Hardware - Print Finishing

Vista System International has introduced the new Vista Expand series of extra large sign solutions. This new environmentally-friendly series features state of the art technology and ultra modern design to create complete solutions for projects requiring extra large signage solutions. 

The Vista Expand series is designed to offer both indoor and outdoor extra large sign solutions ranging in size from 0.7-1.4 metres wide and up to 4 metres tall.  It features a very clean and elegant look with a minimal curve.

Three types of products are supported by the new series: Pylons XL signs, landscape and portrait XL wall signs and landscape and portrait XL Post & Panel signs. The new signs accept many types of insert materials and are very easy to install and update.

For more information, please visit http://www.vistasystem.co.uk

US-based laminating specialist Arrow Laminating Industries Inc has ordered its second laminator, a Mini 52 TP, from UK-based Autobond.  The new laminator supports smaller format, short runs and frees up Arrow to increase the number of medium and long run one-sided and two-sided laminating jobs on the larger format, high speed Autobond SM 102 TPHS.

Arrow Laminating Industries Inc was founded nearly thirty years ago by owner Mike Barishman. Operating seven laminators, the company uses a range of laminates for both single and double sided laminating, offering added-value, protective finishes to a host of print from postcards and magazine covers to menus and catalogues.

The Autobond SM 102 TPHS was installed in 2008 primarily for laminating of book covers and binder wraps, and Arrow 'has never looked back'. Barishman comments, “Autobond has continuously offered us bang for our buck. When we brought in the Sheetmaster four years ago, it immediately did everything it was supposed to do, and then some.”

2012 has seen orders flooding in and Arrow needed an additional machine to meet this demand. Barishman explains, “I wanted to take some of the strain off the Sheetmaster and bring in a machine specifically for the shorter runs and the smaller sheet sizes. I also wanted a perfector feature to do double sided lamination in one pass. I instantly knew where to find the solution. Autobond’s machines are tried and tested, and its team has always done us right when we need anything, be it a machine or advice, so when they suggested the Mini 52 TP, I didn’t question it – I said okay, let’s do it.”

The new machine is set be installed at Arrow’s plant in September 2012. Oran Gilmore, VP of Autobond Inc, comments, “I’m delighted there’s been repeat business with Arrow in such a short space of time. It is evidence of our commitment to our customers, wherever they are in the world. We don’t just build machines; we also provide a service and aim to build long-term relationships. The US market is strong and thriving, and the Mini 52 TP has all the capabilities to give Arrow that extra productivity within that market and beyond.”

Barishman concludes, “2012 started wonderfully for us, and once the Mini 52 TP is installed, I know it will end the same way.”

Contex has introduced a true 48-bit Colour Processing scanner with 8-inch-per-second scan speed, 1200 dpi optical resolution and Gigabit Ethernet - the HD Ultra.  The new scanner will be available in the UK and Ireland later this month from distributor ArtSystems.

“We are delivering the fastest, most advanced wide format scanners in the market at competitive prices,” states Morten Nielsen, Product Manager, Contex A/S. “The new HD Ultra with Adobe RGB and additional colour spaces sets new standards for quality in wide format scanning. This is a tremendous advantage in productivity for our customers.”

It raises the bar even higher with unprecedented speed, colour accuracy, and imaging processing. The wide format scanner is now able scan at 8 inches per second in colour, or 642 A0 documents per hour.  New colour control accuracy is ensured by X-Rite, give users additional options to capture accurate colours.

The HD Ultra boasts new colour spaces Adobe RGB and Device RGB. Adobe RGB, the preferred choice of many colour professionals, allows for differences in very bright and saturated colours. Device RGB delivers colours as they are scanned, maintaining all the variations registered by the scanner. The default sRGB colour space transforms the scanned colors into the sRGB standard, resulting in vivid images. Colour accuracy with the HD Ultra is ensured with X-Rite ICC profiles.

The new HD Ultra provides unparalleled colour reproduction with full 48-bit colour processing, unlike the traditional 48-bit capture and 24-bit processing from other scanners. It also produces both the 24-bit (processed from 48-bit) and the full 48-bit raw image TIFF files. The greater bit-depth - delivering more than 280 trillion colours versus only millions - gives users unprecedented control over the scanned image.

The new HD Ultra is available in six models, both colour or monochrome models and varying scanning speeds and width. All models are fully upgradable and come with 1200dpi and Gigabit Ethernet as standard. A MFP option is also available, turning the user’s large-format printer into a copier, while saving space.

Interested parties can pre-order the HD Ultra through ArtSystems' reseller partners.

For more information on the HD Ultra, please visit www.contex.com/video

Germany-based Lindörfer + Steiner GmbH has selected the Zund G3 cutter with fully automated board handling system to improve productivity at its Bretten production facility.

The company, which was founded in 1995 by Klaus Lindörfer and Peter Steiner, specialises in the development and production of reusable transportation packaging for the automotive parts industry. It employs 50 people, has annual sales in the region of €10m and its key customers include Daimler, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and more.

In 2011, Lindörfer + Steiner started thoroughly researching cutting systems that would speed up the finishing of its innovative packaging solutions.It also wanted to reduce the need for manual labour and minimise the risk of human error.Having considered the options available, it selected the Zund G3 cutter with fully automated board handling system (BHS). This system incorporates automatic board loading and unloading and was developed by Zund to meet the ever-increasing finishing speeds required by the display, signage and packaging markets.

In February 2012, the Zund G3 with fully automated BHS was installed at Lindörfer + Steiner’s premises. This has massively reduced the need for user intervention as all operators now need to do is place the uncut materials at one end of the machine and remove the stacked finished materials periodically from the other end. The system is also very simple to use, with the controls limited to a few basic settings.

Installation of the solution was quick and easy. Peter Steiner, CEO, Lindörfer + Steiner, comments “The process was very straightforward and successful and in no time we were able to swiftly cut and stack our packaging solutions.”

Once the system was live, Lindörfer + Steiner started to see immediate benefits. Mr Steiner explains, “The personnel costs were reduced by 50% in this area; the error rate was significantly reduced; and productivity has also increased significantly.”

The Zund G3 cutter with fully automated BHS can cut numerous materials up to 2m x 3m and corrections and changes can be made right up to the start of a production run. It has a completely modular automation that can be built up and retro-fitted as needed and – in addition to large finishing runs - it allows for efficient just-in-time production of shorter runs and even one-off projects.

A unique transport system allows for reliable stacking of cut boards without the need for bridges to hold cut pieces in place. This ensured that the separation of finished pieces from waste becomes considerably easier and more efficient. Cut boards are stacked automatically and can be easily removed with a pallet jack even while cutting continues. A pre-positioning system ensures that every board is accurately placed on the cutting surface - even when handling imperfectly stacked materials.

“Of course I would definitely recommend the cutter to other businesses. With the board handling system, I have been able to massively speed up our turnaround time and this gives us a real competitive edge.”

For more information on Lindörfer + Steiner, please visit http://www.ls-kunststofftechnik.com

For more information on Zund and its G3 and S3 range of cutters, please visit www.zund.com

Tyne & Wear based Radecal Machine Sales & Service has just completed the installation of a Multihead 7 Aristo Cutting table at James Heal.

Established in 1872, James Heal is a manufacturer of textile testing instrumentation and test materials. The Halifax based company was looking to increase production of packaging for its testing instruments and test materials, after doing their due diligence on other equipment they thought that Aristo was going to be the best fit for their needs. A demonstration was arranged at Radecal Machine Sales & Service where they were shown the Multihead 7 with oscillating knife, creasing wheel, drag knife, optical camera and laser guide systems.

After seeing this machine was over twice as fast as their existing machine and produced a better finish, a purchase 'was always on the cards'. After James Heal attended a further demonstration at Aristo's headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, the deal was signed and the machine ordered.

Chris Economides, managing director of Radecal, comments, "We are very pleased to be selling an Aristo cutting table into James Heal. We know the machine will be a great addition to its already very impressive factory. The Multihead 7, GL2032-8 Aristo they have purchased will not
only increase their production speed and quality dramatically but will give them greater flexibility to produce other products in house."

Neil Pryke, product innovation director for James Heal, adds, "Both Radecal and Aristo have exceeded our expectations with the installation, setup and training on the cutting table we have purchased. We are looking forward to expanding the range of products we make in house and hope to have a long and successful partnership with both companies.”

[photo shows Chris Economides (L) and Neil Pryke (R) with the Aristo cutting table]

ArtSystems has introduced two new print finishing trimmers that it says will make 'ideal partners' to the HP Latex printers during busy production runs. The Xativa AutoTrim XY and the Xativa Textile Super Trim are manufactured in Italy and carry a one-year onsite warranty provided by ArtSystems’ Service and Technical division.

The AutoTrim XY is an automatic trimmer for sheets and rolls up to 1650mm wide and designed for simultaneous cutting on all four sides. An optical sensor reads a diverse range of marks to cut quickly and accurately in both dimensions. It can handle a range of media including photo paper, vinyl, banner, polyester, polycarbonate film and many others.  Advanced alignment technology ensures optimised straightness, rapid roll loading, cutter positioning and accurate cutting.

The Xativa Textile Super Trim is a precise electric cutter with independent rotary blade which can be heated up to 350°C, particularly suitable to cut natural and synthetic fabrics with bi-directional cut. The cutting carriage has a variable speed for different kinds of materials, ideal for soft signage applications that require real post production. The Xativa Textile Super Trim is available in 1650mm, 2800mm and 3400mm wide models.

ArtSystems' sign and display division director, Andrew Edwards, comments, "We wanted to offer our resellers additional print finishing options to address problems such as bottle-neck delays, which can occur during busy production runs. Modern wide format printers like the HP Latex L26500 can produce high volumes of print but if these cannot be finished with the same speed and quality then there is a danger that the productivity gains can be lost. The new Xativa trimmers are manufactured to the highest quality in Italy, we then cover the warranty here in the UK. They are simply the best trimmers in the market for their applications."

[photo shows ArtSystems' AutoTrim XY trimmer]