Oce Streamlined Workflow System Optimizes Large Format Display Graphics Printing

Chicago,IL - Oce, a global leader in digital document management and delivery solutions, recently announced it has added a complete digital system that streamlines the workflow — from prepress to finishing — of rigid and flexible display graphics media. The Oce Streamlined Workflow consists of a Zund digital cutting table with appropriate tools, software for preparing and interpreting the cutting data, and pre- and post-installation application training and support.

Finishing is often the bottleneck in a display graphics digital printing workflow. The overwhelming majority of digital graphics prints require trimming or contour cutting once printing is complete. The Oce Streamlined Workflow can be used to optimize basic trimming tasks for rigid substrates such as hard and soft foamboard, plastic material, acrylic and styrene, and flexible media including paper, film, vinyl and fabric. It can also be used to finish more complex jobs such as contour-cut point-of-purchase displays, production-quantity decals, and structural projects.

The New Challenges for Digital Print Providers
Large format digital printing systems for graphics applications have increased in speed, quality and versatility. Many have the added ability to print on both rigid and flexible materials. Since nearly all prints require finishing, new challenges have emerged in digital graphics print production that need to be addressed:

Low productivity and high labor costs at the finishing stage. Manual cutting takes time and inevitably generates errors resulting in costly reprints, material waste and missed deadlines. Trimming thick media and manually cutting contour prints are particularly vulnerable to this low productivity / high labor cost risk.

Underutilization of expensive printing systems. Using all the square footage available on a flatbed or roll-based printer is the optimal way to realize the best return on investment. Using less than this or leaving 'gaps' in the printing underutilizes these capital-intensive systems.

Inventory costs and logistics complexity for pre-cut media. Pre-cut media is a time-saver on the finishing end, but it is more expensive than standard 4-foot by 8-foot media. Storage and inventory control of pre-cut media also create an additional level of logistics that needs to be managed. Reducing the need for pre-cut media by purchasing large boards and trimming them in-house saves money and storage space.

The Oce Streamlined Workflow
With the Oce Streamlined Workflow, customers can confidently guarantee to their clients outstanding, consistent quality with reduced turnaround times. The Oce Streamlined Workflow includes:

• A range of high quality Zund digital flatbed cutters. Customers can select from a variety of medium, large or extra large sizes up to 128 inches wide and 118 inches long. The cutters are manufactured in Switzerland by Zund Systemtechnik, the worldwide leader in multipurpose digital cutting solutions.
• A modular set of toolheads and tools. The modularity of the tool package provides a customized solution for specific cutting or trimming needs. The standard tool set includes a drag knife, an oscillating knife, a router and a kiss-cutting tool. Available as an option are specialty tools including a rotary knife for cutting textiles, and a creasing and a V-cutting tool for folding standard thin media as well as thick materials such as Reboard or triple-wall corrugated carton.
• Touch&Cut Vision Registration Front-End Software (VRFS). In order to automate cutting, Oce bundles the cutting table with a Zund camera and Touch&Cut VRFS. This software compares the position of the cutting marks on the print and the cutting marks in the cut file, compensates for image or material distortion such as shrinking or stretching, and drives the cutter along the cut line with 100% accuracy. Touch&Cut software features a simple touch screen user interface and an exclusive materials profile library to store all cutting parameters.
• Prepare-it software. Designed with a user-friendly, step-by-step philosophy, Prepare-it software quickly and efficiently helps to prepare jobs for automated cutting. Within seconds, users can assign cutting tools to a curve and generate cutting marks and barcodes, saving hours in the prepress stage. Prepare-it is a true workflow tool that can help optimize printer productivity by maximizing media usage. With Prepare-it, users can efficiently manage the data workflow, nest jobs together on true shape and more systematically use 4-foot by 8-foot boards. The result is increased throughput, reduced media and labor costs, and the elimination of pre-cut media costs and related inventory management requirements.
• Pre- and post-sale technical support. For service and support, Oce has teamed with Zund America. Zund installs and provides service for the digital cutting table. Oce offers full training with ongoing applications and software support, and provides consumables. Oce takes the mystery out of digital cutting and helps print providers get started quickly.

Four Simple Steps from Artwork to Finished Job
Step One: Prepress. The artwork — in PDF or EPS format — is entered into the digital workflow. For contour cut applications, the artwork must include the outline path (vector data).

Step Two: Cutting data preparation and nesting. The artwork is sent to the Prepare-it job queue. Prepare-it is used to assign tools for each curve (kiss-cutting, routing, etc.) and to prepare cutting data. The software automatically generates a print file — complete with cutting marks and barcode — and a separate cut file.

Step Three: Process and print. The print file is processed through a raster image processing (RIP) software package such as ONYX ProductionHouse V7, then sent to a printer such as the Oce Arizona 250 GT UV flatbed printer. The completed print is ready for cutting.

Step Four: Automated Cutting. The completed print is placed on the Zund digital cutting table. The operator simply scans the barcode on the print, and the Touch&Cut software automatically retrieves the correct cut file from the network. The software is linked to a camera mounted on the cutter. By reading the printed cutting marks on the print, Touch&Cut software positions and aligns the cutting data, and compensates for distortion so the cutting matches the print with 100% accuracy. Cutting begins automatically.

The finished, cut pieces are ready for delivery with minimal operator intervention, 100% accuracy and reduced turnaround time.

Reduce Costs, Improve Quality, and Add New Business
The Oce Streamlined Workflow significantly reduces labor costs compared to manual cutting because only one operator is required to run the highly productive cutter. Material costs are reduced by eliminating job re-runs due to human error. In addition, the advanced nesting capability enables the use of less-costly, large standard boards that can be cut in-house rather than outsourcing expensive pre-cut materials.

Customers can confidently offer their clients consistent, high-quality finished graphics and reduced turnaround times. Cutting is always 100% accurate, and the system compensates for any material distortion that may occur during printing.

Customers can expand their businesses by accepting premium-priced contour-cut jobs and production kiss-cutting jobs for creating mass-produced decals. With the routing capability, customers can also finish jobs on materials they wouldn't consider cutting by hand such as DIBOND or acrylic. Structural projects, such as self-standing displays or packaging prototypes, are other possible applications for opening up new markets.

SOURCE: Oce