By Melissa Donovan
Digital printing and finishing continues to immerse itself into new markets. This presents print service providers (PSPs) with opportunity to create new applications for customers in addition to determining the best way to print and finish those applications.
Placing printing aside, automated finishing tables meet this opportunity head on. Today’s products offer customization and modularity, allowing a PSP to create a cutter/router to their exact specifications—with the flexibility to enhance the device as needs change. Here, we share some available options.
Colex Finishing, Inc.
Colex offers automated finishing tables customized based on a customer’s workflow including a variety of cutting models—width and lengths, conveyors, automatic board loaders, sorting extensions, and a variety of optional tools.
Elitron
Elitron finishing systems are customized to suit different customer requirements and types of jobs. In addition to a range of different sized automatic fixed and conveyor cutting systems, Elitron offers many unique—and often patented—optional features that increase productivity.
Elitron’s standalone cutting systems, both for sampling and production, can be equipped with the automatic sheet feeding and unloading Elitron Stacker System. Users can incorporate the patented Seeker System underside camera for automatic reference point identification, image recognition, and immediate cutting, without any operator intervention.
It’s also possible to opt for different gantry heights—up to 120 millimeter—for more flexibility. In addition, Elitron has a new, optional Protective Material Handling system, ensures printed sheets are handled and loaded with the utmost care to avoid damaging printed boards when loaded.
Tooling can be customized to meet individual customer requirements. When different tooling is required, for new jobs or different materials, this is added to the multi-tool cutting head. Elitron offers a full range of tools, including fixed and oscillating knives, milling modules, creasing wheel kits, kiss cutting, V-Cut options including the patented DL45 for V-cutting in just one pass, cut and crease, circular knife, pen module, and laser pointer.
Elitron’s automatic sheet turner, Reversa, is a standalone or integrated system that turns printed sheets so they are cut and creased with the print side facing downwards.
eurolaser
Almost every aspect of the eurolaser systems are customizable. There are ten different sizes of machines, customers choose the width and length. Customers also choose between five different laser wattages ranging from 60 to 650W.
eurolaser offers many different solutions for the feeding as well as the exit side of the system. The feeding unit can be as static or motorized with laser roll alignment, and even feed from a storage carousel. On the exit side of the system, eurolaser offers an extra conveyor belt that comes in many different lengths. From this, customers may choose to add a take-up roller or pick-up basket.
Customers can also add extra focus lenses. The focus lens is essential to all laser cutting systems and is chosen by the thickness of the material it needs to cut, or by different applications. If the customer plans to cut various materials, different sizes of focus lenses may be required.
eurolaser also offers tools that help with the rest of the production workflow. It can add a label printing module that prints and sticks a label with various information on each cut piece. This helps in the packing and shipping department, or tracks each job on the production floor.
Hasler
Hasler offers many sizes and options for its cutters. According to the company it is the only provider for a five-meter wide XY digital flatbed cutter in North America. The products feature a two year full warranty and five year limited warranty that includes remote technical support and discounts on parts and service.
Vision Engraving & Routing Systems
Vision’s 2550 series CNC Router/Engraver with DACS (Digitally Aligned Cutting System) is a highly customizable finishing solution. It can be customized with a router or engraving head for rigid materials such as metal, plastic, wood, and other hard substrates, or an oscillating knife for corrugated plastic, cardboard, foamboard, and other semi-rigid materials. Other options include an Auto Raster Braille inserter for creating ADA Braille Signs and a vacuum table to hold down material for easy job setup.
Zund America, Inc.
The three Zünd product lines most geared towards ultimate versatility and adaptability are the S3, G3, and D3. These are also the ones most popular with, and relevant for, the majority of PSPs. With a total of 11 modules available for these cutters, seven different types of material handling devices—with multiple variations, over 20 tools, and a range of workflow automation options, Zünd cutters are by far some of the most customizable, automated finishing tables on the market. The versatility that comes with this range of choices enables customers the flexibility to meet their digital production needs in terms of speed, quality, productivity, and ultimately, profitability.
Read On
Want to learn more? The January issue of Digital Output includes a feature article on customized finishing tables, highlighting why PSPs are attracted to the technology, as well as examples of customizable features, modularity, and pricing.
Jan2024, Digital Output
