By Melissa Donovan
Printing to corrugated board is only half of the equation. You also need finishing equipment that can handle these wieldy, bulky pieces of material. The September issue of Digital Output looks at the benefits of an automated finishing workflow for corrugated board. Some of the vendors interviewed also shared information on their finishing solutions that are a fit.
Colex Finishing Solutions Inc.
Colex Finishing offers a range of automated finishing devices tailored for corrugated applications.
A digital flatbed cutter with interchangeable tools for creasing, cutting, and perforating corrugated board.
An automated board handling system that supports inline and near line configurations.
An inline solution for print and cut that will allow customers to go from blank material to finished product with minimal touches by operators.
These systems are designed to streamline production while maintaining high-quality output for signage and packaging.
Graphco
The Augusta F150 is ideal for shops focused on high-volume corrugated finishing. Its rugged build and automation-ready design offer fast, reliable performance. Backed by 15 years of handling experience, it supports loading and unloading of sheets up to 6×15 feet and up to six inches thick. Unloading these products is a particular challenge for some systems, but the SD material handling system can manage a huge percentage of the materials also rout and cut.
The Augusta F1R2 PRO is built for short-run, personalized jobs. It delivers industrial-speed digital die-cutting, handles a range of materials, and features automated, touch-free job changes for high-efficiency production.
The SD Augusta F150R Pro automatically changes cutting tools, creasing wheels, and the extremely productive perforating wheel that shortens processing time on corrugated jobs of all kinds. In addition, the Augusta knows when a tool needs to be changed using an AI-powered Predictive Maintenance Program that ensures perfect finished product every time. In addition, the SD Augusta also knows which of the 24 independent and automatically controlled vacuum zones will be activated and deactivated based on the specific cutting program being processed.
Infinite Motion Control
The company offers its Vector family of automated finishing machines. This includes feeing to any major brand of digital cutter and feeding with alignment to large format digital printers. It also offers offloading for finishing product—either cut or full sheet off the printer.
Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems
The Kongsberg Ultimate is designed for high-volume corrugated and display production, particularly where continuous multi-batch output is required. It combines speed, precision, and robust media handling, making it ideal for print service providers (PSPs) working with corrugated to meet the demands of their customers. Its modular design allows PSPs to adapt and upgrade over time, making it a future-ready solution for businesses looking to scale without compromising on quality or reliability.
The Kongsberg C Series is built for high-speed, high-volume production and is well suited to corrugated applications. It supports a range of materials and comes with automation options for feeding and stacking, helping reduce manual handling, and improve efficiency in busy print environments.
The Kongsberg X Series offers flexibility for PSPs working with corrugated alongside other substrates. Its modular design allows users to adapt tooling and automation features as needed, making it a practical option for short-run production, prototyping, or signage and packaging workflows.
Along with the cutting solutions, it also offers cutting tools for a variety of materials. The CorruSpeed Tool is a high-performance tool designed specifically to enable high-speed digital finishing of corrugated board without oscillation. Compatible with the Kongsberg Ultimate, X Series, and C Series, the CorruSpeed tool simulates the crushing effect to deliver conventional die cutting, resulting in cleaner, more accurate cuts without burrs.
Lastly, the new Entro series, particularly the Entro 24, is tailored for PSPs looking to expand into or optimize corrugated finishing. It’s equipped with a powerful 1kW MultiCUT spindle and integrated vacuum system, making it ideal for demanding rigid materials including corrugated board. With speeds of up to 50 meters per minute, it enables short-run productivity without sacrificing precision. It’s a robust, affordable entry point into automated finishing, designed to scale as the business grows.
Zund America, Inc.
As is the case for all applications, Zünd offers multifunctional, highly modular, and customizable cutting solutions for corrugated applications, depending on the customer’s needs and production environment.
The Zünd G3 and dual-beam D3 offers PSPs maximum versatility when it comes to specialized, high-performance cutting/routing, material handling, and workflow automation. The modularity of these systems that can be configured for every type of tooling/processing method Zünd offers, along with their build quality, reliability, and longevity make them a future-proof investment even in uncertain times.
Designed especially for packaging and display applications, Q-Line delivers unprecedented efficiency, flexibility, and automation. From prototyping to higher volume production, it enables high-precision cutting of many different kinds of materials, including corrugated. It integrates perfectly into digital workflows, boosts production speeds, all while simultaneously reducing material utilization and operating costs. Packaging and display manufacturers benefit from extremely short setup times and maximum repeatability, which translates into cost-effective, sustainable production at the highest level.
Sep2025, Digital Output
