Zund G3 digital cutting table
Digital cutters have become a regular sight on the shopfloor what with more than hundred devices in the country. Designed with modularity at its core, the Swiss-based Zund tables offer innovative and niche applications finds out Priya Raju
04 Feb 2016 | By PrintWeek India
Zund G3 digital cutting table: The modular build enables customisation
With over 20,000 installations across the world, Zund’s digital cutting tables can be regarded as an established piece of kit in the market.
When the Swiss manufacturer decided to establish a fully-owned subsidiary in India in 2012, the company had 85 cutting tables put into service in the country. With another 16 machines hitting the Indian shopfloors in later years, Zund has now crossed the 100 mark this year.
Zund India’s general manager, Prasanna Venkatesh feels that the new generation S3 and G3 cutters have helped to improve the brand image further.
Zund has three series of cutters – G3, S3 and L3. While the G3 and S3 are similar kit with minor differences related to beam clearance. and the number of modules that can be upgraded. The L3 series is specifically used for leather cutting application.
“Most of the tools are interchangeable for G3 and S3, and most of the jobs that G3 can do, can also be done by S3 and vice versa,” points out Venkatesh.
When Mumbai-based Dot Digital bought the G3 model in 2015, it readied itself to cater to niche print requirements in interior designing, point-of-purchase (POP), architecture, restaurants and hotel sectors. According to the managing director of the printing firm, Suresh Shetty, modularity of the machine and its speed was a deal clincher for Dot.
Angad Shetty of Kohinoor Printers shares a similar opinion. Kohinoor’s investment in the S3 cutter at its Pondicherry plant was favoured for the host of modular options offered by the machine.
So, what is the modular design concept that all Zund cutters boast about? Venkatesh says, “It allows the customer to configure the required tooling in a few quick steps.”
The G3 cutters come in 10 different sizes and are available with a beam height of 30mm, 60mm and 120 mm. “Depending on the configuration, up to 110 mm thick materials can be processed. No matter the type of product or the run-length, the G3 line of cutters lets you select the perfect machine size for all the production needs,” adds Venkatesh.
The machine is furnished with a fully automated calibration system for blades, bits and crease wheels, which helps to make the set-up of a process fast and precise and save time. The system eliminates any manual intervention for determining the correct cutting depth.
According to Venkatesh, “The cutters are designed for sturdy operation, and one can depend on their G3 for consistently high-quality output, reliability and longevity.” The digital cutter has an intelligent safety feature which protects the operator and has to intervene in the production process only when necessary.Integrated software
Zund Cut Centre, the software from Zund includes an extensive material database with optimal cutting parameters for every material and every Zund tool. The software is completely integrated into the digital workflow and supports the user in every phase of job preparation.
The drive system and the vacuum system are the critical components in the digital cutter. Zund’s digital cutter is equipped with a direct drive, brushless, torque motor and has no gearbox for maintenance. This reduces the noise levels. The vacuum system is built with a step-less vacuum turbine that lowers the consumption of electricity. Also, the entire vacuum table is zoned, and the vacuum fixation happens automatically based on the width of the material.
Venkatesh says, “Optimal processing methods, state-of-the-art vacuum generators and sophisticated material-advance systems keep energy demands low and contribute to the eco-friendliness and sustainability of our products.” Venkatesh adds that the machine can easily integrate with the entire workflow of the customer.
Cutting-edge technology
Zund’s digital cutting systems find applications in a wide variety of industry segments –signage, packaging, textiles, leather and composites.
From POP signage, vehicle graphics, 3D installations, corrugated boxes to innovative packaging prototypes, foam packages and textile products are part of an extensive bouquet of applications that a Zund cutter can offer.
The cutters find applications in cutting and routing a wide variety of substrates used. The substrates can be fed on to the machine in a roll, sheet and or board forms. It can be used for cutting/routing in simple straight lines to difficult profiles just by feeding in the relevant cut files (design format) into the ZundCut Centre driving software, which comes as an integral part of the machine.
A change in mindset
The attitude of printers towards cutting tables is slowly changing, Venkatesh says, “As far as the digital cutting tables are concerned the customers slowly realise that this has to be an integral part of their operations for the reason that such tables bring in the much-required ease of operation and needless to say, quality.”
According to Venkatesh, “The digital cutters can make the difference. For a packaging converter, it could be a sample maker and can also act as a marketing tool to attract vendors. Whereas for a signage customer, such a table would not only address his production requirements but can also take care of servicing his customers with new innovative and creative solutions.”
A solution
Being modularly built is one of the key USP’s of the digital cutter when compared to its counterparts. Along with the machine, Zund offers a solution for the business needs according to the customers’ requirement.
Venkatesh says, “We not only try to cater to their current requirements but also adds value to our customers’ business by enhancing their capabilities in serving their customer in a better fashion.”
Additionally, Zund machines can cater to various levels of operations in a firm. The machine can provide to a client who is looking to do a sample cutting or prototyping to a full-fledged production on the machine. The machine is equipped to handle a wide range of requirements of the customers.
The investment in the kit, according to Venkatesh, can be justified by the way of increased margins that the customers can foresee by offering additional value and solutions one can offer to their vendors.
| SPECIFICATION |
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Cutting width Max feeding height
110 mm
Knife speed
Linear cutting speed shall be 1.4 m/s.
Contact
Prasanna.venkatesh@zund.com
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| The alternatives | |
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Kongsberg XP24
The Kongsberg XP is built to handle the combination of corrugated board and other rigid or roll materials used in POP products and product displays. With the kit one can produce jobs from a single unit to a full-scale production with up to a 1000 units in a day.
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| Cutting width | 1680 mm |
| Maximum Cutting thickness | 50 mm |
| Stack height using feeder | Upto 150 mm |
| Maximum Thorughput | 180 sheets / hour |
| Maximum Number of Sheet Stacks | Upto 3 stacks simultaneously |
| Speed | 100 m/min |
| Contact |
Pradeep Ram, Esko
+91 80 4352 0102
pradeep.ram@esko.com
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