Warwick Mills installs Zünd G3 L-2500 for cutting technical textiles and calculates 60% savings in labor and overhead.

Warwick Mills, the owner of the Turtleskin brand, develops and manufactures safety products and custom engineered materials. Incorporated in 1888, Warwick Mills is one of few remaining companies carrying on a long-standing legacy of US textile manufacturing. Applications include 40,000 psi water jetting safety gear, needle and snake-resistant gloves, body armor, chemical/ biological shelter protection, landing bags for the NASA Mars Rover, and many others. Products range from small custom orders to mass production with hundreds of thousands of units a year.

Cutting challenges
The Zünd G3 L-2500 cutter is used in line with printing, laminating, and molding equipment, along with looms, kitting, and final assembly sewing equipment. Warwick Mill’s primary objective for the Zünd cutter was to improve cutting accuracy and efficiency as well as reduce the floorspace taken up by cutting operations. Says Tim Graves, Segment Manager: “What makes our cutting application particularly challenging is that most materials we process are high-strength custom fabrics that provide cut, puncture, flame, and abrasion resistance – in other words, they are designed to destroy blades.”

Zünd saves time, space and cost
In the relatively short time since its installation, the Zünd cutter has helped Warwick Mills increase output while reducing the square footage required for cutting operations – a significant benefit as the company continues to expand production. “Nearly every product we manufacture is now cut on the Zünd G3,” confirms Tim Graves. Recent cost calculations for a large order revealed 60% savings compared to previous labor and overhead costs, which translated into 3.5% savings on the overall cost of goods for the product.

Tim Graves, Segment Manager: “The Zünd cutter has reduced the square footage required for our cutting operations while increasing throughput and decreasing cost. Nearly every product we make is now cut on the Zünd.“
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