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COVER STORY: ZÜND PARTNERS EXCLUSIVELY WITH AARQUE GROUP IN NEW ZEALAND
Zünd partners exclusively with Aarque Group in New Zealand
New agreement confirms Aarque Group as the Zünd go to specialists in the local market
Recently, at drupa 2024 in Germany, Aarque Group cemented its relationship with Zünd with an official distributor agreement to supply the New Zealand market exclusively.
Steve Wilton-Jones, national equipment sales for Aarque Group, and Lars Bendixen, segment manager Graphics at Zünd, confirmed the partnership. The agreement sees Aarque relinquish the Summa portfolio in favour of Zünd and this will come into full effect by the end of the year.
The long-term partnership began in January 2011 when Jason Bult reached out to Zünd with a carefully crafted email. Subsequently, the companies reached a mutual agreement to bring Zünd’s best in class product line to the New Zealand market.
Steve says, “After the deal was cemented, it really did not take long before savvy customers took up the opportunity to use this outstanding technology with the first cutter going into the company that is now SCG, Soar Communications Group.
“Now, 13 years on with multiple installations completed, we look to the future where Zünd has a super wide portfolio catering to sign & graphics; packaging; leather goods; apparel; technical textiles; and composites markets.
“We have had the opportunity to supply cutters into some truly innovative New Zealand businesses in the Sign & Graphics market as well as working with commercial manufacturing leaders in aviation, motor racing and industrial product development. We pride ourselves on having a depth of understanding that can translate into tangible benefits for our Zünd customers throughout the country.
“Zünd cutting systems are more than a way to help you reduce costs or speed up your production processes; they are an eco-system with increased flexibility and capability, enabling you to create customised products efficiently and economically. Digital cutting with innovative Zünd technology helps you to lay a foundation for your future growth”
Zünd unveils an innovative loading system with integrated registration
With new Undercam, Zünd has introduced an innovative loading system involving a table extension and integrated registration system.
This solution enables simultaneous loading, job identification and registration of various material types and formats, all carried out swiftly, precisely, and reliably, while the production process is ongoing.
The new board-loading extension with Undercam brings together two core functions: convenient loading of the cutter with a static loading table, plus optional fold-up loading extension. In addition, a precise capture system registers printed board and sheeted substrates from below. This combination ensures maximum efficiency and flexibility when cutting all kinds of materials.
This concurrent approach lets the cutter work at optimum capacity and reduces manual efforts to roughly 15 seconds per board, allowing the operator to focus on other tasks. The cutting process continues automatically as soon as the next board is in place and confirmed. With one-shot capture, the process is much quicker than with conventional registration methods using the ICC camera integrated in the cutter’s tool carriage.
The board-loading extension with Undercam is equipped with its own lighting system and shields the area from ambient light that could interfere with the optical registration process. This ensures any printed images and material edges are captured precisely and reliably. Pressure plates press down on the board to make sure it lies flat on the capture surface. As a result, printed graphics can be registered with the utmost reliability on various kinds of materials, including corrugated cardboard.
Another feature of this new solution, a QR code-based production, enables the automatic retrieval of job files. As a result, various jobs of different material types and formats can be processed in mixed stacks, a boon for companies looking for maximum cutting flexibility.
The board-loading extension with Undercam is compatible with the Zünd G3 and D3 cutter lines and is available in four different widths. It seamlessly combines manual and automated processes: the operator accesses the job in ZCC, places the material into the registration position, and confirms this by pressing a hand or foot switch. The material is then fed automatically into the working area, and the cutting process begins or continues.
Steve adds, “This new solution from Zünd gives companies an efficient, reliable way to further optimise and automate their production processes while also enhancing their cutting precision.”
Software makes it easy
Zünd has simplified complex tasks with advanced and innovative software.
Zünd Cut Center works at the heart of the cutting system, acting as the production command centre, controlling the material-handling systems for loading and unloading. The software automates production workflow, from data import and optimisation to cutter control and production monitoring.
It is open to almost any import format because companies receive production data in different file formats every day and optimising them in file preparation is often time consuming. Zünd has developed Zünd Cut Center with the capability to interpret almost any vectorised file format, whether DXF, PDF, EDP or AI, hassles are removed.
Zünd Connect, the company’s web-based monitoring tool, highlights optimisation potential in productivity for each cutter. It records various key indicators and makes it possible to analyse and compare this data across jobs, production shifts, working methods and materials.
Zünd Design Center, an Adobe illustrator Plug-in, enables you to create one-piece and multi-part packaging or three-dimensional POP/POS displays quickly with parametric pre-made cut files.
Caldera PrimeCenter, the smart solution for Print+Cut prepress, delivers intelligent automation for a streamlined workflow. Automatic true shape nesting, pagination and utilisation of metadata for rules-based pre-flighting of files is crucial to be a productive business.
Zünd PreCut Center enables you to easily and efficiently create ready nested job files on unprinted materials. It significantly reduces the amount of work; optimally utilises the material; and eliminates potential sources of error.
Mind Software Suite is the pendant to Zünd Cut Center and drives the cutting system for leather and textile applications. With its smart and unique features, the software enables different ways of nesting cut files on leather hides easily and efficiently. It also comes with functions like Feature Recognition and Pattern Matching, offering innovative features for printed textiles, laces and patterns.
My Zünd delivers a single repository of information on consumables, accessories and software related to your Zünd, It is the first touchpoint for Zünd customers, including the web shop, Zünd Connect platform, software license management and more. Users can send supply requests to Aarque Group from the portal.
Zünd cutting systems move into their second decade at Soar Communications Group (SCG)
Soar Communications Group (SCG), the country’s largest independent communications group, develops creative, content and print solutions for a range of clients. SCG’s connection with Aarque Group has coincided with both companies’ growth and advances in technology.
Dave Atkins, co-managing director at SCG, says, “We have been with Aarque Group for over 20 years. The team at Aarque cut their teeth in the graphics industry with us. Jason Bult was the same age as I was as we came through and we have maintained a strong relationship, which began with Peter and Leo Bult. Aarque Group has had, and still has its fair share of colourful characters, and they have always maintained a strong service and support ethic.
“We took advantage of Aarque Group’s Zünd agency in 2011, when we installed the first machine in the country. That machine lasted forever. In fact, one of our operators has been on it since the day we bought it.”
Recently, SCG replaced a Zünd S3 cutter (which was reinstated at another business) with a Zünd G3 2XL-3200. Dave says, “We are continually looking at ways we can improve our offering and updating our technology forms part of that strategy. The new Zünd G3 2XL-3200 is a high-spec machine that offers us a range of benefits such as the bed size that gives us the capability to run the cutter in a tandem mode which dramatically reduces time as we can load two 1220mm x 2440mm boards front and back, allowing us to unload and load while the initial board is being cut.
“It has increased speed. The setup is easy, and the tools are impressive. I have not seen anything better. The scope of Zünd’s modularity and ability for us to scale the cutter with more automation and tooling gives us confidence for the future.”
SCG’s Zünd cutting systems offer the company multiple applications ranging from sign and display to routing and packaging work as well as everything in between. The company will stick with Aarque Group and Zünd. Dave says, “Over the years, we have looked at other machines but the Zünd cutting systems really fit our purpose more. The Zünd machines outperformed other machines.
“Relationships are important in this business, and they do change over the years but, when you have a company that delivers good service and support, then it makes the work easier. Aarque Group is a reliable partner; they have always helped us.”
