With a growing customer base, increasing demand for faster turnaround time and a desire to diversify its offering, Ontario’s Lacasse Printing has invested in the latest digital finishing technology from Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (‘Kongsberg PCS’).
The signage, display and PoP specialist has completed the installation of a new Kongsberg X24 cutting table, complete with automated conveyor and roll-off unit, 3KW router and a selection of innovative tools including the Kongsberg CorruSpeed, for its state-of-the-art in-house finishing department.
“In the summer of 2021, we were struggling with labor shortages and the knock-on effect this had on the time it was taking to complete some jobs,” said Jeff Lappan, owner and President of Tecumseh-based Lacasse Printing. “Our order book was still growing and increasingly customers were demanding shorter and shorter turnaround times. With this combination of increasing workload and the demand for speed, it made sense for us to look at automating our finishing processes. We needed to do more, faster, and for us the only choice was the Kongsberg system.
“It was important for us that our investment not only met our key requirements of delivering quality products with increased speed, but was also easy to operate and, crucially, enabled us to enter new markets,” said Jeff. “That’s precisely what we’ve now done with the Kongsberg X. The automation and ease of use has ensured our productivity can now easily keep pace with the customer requirements – even on longer production runs – and by expanding our product range to include packaging we’ve attracted new customers and increased sales.”
Vince Tuccitto, Kongsberg PCS Territory Sales Manager for Eastern Canada, said that with the X24, Lacasse has acquired the most versatile digital finishing device on the market. “The cutting table evolves with the needs of the company and offers flexibility for a wide range of applications,” said Vince. “Packed with a wide range of specialty tools, the system offers speed, power and flexibility to handle a wide variety of materials. The flexibility to add new tools for new materials, new applications, or more capacity means that a business can add volume and enter new market segments – just as Jeff and the team at Lacasse have done.”
The 3KW router comes with a wide range of specialty tools that offer power, speed and flexibility to handle a wide variety of materials automatically. As part of its investment, Lacasse has also acquired the specialist Braille tool to ensure accuracy of displays designed with additional assistance for the visually impaired, while the CorruSpeed tool delivers the very quality when using corrugated materials.
“The Kongsberg CorruSpeed is a high impact tool that cuts without oscillating and delivers amazing quality at full machine speed,” said Vince. “The CorruSpeed handles material thickness up to BC flute, everything from corrugated carton, folding carton, and solid board through to foam and even a long list of plastics.”
Following the installation of the new Kongsberg system, Jeff Lappan said the business had successfully introduced new packaging offerings and expanded its services to customers, enabling the business to grow.
“The automation of the process has helped reduce labor costs, making production more profitable, and the amazing capability has given us renewed confidence to accept any size production run and grow our business,” he said. “The Kongsberg X is without doubt the most gratifying purchase I have ever made!”
