Me&My: Zund S3 digital cutter

Describe your company

Halftone Die Makers started its career in 1999 as a pre-press service bureau and digital printing. The company has two Basysprint CTCPs and a TechNova Viostar platesetter. Plus a Xerox 1000 machine. Though the company still caters to its primary business, the CTP services, it has now, in second half of 2014, expanded its offerings to the printing and packaging industry with laser die-making services. Its die-offerings consists flatbed dies to braille to hot-foiling dies and many more. 

 

What does the machine do?

Zund’s S3 M-800 digital cutting machine has modular tooling and material-handling systems that makes it easy to tailor S3 system to specific cutting needs of different business segments. The M-800 cutting table can handle maximum sheet size of 1330x800mm. The kit can be equipped with a special vinyl advance system which makes the S3 cutting system the perfect cutter for vinyl and other foil-cutting applications. Central to this configuration is the vacuum plate designed especially for kiss-cutting.

 

Why did you choose this particular machine?

Because of the brand Zund. However, the main reason was accuracy and long-term durability and quality. We needed the machine for cutting the ejection rubber from the dies and also for sample-making purposes like kiss-cut of some stickers.

 

Did you look at any other similar machine?

We did evaluate other technologies and manufacturers but when Zund showed us the samples and the kind of jobs the machine can produce, we were quite impressed. Quick delivery has been our motive and hence, speed was the distinguishing factor which other manufacturers could not offer.

 

Why did you make the purchase?

In the die-making industry, one of the mandatory machines a die-making unit should have, is a cutting table.

 

What features of the machine do you particularly like?

Its modular tooling allows for processing a wide variety of materials up to a maximum thickness of 25mm. Also, the range of tooling options with a compact machine structure and size makes it an affordable one.

 

Is there anything you wish it had that it doesn’t?

S3 M-800 comes with various upgradable options for tooling. One of the options we are looking for in the future is the routing tool, which is available with Zund but at a cost. The routing tool helps with pertinex counter die production.

 

How fast is it?

It is thrice as fast as its counterpart in the market with a maximum speed of 1 metres/sec for rubber applications.

 

How much time or money has it saved?

The machine has reduced our spent-time on a job to more than 70%, which in turn translates into money savings.

 

Would you say that it offers value for money?

Obviously. It brings in value to our customers.

 

What about the pre- and after-sales service?

The sales service backup is good. So far, in the last six months, we haven’t faced a single problem.

 

Who do you think is the machine right for?

The machine is actually press related and is suited for any commercial or packaging printers for sample-making. But we are using it for cutting rubber. 

 

Under what circumstances would you invest in another such machine?

When the existing machine will run to full capacity.