The Digital Dots Digital Printing Technology Guides are about providing you with all you need to know about investing in wide format digital printing technology. The Wild Format goal is to create and share objective and independent explanations of key digital production technologies. The articles are relevant for all parts of the graphic arts supply chain, especially print buyers and designers. They re for anyone with great ideas who wants to get them into print cost effectively and conveniently. This is the second article in this part of the Series. It is supported by The guides are intended to expand awareness and understanding of the craziness that can be created on wide format digital printing devices, from floors to lampshades and everything in between. These guides are made possible by a group of manufacturers working together with Digital Dots. Together we hope you enjoy the articles (yes, there will be more) and that you put into practise what you learn. If you want to talk about it, go to our LinkedIn group at http://linkd.in/1pkelh1 Enjoy and Go Wild! Rigid Materials Finishing Printing direct to the final substrate means that the only finishing that most graphics will need is to be cut to shape. Sounds simple enough, but there are many different types of rigid materials, from cardboard to MDF and plastics such as acrylic or forex. These materials can be used for very different applications, from cardboard point of purchase dispensing boxes through to temporary signs pointing the way around an exhibition, or even outdoor display graphics that will last for several years. In each case the major finishing step that 1
The Esko Kongsberg V cutting table is available in both a sign making and a packaging configuration. Photo Nessan Cleary. converts them from a printed board to a For creators of wild format projects, this finished product will come down to some increases the range of ideas that can be form of cutting. produced. In theory it is possible to do this by hand, There are two basic choices routers and but most people in the wide format cutting tables with many companies using printing trade quickly realise that if they had both. These appear to have similar tool to buy a flatbed printer to produce rising sets, with the cutting tables having routers volumes of work, the increased throughput and the routers offering a range of knife also justifies buying an automated cutting tools. However the main difference lies in solution. These will be faster and will the materials that they will handle. Routers produce clean cuts that need minimal are better suited to the heavier materials additional work. Automated cutters will also including wood, acrylic and metal, while be more consistent so that many identical most tables can handle thin and, in some parts can be cut with no variations or errors. cases, flexible materials. 2
There's a wide range of different cutting tools available for both routers and cutting tables. This includes tools for cutting through specific materials, and even for different thicknesses of those materials. But there are also tools for specific effects, such as creasing or kiss cutting where the cut only goes partially through the material. Another popular tool is a V-cutter, which cuts out a groove to create a folding point, for example, to create a cardboard point of purchase display box. Zund has also recently strengthened the beams of its biggest tables. It now claims that the L-3200 and XL-3200 models can handle thicker materials up to 110mm such as corrugated cardboard, solid cardboard, foam, sandwich material and corrugated plastic. Dyss sells the X7 series, a slightly cheaper alternative that has a good range of tools. There s an automatic roll feeder and conveyor system and options include an In addition, some kind of vision system will also be necessary to help the cutting tool locate registration marks. This might seem like an obvious feature but is often offered as an option, mainly because most vendors supply a third party system such as icut or OptiScout. In some cases it may be possible to specify an alternative system. Cutting tables Digital cutting tables have become such an essential tool for finishing rigid materials that they are often sold alongside flatbed printers. The market leaders are Esko s Kongsberg range and Zund s G3 series. Esko launched the Kongsberg C-series last year, which uses a carbon fibre beam to support the cutting head across a wide bed. Thus the C64 can take boards up to 3.2 by 3.2m and it s possible to cut two sheets side by side to gain greater productivity. Digital cutting tables have become such an essential tool for finishing rigid materials that they are often sold alongside flatbed printers. extension conveyor and an automatic feeder for stacked sheets. There s a smaller X5 that s mainly used in packaging. Esko and Zund also offer cheaper options that can satisfy general sign and display work. Thus Esko sells the Kongsberg V, which can be configured for packaging or sign and display users, so it is very flexible. It s a slower table but comes with a MultiCut tool head that includes 3
a vision system. Zund s budget model is of tools necessary for all the different the S3, which ranges in size from 1330 x materials that wide format printers might 800mm up to 1800 x 1600mm. It includes encounter. One of the leading companies universal, oscillating and kiss cutting tools. is AXYZ, which makes a number of heavyduty routers. This starts with the 4000 series There are also several good budget options, of 1.5m wide machines available in various including the F1612 from Summa. This has lengths from 1.2m to 4.8m. But the range a cutting width of 160cm with a 120cm goes up to the 8000 series, with a 2.6m long bed. Kasemake make the KM7 series, width and up to 5.4m length. There s an which has a number of tools including an entry-level Z series that s based around a oscillating knife and a drag knife as well as welded steel frame and uses linear profile an optional router. bearings. The standard size is 1.3m x 2.6m. AXYZ also sells the Pacer range. These are There are quite a number of CNC routers heavy duty routers that use a helical rack to choose from, but not all offer the range and pinion system for the XY movements, Routers, such as this AXYZ 4010 can handle heavy duty materials such as MDF and most metals. Photo Nessan Cleary 4
Cutting tables can also be used to make folds, as with this furniture set put together by Summa. Photo Nessan Cleary with ballscrews for the Z axis for extremely producing a cut length of 165, 210 and accurate results. 250cm. So far we've concentrated on automated Sometimes it's also necessary to laminate cutting systems but there are a couple of a printed board, either to add extra other finishing steps for rigid materials. protection against scratching or weathering, Firstly, it's sometimes necessary to simply or simply to change the texture or give cut a board down to size, which can be the print a more glossy effect. However, done with an inexpensive manual cutter. we'll cover laminating in more detail in a There are several of these available, such as separate article on finishing options for the Keencut Steeltrak range, a vertical cutter flexible materials. that can cut full size panels and doesn t take up much space. It uses standard utility In addition, any automated cutting system blades but can also be fitted with a cutting will need some form of workflow. Many head for composite materials and there are wide format Raster Image Processors (RIPs) options for cutting aluminium sheets and can generate cut paths and some workflows even glass. It is available in different sizes can also drive automated cutting tables. 5
Esko s Automation engine has proven particularly popular with wide format service providers that work with rigid materials because of its ability to design 3D objects such as point of purchase display boxes. Finally, it s worth noting that automated cutting systems are widely used in other industrial applications beyond the graphics market. Consequently many wide format service providers have used these tools to extend their business, producing items such as switch panels or furniture. Nessan Cleary The Digital Dots team specialises in consulting and editorial for digital prepress, printing and publishing technologies. This includes research, testing, evaluation and content services for publishers, printers and print buyers. Our Series is the latest in a long line of educational projects for graphic arts professionals, including designers and content originators. We also publish Spindrift, a subscriber supported, monthly journal with readers all over the world and a sharp focus on technology. We work on various ISO committees developing standards for print production and the environment, and we are accredited auditors for ISO 12647-2 and ISO 9001 in the UK and Sweden. You can find out more about us at digitaldots.org. 6