By Cassandra Balentine
Advancements in automated sheet feeding and stacking offer improved productivity and reduced labor requirements. The October issue of Digital Output discusses in depth on some of the latest in media handling for routers and cutters like feeders and stackers. Here we highlight some of the latest manufacturer advancements.
Canon Solutions America
A fully automated print-to-pallet production workflow with Texas series flatbed printers manufactured by DigiTech is now available. The inline print-and-cut automated workflow is manufactured by Infinite Motion Control, Inc. A straight-line configuration, the solution allows for hands-free material handling to help prevent mistakes and damaging of materials.
The process starts when printed sheets are picked up from the Texas printer and automatically dropped into the T510 Accumulator Tray. Media is held there until the integrated Vector 3200 feeder picks up the materials from the tray using suction cups and feeds it to a Kongsberg C64 cutter. Once cut, the iMS60 Cutter Stacker picks it up, and moves it onto the pallet.
Colex Finishing, Inc.
The Colex Sharpcut is an affordable solution for those looking to grow their business. This complete turnkey solution helps automate the print service provider’s workflow and reduce costs associated with the finishing process of large format goods. This opens the doors to new opportunities, reduces costs, and helps increase production while tapping into new revenue streams.
Keith Verkem, national sales manager and senior product ,manager, Colex, says the company is always developing more automated solutions with its print partners.
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (PCS)
At the recent drupa event, Kongsberg PCS gave visitors a preview of its latest innovation—a new seven-axis, rail-mounted Robotic Material Handler. According to the company, the seventh axis provides significantly greater reach and flexibility, increasing the freedom to design the layout of a production cell to match customer needs.
Multiple loading and unloading points can be located with greater flexibility within the cell and nested close to the cutting systems, and as the system is also modular it can grow to meet the evolving needs of a business.
Kongsberg PCS also used the event to unveil the upgraded Kongsberg Feeder & Stacker, underlining its commitment to developing digital solutions that maximize productivity. “Boasting a significantly larger vacuum plenum plate and several new features that minimize setup and the need for manual adjustments, the upgraded Kongsberg Feeder & Stacker helps substantially reduce downtime and enable quicker turnaround to significantly boost throughput,” shares Nimil David, product manager, automation and robotics, Kongsberg PCS.
Its combined automatic loading and unloading significantly speeds up short-run production by eliminating one of the most common bottlenecks in the process, removing the need for operators to manually handle materials and enabling continuous production. “With this updated version we have maximized the plenum plate size and reduced other components to deliver optimum efficiency during loading and unloading. An active coverage area of more than 95 percent eliminates the need for the plenum plate to be adjusted for each job, improving setup to further supercharge production and deliver even more speed—and value—throughout the entire job cycle,” explains David.
Summa
Along with its line of hardware, Summa now has a universal software, GoConnect, to communicate with any automation equipment on the market.
“Whether it be a board or sheet feeder, or a stacking and/or a receiving automation product and Summa plans to continue to introduce automated elements into its finishing devices,” comments Gary Buck, VP, sales and marketing, Summa.
Zund America, Inc.
Among recent innovations in its digital flatbed cutting line, Zünd offers the Q-Line with board handling system—BHS180 and UNDERCAM, which enables efficient order processing, whether custom or longer runs, requires a seamless and transparent flow of data. The Q-Line with integrated UNDERCAM optical system, captures the embedded data associated with each job and thereby ensures intelligent, error-free production based on QR codes. The system enables processing different jobs within a stack, without the need for any kind of manual file retrieval or other intervention. By capturing data from below, the UNDERCAM enables cutting and creasing from the reverse side of the board, eliminating the need for a flip and cut workflow. The UNDERCAM system is now also available for the G3 line of Zünd cutters as part of a semi-automated board loading workflow.
Additionally, Zünd offers robot integration. “Besides the various options Zünd offers for automated board handling/sheet feeding as well as picking and sorting, customer also have the option to integrate with various industrial robot solutions,” shares Beatrice Drury, communications manager, Zund America, Inc.
Media Handling Advancements
From board and sheet feeders to stacking and even robotics, finishing automation adds efficiency and productivity to the production floor by removing manual touches.
Sep2024, Digital Output
