The machine, purchased from ESKO, will replace PODI’s eight-year-old Zünd XL cutter, when it is installed at the firm's Rochester base by the end of this week.
In-built i-Cut camera technology ensures more accurate registration when cutting complex printed graphics and integrated Artius CAD software translates uploaded design files directly through the machine to automatically cut the substrate to the desired shape.
The Kongsberg comes with a 3kW high power spindle to enable the digital finisher to handle a wider variety of substrates, from acrylics and Plexiglas to aluminium and Dibond.
PODI also chose to add ESKO’s latest high speed milling tool to the machine, which it expects will surpass production speeds on the Zünd machine five times over.
Managing director Andy Wilson said: "Our customers are becoming more demanding and creative with their requests and it is not good enough to say ‘we can’t do that’ anymore.
"We will now be tackling these complex jobs and then we’ll be encouraging current and new customers to push their creativity even further as this machine is just so versatile."
Previously, PODI has run diecutting jobs on heavy duty materials at slower speeds on the Zünd machine, bought pre-cut material in or outsourced their milling work to meet the turnaround times demanded by customers.
Wilson said: "The benefits are two-fold. There is a massive reduction in production costs by just having the machine: the work will come through much quicker, and there will be less overtime and operation time. We are also able to increase productivity and therefore take on more and faster jobs and beat the deadlines that our competition cannot meet.
"Having the Kongsberg on board has obvious bottom line benefits and has further enabled us to keep everything under one roof."
Staff have been set a strict target of hittin £3m turnover to meet by September 2013, which Wilson is confident of achieving.
He added that the company is actively looking for an additional digital press to add to its portfolio to match the £500,000 ongoing investment in its finishing facility.
