An extended and new version of the XP cutting table has been announced by EskoArtwork. Designated the XP Auto, it incorporates automatic loading and unloading and is designed to complement wide-format digital printers, enabling a full digital production workflow for point-of-sale displays and short-run packaging work.
As the successor to the DCM 24 (Digital Converting Machine), this new model is based on the Kongsberg XP, the company’s highest capacity cutting table, designed for high productivity up to 24/7 continuous operation. The configuration can handle a wide range of materials from high-density, rigid sheets requiring a milling or routing tool to flexible materials that can be processed by knife cutting tools. The maximum sheet size for the large format XP44 Auto model is 2.31 x 3.6 m.
“With the introduction of faster large format digital printers, there is a strong demand for a higher capacity automatic finishing solution for printed packaging and display materials," says Tom Erik Naess, CAM Product Manager at EskoArtwork. "The XP Auto helps to turn short-run packaging and POP work into profitable and value added jobs. Users can now offer their customers on-demand production with just-in time-delivery.”
The addition of automatic media handling transforms the XP into a fully automatic finishing system that can run unattended for long periods. This is aided by the XP’s automatic tool calibration and a camera system for accurate print-to-cut registration. Exclusive to the XP Auto is the ability to register sheets with the print side facing down, most useful for processing corrugated board. This is achieved by means of a camera, located below the table-top level and driven by a separate servo axis, which registers the marks as the board is moved from the in-stack to the cutting area.
The system is particularly valuable for producing point-of-sale display work and customised packaging, with fast turn-round. Unlike conventional cutting and creasing systems, the XP Auto also removes the lead times and high cost of making cutting dies. A routing capability is optional for heavier materials such as MDF, Forex, Dibond and acrylic panels.
The new Kongsberg XP Auto is already operating at SCA Packaging Norway in Sarpsborg, part of the Europe-wide packaging production giant, SCA Group. This Norwegian operation specialises in short run, on-demand corrugated boxes and in-store display boxes. In addition to the new XP Auto configuration which was installed in April, the company works with two Kongsberg DCM24 cutters for automatic packaging finishing, one Kongsberg CM1320 sample table and a Göpfert Boxmaker.
“We are very pleased with the Kongsberg XP44 Auto,” says Atle Andreassen, Managing Director at SCA Packaging Norway. “The big working area compared to the DCM machines is a big advantage for us. We can produce larger boxes than before. Multiple part jobs, often needed for in-store displays, can now fit into a single sheet which saves time and costs both at the printing and cutting stage. The XP Auto can also cut the protective foam for the inside of the boxes, which we have not been able to do before. Also the increased speed of the XP Auto is a benefit when cutting multiple parts from a sheet.”
With a small staff of 13 people, the ability to run unattended is very valuable. “We can leave the XP Auto unattended at night and by raising our stack of material to 100cm, we can produce till 06.00 in the morning instead of 02.00. We even already suggested EskoArtwork to further expand the automatic loading and unloading capability,” adds Andreassen. “With the Kongsberg XP Auto, we can make samples for a customer while they wait and deliver the order in two or three days.”
The EskoArtwork XP Auto is available to order. First deliveries are scheduled for Q4 2010. Existing XP installations can be upgraded on-site to the new XP Auto configuration.
