Cutting Systems
Digital cutting systems keeping up with INCREASING NEED FOR SPEED
Last summer Zünd released its D3 digital cutting system with the slogan ‘Double Your Productivity’
its packaging sample department, which works mainly with corrugated cardboard but also some plastic and Foamex, all of which can be cut by the G3 up to a thickness of 50mm. The system’s modularity has enabled the addition of new knife tools and even to change a module to provide greater pressure for improved sample quality, while a camera system that reads printed registration dots means a new manual jig is no longer required for each new job. Brands recognise that it can be
The Zund D3 T
his new digital cutting system from Zünd features two beams - a deceptively
simple and effective means to achieve a significant increase in production for packaging companies, potentially of up to 100 per cent. Of course, this claim is based on
the prospective productivity increases of businesses already using digital cutting systems. Many packaging specialists are still using hand-finishing processes or producing (or outsourcing) a new form for each new design, so the jump to an in-house digital system like the Zünd D3 is a big one. Caps Cases, based in Newmarket,
UK, was one of the first businesses to invest in a new D3 soon after it was unveiled at the drupa show last year. The Zünd D3 L3200 is the first production CAD machine used by Caps Cases since its beginnings in 1982; in this time the company had procured thousands of cutting forms – a new form for each packaging job – adding extra costs for the customer and the necessity for storage for the business. Using the D3 to create new designs digitally means the end to this, and enables Caps Cases to offer short- run, branded packaging to smaller customers such as fashion houses and craft beer brands. Like many businesses working in the fields of packaging, signage and
32 April 2017
display graphics, Caps Cases sought out a finishing system that was complementary to new printing hardware, in this case an HP Scitex 11000 wide-format printer. As printers get faster and their quality increases, businesses must match them on the finishing side to avoid workflow bottlenecks caused by slow hand-cutting or outmoded CAD processes, which may also provide an inferior finish quality. In essence, there’s no point in making one process faster if the others lag behind.
LESS NEED FOR AN OPERATOR A knock-on result of these faster speeds is a greater need for automation. Zünd’s systems are designed for 24/7 operation with minimal operator intervention, with software optimisation to allow longer unattended runs. Wilmot- Budgen, a point-of-sale display specialist using corrugated and solid board materials, is another UK- based user of the new Zünd D3, combined with a Zünd Board Handling System. Since its installation the company found the automatic feeding, cutting and material delivery has doubled the production speeds on two-sheet cutting and increased that on single-sheet cutting too.
FITTING EXTRA PARTS Wilmot-Budgen had originally
www.convertermag.co.uk
installed a Zünd G3 XL3200, a single-beamed option from the Zünd stable, but was able to swap it out for the new D3 when it was released, while retaining the Board Handling System. Zünd is constantly making improvements to the tools and other elements of its digital cutting tables, so designs them to be modular. A new material handling system, for instance, can be retroactively fitted onto an existing table, or a new table installed in place of an older or smaller model without having to replace the material handling system. Tools can be changed on the fly to allow for upgrades, switches to different types of jobs per shift or, crucially, diversification. Garthwest, based in Hull, UK,
purchased a Zünd G3 L2500 flatbed cutter recently to upgrade
The Zund S3 M-1600 Tandem
more eficient to source several types of product from one supplier, meaning that it can make serious financial sense for packaging businesses to have the means to produce, for example, POS material on its existing machines. A flexible system is also
necessary in an industry that is evolving to use a greater range of materials than ever before. To keep pace with technological advances, Zünd cutters offer countless functions thanks to an extensive range of easily installed tools. Alongside the Zünd D3 and G3,
completing the triumvirate is the S3, a more compact digital cutting system that offers simultaneous operations, such as loading, unloading and processing, plus a modular construction and advanced tooling options. To withstand this flexibility, as well as the high levels of automation and advanced speeds, the whole range is robust and long- lasting, making for an investment piece with long-term ROI.
uwww.zund.com
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