The Swiss manufacturer entered the sewing market with the 3210 sewer 25 years ago and followed this up with the 3212 and 3214 before the range was christened the Inventa2. The InventaPlus came out a decade ago and was discontinued after the launch of the Ventura, which could handle larger-format sizes than previously possible.

Muller Martini technical sales executive and product manager for the hard cover division David McGinlay explains: “Even with the format size limitations, the performance of all the machines before the Inventa set a standard for the market. The whole range produced tighter and higher-quality books than other machines.”

One of the features that increased the popularity of the Muller Martini sewer was the precision of the holes it could create with smaller distances between the threads. This ensured the sewers remained first choice for jobs such as sewing lightweight bible pages. It also required just one operator and could reach speeds of up to 200 cycles per minute. “These factors have helped give the whole range of Inventas a strong residual value,” says McGinlay

No blank cycle
Another unique feature with the Plus machine was its ability to sew without a blind stitch. With other sewing machines, one blank cycle would always be needed to tie the end of the thread. Instead, Muller sewing machines weld the end of the thread, which means no cycle is lost and productivity is increased by up to 25% over competing machines.

For higher-volume work, Muller launched a Ventura-Connect system that uses a 1571 or 3693 Muller gatherer, which can be connected with up to three sewing machines at a time. It is designed in such a way that the Ventura or Inventa, or a mixture of both, can be used with the system, whereas other similar systems would need to be connected to the same type of sewer.

The InventaPlus is still relatively rare on the secondhand market, but some have filtered through to the manufacturers and dealers. “Sewing machines in general are very intricate and accurate machines,” explains McGinlay. “It is important that the history and maintenance records of a secondhand purchase are very clear. We have heard some horror stories where machines had been abused and not maintained properly through their first life and then sold on without being refurbished.”

Muller has 40 engineers in the UK, but as sewing machines are so specialised, only four engineers can help with any complicated problems, although general faults can be dealt with by all its engineers. Secondhand models will typically come on the market at approximately £85,000, depending on their year and condition. A new Ventura can be bought from £180,000.

The manufacturer also carries a wide range of spare parts at its Iver base. These are available 24 hours a day via the internet, or customers can contact the spares department by phone. Anything not held in stock in the UK can be delivered the next day from Muller’s other factories. “Any customer should tell us what they want and we will always strive to match their needs as quickly as possible,” assures McGinlay.

One of the dealers who sells the machine secondhand is Yorkshire-based Atlas Machinery. Atlas managing director Stephen Lamb says the InventaPlus is the most popular model of the Muller sewing machines. “These are still relatively young, but there is a great deal of interest from the market – particularly abroad. The InventaPlus is popular because it was thoroughly tested and any bugs that occurred in previous models have been ironed out.”

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SPECIFICATIONS
Speed
• 200 cycles per minute
Format size
• signatures up to 385mm in length
Feeder type
• 30% inclined feeder
Stock
• lightweight, book paper, coated and recycled
Price
• Used: from £85,000
• New: from £150,000
What to look for
• Monitor function
• Electronic control
• Detailed maintenance history