Kongsberg Technology Drives Efficiency, Accuracy And Scalability At Utah Banner Printer

PRESS ROOM

22 Jul

Written By Debbie Mckeegan

July 2024 - FASTSIGNS® of Murray has invested in the latest Kongsberg digital cutting technology to drive accuracy and efficiency at its Utah facility, and to boost the company’s ability to quickly respond to customer demands.

Owner Dave Peabody said the new Kongsberg X24 table, which includes the powerful water-cooled Kongsberg MultiCUT-HP tool, had the power and precision to deliver the accuracy needed to handle complex signage and display jobs at optimum speeds.

“Our previous table was getting a little old, the parts were no longer available, and we couldn’t get support for it,” said Dave, who also owns FASTSIGNS® of NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “We had a little bit of a scare when it malfunctioned, and where would we be if our cutting table is suddenly out of commission? I’d been talking to another business owner who’d had a similar issue and he had been very happy with his Kongsberg table.”

Installed Just A Few Weeks Ago, The Kongsberg X24 Is Already Fully Bedded In Running At The Heart Of Production.

Dave said he was drawn not only to the Kongsberg’s power and precision, but also its upgradeability, with the X24 designed to allow additional components and tools to be added to meet the changing needs of an evolving business.

“The increased speed helps with our responsiveness - which our customers are reliant on - and the accuracy is also a huge benefit for that,” he said. “On our previous machine, the registration wasn’t always 100% accurate, but this has been about perfect from day one. While the accuracy is pretty amazing, we also benefit from the power of the router, which at 3kW is three times what we previously had available. Even when faced with some hefty ACM, it doesn’t even hesitate.”

The Kongsberg X24 delivers productivity and flexibility, combined with the best-in-class reliability for which it is renowned.

“It’s not overkill as a base model, and you can also add things to it as you grow, which is what I was looking for,” added Dave. “During the demos I was really impressed with the quality of the cuts – especially on materials like the half-inch acrylic, while the conveyor table was also really impressive.”

Huge Efficiency Gain

As FASTSIGNS produces a huge range of banners and large decals for its customer base, Dave said the conveyor is a huge benefit to the business.

“Producing one hundred banners might ordinarily take a full couple of days for two individuals to tackle, but this machine can get through those in less than a day, so the efficiency gain is huge,” he said. “We work mainly on ACM, which it really cuts fantastically, as well as acrylic and vinyl.”

Dave added that he had also been particularly impressed by the hold-down power and chip collection of the Kongsberg X24.

“In terms of hygiene, health and safety, it collects the debris and keeps the dust to a minimum,” he explained. “When you’re in a tight workspace with a lot of expensive printing equipment around that doesn’t like being clogged up with dust, that’s a real benefit. The strength and accuracy also help because it keeps the consumable costs down, which when you’re as busy as we are can really add up over the year!”