The machine, which was installed at the Nottingham-based firm’s premises in May, has replaced a 10-year-old Zünd PN L-2500 machine, which was traded in.
“We had an upturn in business following the purchase of our EFI Vutek GS3250LX LED UV-curing printer in 2013 and because of this we had been finding the old cutter a bottleneck,” said managing director Tony Barnett.
The PN’s manual workflow meant that operators had to edit clients' artwork to add camera dots and apply colour management.
The G3 features unobstructed access on all sides and an ergonomic control panel. It was fitted with Prepare-it software to automate workflow, which has enabled the company to significantly reduce its studio time preparing files for ripping and cutting.
“In less than two months, our workflow has been revolutionised. Downtime between jobs in terms of setting cutting paths and changing tools has been vastly reduced,” said Barnett.
“The machine is also faster and it brings new functionality such as polished edging to acrylics. We have also extended our product range with cut-and-crease retail and packaging solutions.”
The machine was also supplied with Zünd Cut Centre software, Packz software for producing packaging mock-ups and a wide range of tooling including the 1kW router, V-cut tool, universal cutting tool, creasing tool and kiss-cut tool for vinyl.
“We didn’t seriously consider any alternatives because we’ve been so impressed with Zünd’s technology and service. The machines are incredibly reliable if regularly serviced,” said Barnett.
The G3 has enabled John E Wright to keep more work in-house and to use thicker substrates. Previously, substrate manufacturers would cut materials to size.
The firm now uses more Dibond and 10mm acrylic in its display graphics work, which includes the production of banners, posters, POS, roll-ups and disposable furniture.
Since installing the machine, the company has won a number of new retail contracts. It is now producing temporary and permanent signage, POS displays and a range of other graphics for retail stores.
The family firm, which was founded in 1900, currently employs 103 staff in seven regional offices and has a turnover of around £7m.
