February 14, 2005 -- The Krefeld plant of Freund GmbH has been using a Dymatrix 106 CSB die cutter since the fall of last year. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) unveiled the new cutter at drupa 2004. Freund opted for a complete packaging solution from Heidelberg comprising a Dymatrix 106 CSB, the recently installed Diana Pro 74 folder-gluer and two Speedmaster CD 102 presses. The die-cutter processes sheet formats up to 76 x 106 cm (29.9 x 41.7 in) and die-cuts, embosses and creases paper of grammages 80 gsm and above, board up to 2,000 gsm and corrugated board up to 4 mm thick. And it does all this at speeds of up to 9,000 sph. and with a cutting pressure of 330 tons. The Dymatrix 106 CSB uses standardized logistics systems to deliver an enhanced workflow. “We are working non-stop with the same system pallets as in the printing press,” explains Michael Raschke, Production Manager in Krefeld. Non-stop pile changing in the feeder is followed by the cutting, stripping and blanking stations. The die cutter is raised 90 cm, like the press, in order to be able to use high pallets in non-stop operation. Raschke is delighted with the precision of the technology, not least the machine’s register accuracy. The Dymatrix 106 CSB employs the unique technology of the moving upper platen. This method prevents the sheet moving vertically. The fact that the material can travel through the machine smoothly maximizes cutting quality, particularly with thinner materials. Register systems, which achieve register accuracies of +/- 0.15 mm (0.0059 in), are present in all stations such as the feeder, cutting, stripping and blanking units. The Krefeld site of the Freund Group has a workforce of 70 employed in producing folding cartons e.g. for automatic packaging machines. Its customers are midsize manufacturers of branded goods from the consumer goods and foodstuffs industries, on regional, national and international levels. Their quality requirements are therefore high. The Speedmaster CD 102 has increased printing capacity by over 40 percent. The Freund Group has two further sites. The Georgsmarienhütte site near Osnabrück, where the company is headquartered, has a workforce of 144 and produces packagings of laminated corrugated board and special packaging made of solid board. The Dresden site has 26 employees producing product presentation displays.