Small details often make a difference in print processing. A missing sheet in the book block / brochure – and a clean edition turns into expensive waste. In such cases, however, the damage often goes beyond the pure material value or the dwindling margin: every mistake means a loss of trust and, in the worst case, even results in the loss of important customers.
This is why more and more printing companies are asking themselves: Can missing sheets be automatically detected on saddle stitchers and perfect binders? Can an incorrect order of the folding sheets in the book block/brochure be systematically ruled out? The answer to both questions is yes. Our retrofitting of a “PPL Eagle” camera system for Nunnenmann GmbH shows how this works in practice – but more on that later.
Low setup effort thanks to fast, automated processes
The importance of camera systems in further processing is still underestimated. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes – this is especially true in a production environment where decisions often have to be made under time pressure. Our camera system acts like an additional safety net: The seamless visual control enables companies and their employees to detect errors before they have to pay dearly. There is a simple reason why some printing companies are still skeptical about retrofitting: they fear that the setup will require a lot of effort. However, this argument can be easily refuted: We have established fast, automated learning processes and different areas on the sheets can be set up separately. This shortens the time until production starts.
What our “PPL Eagle” industrial camera system delivers
“PPL Eagle” is a proprietary development by PostPrintLeipzig. We have already showcased this system—designed specifically for perfect binders, gathering machines, and saddle stitchers—at international trade fairs such as DRUPA; it is currently in use by more than 10 customers, including in the highly competitive US market. The solution
- monitors signature sequencing on perfect binders, gathering machines, and saddle stitchers;
- detects missing or incorrectly inserted folded signatures; and
- flags swapped language versions.
A camera is installed at each feeder or station to capture images and/or barcodes. If an error is detected, the machine either stops or ejects the faulty signature. The subsequently generated log files serve as reliable evidence for audits. Furthermore, the responsible personnel always have access to the log file, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
Users of our camera systems can choose between two operating modes: optical comparison via image recognition and barcode recognition. Both modes include automated parameter “learning” for settings such as exposure, contrast, and position.
This solution is relevant not only for print shops but for any company or service provider committed to a zero-error policy—such as those in the pharmaceutical industry. The “eagle eyes” of the “PPL Eagle” detect errors before they can lead to consequences. However, all customers benefit from the systematic optical inspection of signatures prior to binding, even in less sensitive sectors: once installed, the solution generally elevates the provider’s quality standards.
Maximum Product Safety on the Saddle Stitcher: Case Study – Nunnenmann GmbH
Our reference project with Nunnenmann GmbH demonstrates this clearly. Founded in 1986 in Herxheim bei Landau in der Pfalz, the company is committed to high quality standards—a fact reflected in numerous certifications obtained over the years (ISO 9001, FSC, Blue Angel). Production Manager Michael Nunnenmann—who has run the print shop as a second-generation owner alongside his siblings Melanie, Dominik, and Philipp since April 2026, following company founder Dieter Nunnenmann’s retirement—views quality management as an ongoing process. In this context, he sought ways to further enhance product safety on the Müller Martini Presto E90 saddle stitcher. A recommendation led him to PPL, and a compact implementation followed shortly thereafter: the Presto E90 was retrofitted with eight Pepperl+Fuchs cameras—one for each station. Supplementary light sources were also installed to ensure the cameras could capture razor-sharp images.
Nunnenmann GmbH’s decision proved to be the right one: waste and complaint rates were significantly reduced, and overall production process reliability was enhanced.
Invest in your customers’ trust!
Do you want to systematically improve product quality and automatically detect misfeeds or mix-ups in brochures? We would be happy to advise you on retrofitting your equipment with an industrial camera system. You can find more information about the system on our PPL Eagle camera system page.
You can read the detailed German article about the project in “Grafische Palette,” Issue 2/2026, pp. 142–143.