FULL STORY
The more familiar your operating personnel are with state-of-the-art equipment, the more your investments in powerful technology will pay off. In its modern training centre in Oftringen, Muller Martini offers customised, practical training for use in practice.
Competition in the graphics industry has increased sharply in recent years. Economical production can only be achieved if the employees have a perfect understanding of the modern and complex finishing systems. Training is, therefore essential in ensuring that performance targets can be reached.
Muller Martini is well aware of this. In a separate building in Oftringen, just a few minutes from the company's headquarters, a superbly equipped training centre was established in 1997. This centre houses almost the complete range of saddle stitching systems, as well as several press delivery systems for training purposes. ‘In addition to individual training courses tailored to the respective needs of machine operators and service technicians,’ said Hans Leuenberger, head of the Training Centre, ‘We also offer regular training events in Oftringen for our own employees, as well as providing demonstrations for customers. They have the opportunity to put the systems through their paces in operation with their own paper before deciding whether or not to make an investment.’
Optimal operation and economical utilisation
Each year, over 500 people from across the world attend courses in the Muller Martini training centre. The majority of the course participants are machine supervisors and operators who receive intensive training on saddle stitching and press delivery systems through practical training programmes. Higher production speeds, shorter size changeover times and more complex orders present new challenges, particularly for the operators. Machine settings are increasingly important.
‘Only if you understand the system down to the smallest technical detail, and can control it confidently, can you avoid errors and downtime,’ said Leuenberger, based on his own many years of experience. ‘Even the customer's technical employees, such as electricians and mechanics, are given the knowledge they need for their particular area at our special courses.’ The external training centre offers the advantage of releasing the participants from their day-to-day business, allowing them to concentrate fully on the machines and systems and the transfer of knowledge. Small groups and internationally experienced instructors guarantee efficient practical training with a course duration of one to two weeks.
The participants also have the opportunity to exchange experiences with each other and discuss individual problems with the instructors. Because the workshops are held either in the respective national language of the participants or with the assistance of an on-site interpreter, there are no communication problems. ‘Our aim,’ said Leuenberger, ‘is for our customers to feel confident in handling the machines and be able to take full advantage of all the technical capabilities of the systems.’
Individual demonstrations to help with decision-making
In addition to customer machine operators, Muller Martini service technicians and sales representatives from across the world are also regularly welcomed to the training centre. There are tailor-made workshop programmes for them too - be it on technical or on sales-related issues. Feedback from the service personnel, just like feedback from the customers, is incorporated in all training courses, which are regularly adapted and further developed.
As the purchase costs of these systems are very high, more and more graphics businesses want to test the performance parameters of a machine with their own requirements before making a decision to invest. In doing so, they focus on size adjustment as well as different paper grades. Each year, there are over 150 demonstrations in the training centre in Oftringen. ‘Each demo is individually tailored to the respective customer and his needs,’ said Leuenberger. ‘In addition to training and continuing education in our own training center, we also offer the option of providing training courses on the customer's premises.’ Special performance optimisation programmes are also available, with which production times and costs can be reduced.
Pictured above: Hans Leuenberger, head of the Muller Martini Training Centre in Oftringen, ‘Only if you understand the system down to the smallest detail and can control it confidently can you avoid errors and downtime.’
Lower pic: Small groups and internationally experienced instructors guarantee efficient practical training with a course duration of one to two weeks.
For additional information on all Muller Martini solutions, please visit: www.mullermartini.com. In Southern Africa, Muller Martini is represented by Thunderbolt Solutions at: www.thunderbolt.co.za, or just click on the Thunderbolt sponsor logo button on our Home Page.
© Graphic Repro On-line, 29 July 2010.
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