A BOBST VISIONCUT 106 die-cutter has levelled up finishing capabilities and output for New Jersey-based printing company, Hatteras, as the 40-year-old business expands its offering for the packaging market. With contactless sheet registration systems, inline blanking and stripping, and continuous smooth feeding, the highly automated machine is allowing Hatteras to meet tighter deadlines and high quality requirements, while also attracting new staff.
“Our current mix of work is diverse, ranging from marketing collateral to direct mail, to packaging, to retail signage and event graphics,” said Bill Duerr, President, whose father started the company in 1983. “In the past few years, we’ve become more focused on packaging, specifically folding cartons, and this is where the new Bobst die-cutter comes into play for us.”
He continued, “As a fourth-generation printer, I’m extremely focused on aligning our capabilities and services with the needs of the marketplace. So, as we forge ahead into packaging, which is a highly competitive space, we are up against players with decades of specialized experience. This means we must combine our great service offering with the best equipment available to deliver high quality and economical packaging solutions.”
Due to these considerations, Hatteras decided to increase its die-cutting capabilities significantly by installing a Visioncut 106 LER Autoplaten® die-cutter with stripping stations and inline blanking, and contactless sheet registration systems. Bringing speed, flexibility, and maximum uptime, the new Visioncut replaced an older die-cutter at Hatteras, and with output speeds of up to 8,000 sheets/hour, has tripled its capacity overnight.
By combining all die-cutting processes in one workflow, the company has completely overhauled its efficiencies, moving from labor-intensive manual methods to fully automated stripping and blanking for non-stop delivery of high-quality cartons and boxes.
Another distinct advantage for Hatteras is the user-friendly and simple operation of the Visioncut, which features a large, full colour HMI SPHERE offering intuitive navigation. Full step-by-step instruction guides help operators through the entire set-up process with ease, meaning Hatteras can quickly train existing staff or new inexperienced recruits. Furthermore, the opportunity to work with the latest Bobst die-cutting equipment has pulled in highly trained operators from elsewhere.
Now with the Visioncut 106 LER firmly installed, Hatteras is ready for the next chapter of its evolution as the company sets its sights on becoming a bigger player in the packaging segment. The versatile machine can convert paper from 70 gsm (.004 in) to carton and solid board of 2000 gsm (.060 in) and even light corrugated board of up to 4mm (.160 in), giving Hatteras plenty of scope to expand its applications and bring in more customers.
