When automation pays off!
At Colore in Albertslund in Denmark, large-format displays are produced in cardboard and corrugated cardboard. The entire production is based on automation. From pallet to pallet printing – to cutting with a fully automatic Zünd Board Handling System.
When Zünd visited Colore, the BHS system was producing shop displays for lipsticks, and while the cutting machine tirelessly processed sheet after sheet with hundreds of holes and bends, we had a cup of coffee and a chat with director and owner Thomas Røddik about his company, and the benefits that full automation has brought with it.
High Quality And a Razor-sharp Business Concept
Colore was established in 2002, and today has nine full-time employees. They are sub-suppliers for advertising agencies, printers, and print brokers, and mainly make displays for supermarkets, cinemas, etc. – primarily in the retail sector. Colore does not design itself but is happy to help construct displays if the need is there.
If a customer wants help with a job, they refer to business partners or constructors, and in this way provide access to specialist knowledge in display construction.
Colore has a very high level of quality. Through many years of experience with printing and lithography, they have a thorough understanding of color handling and color accuracy and have developed their own color profiles. The customer can therefore always expect a correct reproduction of e.g. logo and profile.
We try to be flawless
We do our very best to understand and solve tasks with the upmost flexibility. We want to make it easy for the customer to do business with us.
We try to solve even the most impossible tasks, and we have staff who are happy to take evening and weekend shifts to reach the goal.
We take pride in delivering error-free products, and if errors do occur, we fix them.”
Thomas Røddik, owner and manager
A New Course Increased the Need for Automation
For approx. two years ago we changed course. We went from printing for shops, shop windows, and exhibitions to mainly producing displays. This meant larger print runs and material that had to be moved around. We already had a Zünd digital G3 cutter – but with manual feed. This meant working evenings and weekends, which was exhausting, monotonous, and expensive in wages.
We were therefore keen to automate this particular process.
We researched both industrial robots and BHS systems. The latter appealed to us the most, as it was a well-tested Zünd “plug-and-play” system that could handle sheets of all sizes. With the types of tasks we work with, the BHS system was simply perfect.”
Savings From Weekend Work Were Enough to Finance the Entire System
It has been possible to finance the BHS system with the savings from weekend shifts alone! Also, the system has contributed to even more growth, so actually, we are now again experiencing an increasing need for weekend shifts – especially for assembling the finished cut materials.
In the wake of large productions, smaller productions often emerge. For there we use our old cutter. By having two cutters available, we are able to process last-minute orders effortlessly. This provides greater flexibility.
I myself have spent many weekends placing sheets on the cutting table and taking them off again. I don’t want to go back to that”.
Around The Clock Production
The Board Handling System works really well, and we have had very few inquiries about function and operation.
It has been running smoothly since day one, and often around the clock. Most of the materials we cut are quite thin, so we are able to fill a great number of sheets in the feed when we leave the production for the night. Sometimes the cutter is finished when we get in the morning – other times it needs a little more time.
We also occasionally cut reboard that is so large that the edges scrape against the sides of the cutter! We’re pleased it can handle so many different types of sizes and applications, leaving our hands free to do other things.
The system helps us provide a better service, as the processing time becomes shorter. At the same time, it contributes to a healthier working climate, as our employees are exempt from lifting and monotonous physical work”
Sustainability is Top of Mind
Colore started using sustainable materials in their production ten years ago. Back then it was expensive to buy and produce sustainably, but it gave them a head start in terms of experience.
Fortunately, in the past three years, it has become both cheaper and easier to produce sustainably. We experience that some of our very large customers actually require certain environmental approvals and certificates in order to work with us. We are quite easily able to meet these very strict environmental requirements, which is very satisfying for us.”
A Secretive First Meeting With The G3 in 2008
We started to look for a new cutter in 2008. At that time, the new generation of Zünd G3 cutters was not yet on the market, and the old models were too flimsy for our taste.
We were invited to Zünd in Switzerland, where we were secretly allowed to see the first demo model of the new Zund G3. It was highly confidential and surrounded by great secrecy – but it turned out that it was precisely the model that suited our wishes and needs. So our first cutter had the serial number 00000001.”
Top Service From Zünd
We always experience really good service from Zünd. If we need support, we just send an SMS – and it is always answered quickly. Timmy lives close by, and always finds time to swing by us, either in the morning or on his way home from work.
I can’t see why we should choose another type of cutter when it works so well.
