St Albans - Caps Cases says it plans to expand into new areas including the point-of-sale (POS) and bespoke packaging sectors after becoming one of the first businesses in the UK to install a double-beamed Zünd D3 digital cutting table.

Family-owned business Caps Cases was established in Newmarket in 1982 and is a specialist convertor of corrugated material, working across the packaging and retail industries. After investing in a new digital printing system, an HP Scitex 11000, the company sought a complementary finishing system that didn't require tooling, so attended Drupa 2016 to research the new options on the market. 

The show, held in Düsseldorf, Germany from May 31st to June 10th 2016, saw the debut of the new Zünd D3 cutting table. Fitted with an innovative double-beam system, up to three different modules and an intelligent controller for optimal job allocation, the Zünd D3 can effectively double users' output potential.

"When we saw the Zünd D3 at Drupa we were impressed," says Trevor Bissett, Managing Director of Caps Cases. "The build quality is excellent and Zünd has really thought about the functionality and productivity of being able to cut two sheets at once or have one large sheet with two heads operating on it at the same time – that was a big draw for us. So we came home from Drupa with much lighter pockets!" 

The Zünd D3 L3200 was installed at Caps Cases in September. Thanks to the modular build of Zünd systems, the Zünd team was able to 'shoehorn' the 10 metre-long Zünd D3 'into quite a tight space', says Trevor Bissett. This modularity also enables users to change tools on the fly or upgrade whole elements of the table at a later date, future-proofing against changes in business direction. All Zünd cutting tables are also designed for maximum automation and have safety features that exceed industry standards. 

In addition to fitting the table the Zünd UK technician team, based in St Albans, has visited Caps Cases several times to ensure the Zünd D3 and the HP Scitex are working together perfectly. As the D3 is the first production CAD machine used by Caps Cases this has involved a learning process; formerly the company procured a new cutting form for each job which involved extra costs for the customer and subsequently needed to be stored. "As you can imagine we've accumulated thousands of these forms since 1982!" says Bissett.

Now, however, Caps Cases can produce new designs digitally, which means it can offer short-run, branded packaging to its customers. Fashion houses and craft beer brands are on the radar for new business, as well as more POS, where this machine really comes into its own.

The Zünd D3 L3200 is currently running two shifts a day, and may later be joined by more Zünd equipment at a later date – Caps Cases is planning a visit to Zünd UK's dedicated demonstration suite in St Albans to see the rest of the range.

To book a visit to Zünd UK's dedicated demonstration suite or for further information on its cutting systems, please email [email protected] or call 01727 833003.