Coast to Coast - September 2011

Short-Run, Wide-Format

MIAMISBURG, Ohio—Canadian print service providers Global Imaging and Cober Evolving Solutions, both located in Ontario, are taking advantage of opportunities in the short-run wide-format arena using EskoArtwork's Kongsberg i-XP 24 digital cutting table.

Global Imaging, located in Mississauga, specializes in wide-format graphics, offering everything from interior displays, tradeshows, POP, exterior signage, and vehicle graphics. In 2008, it installed a Kongsberg i-XL to partner with its Océ Arizona 250 GT flatbed printer; in June 2011, after adding two new Océ flatbed printers, it needed faster cutting speed, and upgraded to the i-XP 24.

"We easily doubled our cutting speed," says Scott Saunders, one of Global Imaging's owners. "It's so fast that for a typical job, two printers will not keep up with the table. Even complicated cuts pose just a minimal challenge to the machine's speed."

Global Imaging's Kongsberg i-XP 24 is integrated with the i-cut Vision system. "With the i-cut Vision system we can register work on the table," says Saunders. "We perform a lot of contour cuts; the machine automatically registers sheets so it produces clean contour materials every day, every time. It will even compensate for slight misregistration of the sheet before it makes the cuts."

Cober Evolving Solutions, the largest printer in the Waterloo area, installed the Kongsberg i-XP 24 along with HP Designjet L25500 and Scitex FB 700 printers, following a move to a larger space and the decision to bring wide-format production in-house.

At an open house in June, the one-stop graphic arts shop demonstrated the capabilities of its new equipment. "We were printing off the two wide-format devices to let customers see how the workflow happens," explains Peter Cober, CEO. "It took 30 to 40 minutes to print, but only 1.5 to 2 minutes to cut. I had to slow down the machine. It just flies."

For one of Cober's biggest clients—a global leader in wireless technology—the shop produces a lot of pop-up display stands. "We could never have done this job before, because of the turnaround time, but having these capabilities in-house, we can do jobs much faster than outsourcing," says Cober.
Allpak/Trojan Adds Large-Format Press

DALLAS, Texas—Allpak/Trojan, a printing and packaging company located in Seattle, installed a KBA Rapida 142 56-inch, 6-color plus coater sheetfed press in early 2011. The new KBA press compliments an existing KBA Rapida 142 56-inch, 8-color sheetfed press with coater and hybrid UV capabilities installed in July 2005.

"Growth from our existing large-format work had developed to the point where a second press was required," says Wayne Millage, president of Allpak/Trojan. "After reviewing our product mix, we decided that a 6-color plus coater would be the right configuration to support this growth. Based on our experience with KBA's service and support, combined with the quality and productivity improvements that we have experienced, it was clear to us that our initial view of KBA as a leader with a proven track record in the large format market was an accurate assessment."

In order to ensure enough room for the new large-format press, Allpak/Trojan needed to remove two existing 40-inch presses in its pressroom. "Although we removed two presses and replaced it with one press, we have significantly increased capacity while keeping manning at existing levels or even slightly less than before," says Millage. "Our customers will benefit in the increased production capacity now available from us." pP