Method and device for creating packs of printed products

A postpress system (1) for producing and processing printed end products (P) with printed product collections including a plurality of products (D), selected from the group of wrapping products, and a plurality of part products and/or inserts, in at least one stacking device (5.1, 5.2) to make route adapted stacks or packs, at least some of the printed end products (P) being product units which have been customized for specific addressees, comprising:

• a collecting section (2, 2″), with a plurality of feed devices (3), each of the feed devices comprising a supply conveyor (31), a preparation circuit (32) with a plurality of transport units (321) and an output conveyor (33), and a collecting circuit with a plurality of holding devices (21), wherein the transport units (321) are arranged on the preparation circuit (32) independently of one another and can be conveyed at a variable distance from one another and the transport units (321) comprise carriages, with grippers (322), which can move freely in a track and wherein the feed devices are designed such that they output the products (D) to the plurality of holding devices (21) of the collecting section (2, 2″) in a controlled fashion via the preparation circuit (32) and
• a sorting device (6), the sorting device to allow transport of the printed end products (P) which are in correct sequence directly through the sorting device and to temporarily store printed end products belonging to a repair group (R) in a supply path (611) of a direction group until the group is repaired and at the same time correct groups may be passed through the sorting device.

A method for operating a postpress system (1′) for producing and processing product units with printed product collections including a plurality of printed products (D), selected from the group of wrapping products, and a plurality of part products and/or inserts, to make route adapted stacks or packs (S), at least some of the product units being customized for specific addressees, comprising the following steps:

• i) collecting product collections from a plurality of printed products (D) in holding units (21) of a collecting section (2′, 2″), printed products (D) being fed to the holding units by feed devices (3);
• ii) completing the product units (P) comprising the product collections;
• iii) transferring the product units (P) to a sorting device (6) according to a product sequence (Sist);
• iv) comparing an actual sequence of the individual product units of the product sequence (Sist) with a planned sequence of product units according to a production sequence (Ssoll);
• v) one of:
• a) transporting the product units (P), without any change in the sequence, through the sorting device with the product sequence (Sist) matched to the production sequence (Ssoll), wherein the product units are transported in the sorting device by transport units which are arranged independently of one another and can be conveyed at a variable distance from one another, the transport units comprise carriages with grippers which can move freely in a track, and
• b) temporarily storing a repair group (R) comprising a plurality of product units (P), with a sequence which deviates from the production sequence (Ssoll), in a supply section (611) of a directing group and subsequently conveying together, in the correct sequence, the corrected and/or newly produced product units with the product units of the repair group;
• and
• vi) transporting the product units (P), in the correct sequence, to at least one stacking device (5.1, 5.2) for producing route adapted packs.

A postpress system (1′) for producing and processing printed end products (P) with printed product collections including a plurality of products (D), selected from the group of wrapping products (A), and a plurality of part products and/or inserts, in at least one stacking device (5.1, 5.2) to make route adapted stacks or packs, at least some of the printed end products (P) being product units which have been customized for specific addressees, comprising:

• a collecting section (2′, 2″), with a plurality of feed devices (3) and a collecting circuit with multiple holding devices (21) for producing printed product collections, each of the feed devices (3) including a preparation circuit (32) with a plurality of transport units (321) and an output conveyor (33) disposed between the each of the feed device (3) and the collecting circuit, wherein the transport units (321) are arranged on the preparation circuit (32) independently of one another and can be conveyed at a variable distance from one another and the transport units (321) comprise carriages, with grippers (322), which can move freely in a track;
• at least one intermediate conveyor (4) for transporting the printed product collections from the collecting section (2) to the at least one stacking device (5.1, 5.2), wherein the intermediate conveyor (4) comprises multiple transport units (321) for gripping and releasably retaining the products (D);
• and
• a sorting device (6), the sorting device to allow transport of the printed end products (P) which are in correct sequence directly through the sorting device and to temporarily store printed end products belonging to a repair group (R) in a supply path (611) of a direction group until the group is repaired and at the same time correct groups may be passed through the sorting device.