O’Neill Signs has installed a Kongsberg X24 digital cutting table and i-Cut software from CMYUK. The company, founded in 1947, says the new equipment has helped remove production bottlenecks and enhance efficiency, speed and quality.
The business, based in Runcorn, specialises in a wide variety of signage and engraving as well as offering vehicle graphics, posters and labels. It is managed by husband-and-wife team Steve and Tracy Goodfellow, who say that investing in the Kongsberg has meant more than just upgrading in-house capabilities.
‘Myself and our son George went to CMYUK to evaluate the machine and we were both blown away,’ Mr Goodfellow explained. ‘George is 26 and investing in the Kongsberg puts more resilience into the business. In the next few years, if one of us retires, George has the ability to do more with less people effectively. It’s really a future proofing exercise.’
Mr Goodfellow went on to explain that, even though the Kongsberg equipment had been recommended to him on multiple occasions, he perceived the X24 as ‘an aspirational piece of equipment.’ He was convinced, however, by his own research and an in-depth discussion with CMYUK’s Sue Hayward. ‘I still felt somehow that the Kongsberg was a bit of a luxury,’ he added, ‘but then I realised it’s not like a printer that needs upgrading every five years. We’re talking a 20-year machine, and the X24 is modular, so you can add tools as and when. The X24 Edge bundle really suits us.’
Father and son visited the CMYUK demonstration and training centre to put the Kongsberg through its paces. ‘We took some samples down with us,’ Mr Goodfellow explained. ‘I’d heard sales blurb before and so I wanted to make sure. On the morning we left for the demo, I basically got some of the lowest tack vinyl I could find, stuck it on to Foamex and Dibond. Obviously, vinyl that’s been stuck to a board for a long time behaves very differently to vinyl that’s been stuck on an hour ago – then it’s repositionable. I thought there’d be some snagging, peeling or ripping. Our samples went through the Kongsberg perfectly without making so much as a mark. That on its own sealed the deal.’
O’Neill Signs says that the X24 has already helped it eliminate finishing bottlenecks and, going forward, the company is aiming to produce its own standard branded packaging boxes. ‘What we’ll be concentrating on is feeding the Kongsberg from the front end,’ Mr Goodfellow concluded. ‘Even by simply producing shaped contour cut signage will add to the growing momentum. We’ll be pushing for customers to follow this route, optimise what we have and start to explore new avenues that are opening up before us.’
