Runcorn printer PS2 Print moved into wide format printing a number of years ago, but it has been the purchase of an Océ flatbed printer and complementary cutting table from AG/CAD that really opened doors up for the business.
As a company that has invested more than £750,000 in the last 12 months, PS2 Print has developed from a repro, print and design business to become a company that can fulfil virtually all print demands. Since its inception in 1995, the Runcorn-based company has rapidly evolved, with its latest diversification being to enter the large format print sector.
Large format work has grown significantly over the last five years for PS2 Print and to support this growth the company acquired an Océ Arizona 8 by 4 foot flatbed UV printer in January 2013 – an investment that was followed by an identically-sized DYSS X7 2616C cutting table from AG/CAD in April 2013.
Company director Simon Langford said: ‘We were doing large format printing such as exhibition displays, external graphics and point of sale by printing on roll-fed machines, which wasn’t always cost effective or efficient. The introduction of the Océ flatbed made us more cost effective and competitive, and has opened new doors for the business. However, as a company that is always looking to develop new markets, the DYSS X7 was the next natural step for us.’
Mr Langford studied the market and visited the cutting table manufacturers at the Sign UK show. ‘DYSS wasn’t a name that was initially on my radar, but as soon as I had a demo of the machine and the software, I was sold on the complete package. The machine was excellent, the KaseMake software was better than the alternative packages, and the technical expertise and support has been remarkable. The demo showed how the software adds value to our business by giving us the capability to go to the market with on-screen demonstrations of parts that can be presented in a retail environment. It was the expertise of the team doing the demo that really sold me on the package.’
The DYSS cutting table has brought new work into the business by enabling the company to offer superior customer presentations through the KaseMake software that are backed up by the capabilities of the DYSS X7 2616C. Mr Langford continued: ‘The DYSS is used daily and has been producing jigsaws, boxes, counter top displays and cut out people for exhibitions – all jobs we couldn’t previously do. It also allows us to trial new products and do in-store development work, thereby enlarging our customer base and bringing more work in from existing customers.
‘Furthermore, in a cost competitive environment, the DYSS has significantly reduced the cost of many jobs, making us more competitive and more profitable whilst offering the customer far more. For example, many jobs on the DYSS come direct from our roll-fed printers and one regular batch of 100 banners used to take the finishing department two days to cut out by hand. This is now done on the cutting table in only four hours.’
Many of the company’s large print runs are cut on a Heidelberg Cylinder, but the DYSS has created remarkable efficiencies on its smaller print runs, especially complex boxes and shapes. Recently PS2 Print produced 50 presentation folders and 100 bespoke cubes that were printed on the Océ and transferred straight to the DYSS. The boxboard cubes were creased and cut out on the DYSS and by doing this, PS2 reduced the cost of the job by a significant amount.
Multi-headed
The DYSS X7 incorporates three cutting heads that can accommodate routers, knives, creasing tools and kiss cut tools, which can be programmed for each job and material type to simplify operation for the end user. Additionally, the easy tool leveling system calibrates tool height offsets automatically to reduce the operator input. This system works in synergy with the K-Cut vision system that records uniform distortions that are commonplace in all print and media jobs and calculates optimised cutting paths to deliver precise cutting and reduced waste, time and again.
Commenting on these features, Mr Langford said: ‘We have a frequent print run of 200 posters that we couldn’t previously print or cut. The roll-fed Océ prints 100 posters overnight and these are then transferred to the DYSS, which also has a roll feeding set-up. This allows us to set up the job on the cutting table and cut in one hour as opposed to a full day. The K-Cut vision system automatically calibrates the cutting path and guarantees 100% accuracy on every job, resulting in less mistakes and less wastage. These posters are a job that we wouldn’t have previously taken on, as the labour input wouldn’t have made it cost effective for us to do the job.’
From a profitability perspective, Mr Langford believes the DYSS will have a payback period of 12 months. The 31 employee company was previously sending upwards of £30,000 of work out for subcontract cutting, which has now been brought back in-house. This has improved the processing of the job, the profitability and the lead times for PS2, enabling the company to react faster to customer demands.
Supporting this ability to react to customers is the KaseMake software, which complements the DYSS cutting table. ‘With the KaseMake package we can design and display our products with an in-store format for customers to view,’ said Mr Langford. ‘This has enabled us to design and implement point of sale and point of purchase projects that wouldn’t have previously been possible.
‘From a day-to-day perspective, the package has thousands of templates for boxes, folders and all types of shapes that can all be easily manipulated to our exact needs. This has reduced the time required by the design department to deliver a concept to the customer and then through the shop floor to finished product. This software is continually updated to ensure we will always have the most up-to-date package available.’
Highlighting how the DYSS has improved the throughput of work at PS2, Mr Langford concluded: ‘The complete package has been a revelation for our business. The KaseMake software has improved our design capabilities and lead times, as well as our presentations to customers, whilst the cutting table has opened up markets beyond our scope.
‘Not only can we cut, crease and bend forms previously beyond our remit, we can also cut acrylic, Di-Bond, box board, Foamex and other materials in thicknesses beyond 10 mm that we couldn’t have accurately cut by hand. This has improved our quality, consistency, accuracy and above all lead-times. We are delighted with the DYSS and Océ combination and we are destined to expand our large format business considerably with the combination.’
