With insert volume tripling in four years, German publisher LR Medienverlag und Druckerei has cut costs and increased flexibility with a new automated system.

Based in Cottbus in eastern Germany, the company has revolutionised the inserting process for its 80,000 copies daily newspaper and two weeklies - which have run sizes of 226,000 and 250,000 - with a Muller Martini FlexLiner system.

With a total of 172 million copies a year across the three titles - and three times as many inserted products as in 2013 - the system is now integrated into the production chain through Connex.Mailroom controls.
Commercial manager Andreas Bonow says they have achieved the optimal balance between reduction in production costs and the investments required. The FlexLiner enables quantum leaps in terms of the make-up of products and loading of the jacket with heavy inserts. The Connex.Mailroom enables detailed zoning with a large number of local editions and numerous insert zones.

A NewsGrip F conveyor takes newspapers from press to the inserting system, which is equipped with 20 feeders, including mini feeders. The line also includes a NewsStack compensating stacker and two FlexPack bundle processing systems.

Pictured (from right to left): Clemens Braun (managing director), Andreas Bonow (commercial manager), Muller Martini sales manager Reinhold Achtner, and works manager Frank Käppler