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NOVEMBER 2012
Digital Cutting Systems: A Strong Opportunity In Wide-Format Digital
by Dan Marx, SGIA
The recent rise in the use of flatbed inkjet
printers within wide-format graphics markets has brought about a resultant rise
in the acquisition (and use) of certain automated finishing technologies. Of
particular interest are cutting systems - using either blades, routers or
lasers to both streamline and improve the quality of cutting activities, and to
expand toward new opportunities by offering shapes that fall outside the norm.
By adopting these technologies - which are quickly becoming a necessity for
many serving wide-format digital markets - companies have successfully
differentiated themselves, even in crowded product/market areas.
The basic reasons many companies begin to use
automated cutting systems are quality and productivity. Cutting printed pieces
by hand is a time-consuming and difficult task, where the expected results are
not always assured. Cutting systems often beat these human efforts hands-down
by delivering expected results even when working on thick plastics and other
materials. Simply put, quality goes up and spoilage goes down - resulting in a
measurable bottom-line benefit. Cutting systems also increase productivity:
finishing is no longer the slowest step in the process chain. Further,
automated cutting can offer benefits in reduced labor costs. In fact, in some
wide-format shops with high-end systems - the printer and cutter can both be
loaded and operated by the same person. Again, the bottom line
benefits.
Innovative imaging companies have also used their
cutting systems to expand outside of the traditional squares and rectangles
that have been "par for the course" in graphics for many years. In so
doing, they are able to offer novel and eye-catching graphics that serve to
increase visibility of the graphic, add fun and excitement to the finished
piece, and draw a higher price point than traditionally-shaped graphics.
Further, some companies have used cutting systems to create end products as
exotic as complex, interlocking displays; short-run packaging and labeling;
prototyping; and close-tolerance cutting for digitally printed
textiles.
At the recent SGIA Expo in Las Vegas, a wide range
of cutting systems, some integrated into printing devices and others as stand
alone units that can be incorporated into a process workflow, was on display.
With many choices on the market today, it is critical that printing companies
understand how to make the best choice for their facility. Three critical
considerations are size (the cutter should be large or wide enough to match or
exceed the width or flatbed dimensions of their printer), material capability
(the cutter should be able to handle all of the media materials used in the
wide-format operation), and speed (the cutter should be able to operate fast
enough to keep up with the company's wide-format printer, unless highly-complex
shapes are specified). By carefully balancing these consideration points,
companies will be able to narrow their search. DC
Dan Marx is the Vice President, Markets and
Technologies for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association. In his more than
two decades at SGIA, he has served as an enthusiastic evangelist for
wide-format digital technologies and associated market opportunities.
dan@sgia.org |
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