Left to right: Paul Carow, production manager; and Jason Thysse, owner/CEO; are proud of their Koenig & Bauer iPress 106 K Pro die cutter

First industrial die cutter installed in mid-2023 is dramatically boosting production efficiency

• Taking a customer-centric approach to elevate its exceptional service and deliverables
• Fostering a seamless integration between its press and post-press departments
• Significant time and labor savings to strip and blank inline on the iPress 106 K Pro die cutter

When a company is known for delivering exceptional service and project outcomes to some of the most valuable brands in the nation, it has to be extremely selective in the equipment that it chooses to operate. Thysse’s management team, faced with accelerating growth, especially in the packaging/folding carton market made a key decision to invest in the Koenig & Bauer iPress 106 K Pro die cutter stripper/blanker.

“Currently, we are seeing a rising trend in demand for card packaging, folding cartons, direct mail, and facility branding solutions from our clients,” says Jason Thysse, Owner and CEO of this third-generation family-owned Oregon, WI, business. “For years we have been die-cutting on legacy equipment. With our increasing workload, the Koenig & Bauer iPress industrial die cutter stripper/blanker enables us to efficiently run our full 41-inch press sheets through the die-cutting process. The investment has significantly contributed to our sales growth, particularly in the packaging segment, by providing new inline stripping and blanking capabilities. This has fostered a tighter integration between our press and post-press departments, enhancing overall efficiency.”

Installation at Thysse’s newly constructed, state-of-the-art, 95,000 sq ft facility was completed last summer, and the iPress 106 K PRO is living up to expectations and the reasons Thysse chose it. The quick and seamless integration of Koenig & Bauer's technology within the die cutter helped make the transition a success. The Koenig & Bauer 106 feeder, the same one that is used in its printing press design, maintains an extremely consistent and steady cadence when feeding the iPress, ensuring optimised paper handling compared to similar machines that Thysse evaluated.

Being a customer-centric firm that quickly caters to the changing demands of its customers, the Thysse team continues to be impressed with the iPress 106 K PRO’s speed, versatility, efficiency and most importantly its overall reliability. Its high-speed production delivers exceptional registration, high quality standards, easy handling and fast preparation – saving Thysse time and reducing waste.

”The addition to our post-press department allows us to meet our clients' service level agreements (SLAs) with relative ease due to the efficiency gains the iPress added,” says Thysse. “Each day our customers send us work with diverse workflow and substrate requirements. The versatility the iPress 106 K PRO offers allows us to die-cut, strip, and blank various substrates, including paper, folding carton board, corrugated, and plastic materials cleanly, and efficiently via the iPress 106K PRO central command center.”

Over the past year, Thysse has seen a dramatic increase in operational productivity due to the iPress 106 K PRO. Operators are now able to strip and blank in-line with these technologically advanced tools, delivering tremendous time, labor, and waste savings. Prior to the iPress, operators had to perform stripping and blanking operations by hand, which was a tedious and time-consuming task. With the iPress 106K Pro Stripper/Blanker a full press sheet goes in one end and finished blanks come out the other end.

A key feature the operators have discovered is that the iPress 106 K PRO’s touch screen gives them total control of the movement of the sheet. They have two types of sheet monitoring: either conventional or with the optional OPMR system (Optical Printed Mark Register), which uses sensors and cameras to detect a printed mark. Thysse’s operators are able to easily switch between the two systems using the intuitive touch screen interface.

“With over 80 years in the business, we’re proud of our long history of embracing innovation and investing in leading edge technologies,” says Jason Thysse. “The addition of the Koenig & Bauer iPress 106 K PRO is expanding our opportunities, enabling us to meet tight deadlines, and offer better solutions to our clients.”

Steve Korn, Director of National and Key Accounts at Koenig & Bauer (US) commented, “We praise Thysse for its inaugural investment in Koenig & Bauer post-press capital equipment. This investment literally incorporates our cutting-edge die cutting, stripping, and blanking technologies, promising significant dividends for many years to come. It will enhance Thysse’s competitive edge in its market and benefit its existing and expanding clientele. With accompanying high-level Koenig & Bauer technology kits, this asset will serve as a cornerstone for future growth for Jason Thysse and his outstanding team at Thysse. Moreover, this investment is already yielding greater manufacturing efficiencies and increased capacity due to its industry-leading technology.”