Cutting Remarks
In this day and age, no self-respecting wide format and signage shop can be without a cutter—and while for many that means primarily a rollfed X-Y cutter for paper, vinyl or other soft materials, companies that have started printing on rigid materials have found that investing in a cutting table has improved their productivity and expanded the number of applications they can produce. The alternative has traditionally been to have a skilled employee hunched over a work table manually cutting out shapes with an X-Acto knife. That’s not the most productive workflow in the world—and finding such employees has been increasingly challenging—so if you have the volume (and the space) to support it, a cutting table is the way to go.
Cutting tables are pretty basic, so there’s not a lot that really changes from generation to generation, aside from things like speed and various kinds of automation—either software-based or hardware-based, involving conveyor systems or robotic arms that load and/or offload printed boards. A lot of the table action is in the tooling, the hundreds of swappable tools that a table can support that offer a great deal of flexibility in what and how you can cut. It’s not just knives; tables also support routers which “rout” or bore out board, plastic, wood or other thick material, and there are tools for tables that can mill, perforate, crease, engrave and even create Braille lettering. Some tables can also automatically swap out the tooling, based on the parameters specified in the cut file.
Zünd has long offered a robotic arm option for its S3 series cutting table.
A killer app for these tables is swiftly and automatically performing contour cutting, slicing out complex shapes like guitars, fish and—during shows held during election years—masks of current Presidential candidates. (Remember shows?) This complex cutting is controlled by software and a “cut file” which contains the cutting parameters. The board has been printed with small registration marks bounding each image to be cut. The cut file tells the cutting tool where to make each cut in relation to the registration marks, which the tool head tracks using a scanner.
Other advances in productivity include having two beams that can operate independently—doubling the productivity.
The Zünd D3 series cutter has two beams that operate independently.
These tables are also finding a niche in packaging prototyping, as well as an ever-expanding range of applications. They are also used to cut textiles, whether it’s simply cutting rectangular soft signage, or cutting printed fabric to a pattern that will later be sewn into some form of garment. Some tables also offer a roll attachment. Textiles can also be contour cut using printed registration marks, and Zünd tables, for example, can compensate for fabric stretchiness.
Lasers have been coming to cutting tables, and have proven to be a popular option for various applications. Tables from Esko (the Kongsberg line), Zünd, Gerber MCT and others offer laser modules that can be swapped in and out, while companies such as Trotec Laser offer their own dedicated laser cutting systems and tables. Laser engraving is also becoming popular, and Roland DGA has launched a series of laser engravers to etch designs on a variety of materials and objects.
Laser cutting systems or add-on modules to cutting tables are particularly useful for producing soft signage, as they function as cut-and-seal systems.
“There has always been a pretty strong demand for cutting and sealing at the same time,” said Beatrice Drury, marketing manager for Zünd America. “Since the laser burns the edge, it automatically seals it, which is particularly useful in applications like SEG [silicone edge graphics] panels because there are a lot of times you don't need sewing. With cut-and-seal, you’re eliminating another processing step.”
Cut-and-seal using lasers is really only appropriate for polyester fabrics, since natural fibers don’t so much melt as burn. And even for some polyester fabric applications, laser cutting and sealing may not be appropriate.
“Frequently, when an edge gets burned and sealed with a laser, it makes it brittle or scratchy, so it’s not very suitable for anything that’s going to be on your skin,” Drury said. “Even for some flag applications, the edge isn’t durable enough, so the wind will crack it and it will start fraying.”
Laser systems can also be used to “engrave” textiles, natural like denim or cotton, or synthetic. A low-power laser can etch (basically bleach) designs into fabrics, allowing users to create highly customized products.
A laser can “engrave” designs into fabrics, allowing users to create highly customized products. (Image courtesy Trotec.)
Laser cutters are also being used to cut an increasing number of rigid materials, as well, such as acrylic, wood, laminates and composite materials.
“We have been involved in many thin film applications,” said Trish Steding, director of marketing for Trotec Laser. “Other uses range from surface protection to a variety of covering and decorative applications. Decorative engraving on acrylic is being utilized in a range of industries.”
Decorative laser engraving on acrylic—cast or extruded—is becoming a common application. (Image courtesy Trotec.)
Of course, even lasers have their limitations.
“They are unsuitable for PVC due to toxic gases created when cutting,” Steding said, “as well as hard materials greater than one inch thick, like acrylic or wood.”
Whether a standalone laser engraving unit, a cutting table with a laser cutting option or a dedicated laser cutting system, options abound for producing customized, high-value print applications.
