet will produce the first digitally printed book from the new production line at its book facility in Regensburg on June 15.