Brazilian printer Editora FTD is to pioneer digital book production in the Americas with a set-up which includes an HP T410 inkjet web, manroland's FormerLine finishing and a Rima lift-collator.

The educational publisher FTD in São Paulo is the first Americas user of the German variable folding system, which produces book blocks ready for glueing. Settings are transferred using an interface between the systems.

Production managing director Reginaldo Soares Damasceno says the aim was to develop industrial inkjet book production with an automated and integrated solution: "For small runs we need short makeready times, which we can achieve now due to optimal production planning."

The company - which operates plant including a manroland Euroman heatset web - will commission the integrated finishing line at the end of this year.

Integration with WorkflowBridge and MasterQ production planning software controls the adjustment of folding components using JDF/JMF file information. Jobs are checked for validity by WorkflowBridge. MasterQ also helps sorting, classifying and verifying incoming jobs from different sources and sets the ideal sequences for the production.

Pictured: Soares Damasceno (right) and Luis Antônio Soares da Costa