Push Solutions has added the impressive Kongsberg C64 digital cutting table and automated Feeder to its production setup, significantly boosting capacity at its Wisconsin (USA) facility and expanding the company’s offering.
Brad Flagge, co-owner and President of the New Berlin-based print and marketing services provider, said the new acquisition was already paying dividends, combining with a new print line to supercharge productivity by as much as three or four times.
“I often say I am looking for extremely versatile technology, something that can do everything I need it to,” said Brad. “When we were upgrading from our older, entry level Kongsberg machine, my co-owners and I did our due diligence and looked at a number of different makes and models. But as soon as we saw the Kongsberg in action at Printing United last fall, its very large size and semi-automation - as well as the possibility of further automation - made the decision quite straightforward for the team at Push, which includes partners Nick Bova and Craig Inglish.”
The Kongsberg C64 is the flagship table in the market-leading C-Series, the first multifunction super-wide digital cutter for signage, display and packaging applications. Designed to keep up with the faster, wider printers of today and tomorrow, it exceeds standards in versatility, precision and productivity. “We help major brands sell their products by manufacturing displays, aisle headers, case cards – you name it,” said Brad. “We also work with just about every material, from styrene and vinyl to corrugate, Sintra and acrylic, so we need a machine like this that can tackle any job we throw at it.
“Around 30% of our company workload is large format, and this area is the fastest growing part of our business,” he said. “Working in light assembly, distribution and kit packing, our final products are often assembled and packaged right here, so we need to be able to make samples and often create the specialized packaging very quickly. With the Kongsberg C64, we can switch from mass production to making a white sample, packaging proof or a mick-up display with a quick changeover.”
Brad said as the Kongsberg C64 and automated Feeder are easy to use for existing operators, keeping the cutting department consistent with the same manufacturer of cutting table also helps with staff training, as well as simplifying maintenance and increasing job flexibility. “It plays so many versatile roles for us,” said Brad. “The Kongsberg also helps out with post print production and supports our press room. We can cut strippable blankets for print spot coating jobs on the Kongsberg, something we couldn’t do before, so the table is now helping us across two-thirds of the business!”
Primarily serving the beer, wine and liquor sector, Brad said Push Solutions is constantly challenged by customers to demonstrate its own creativity in a field renowned for it. “The Kongsberg fills that spot and has opened us up to the fun and creative side of printing,” he said. “It has really brought our designs to life, enabling us to make some incredibly eye catching multi-dimensional displays.”
The latest acquisition was part of a program of planned growth for Push Solutions, and Brad said that the increased automation of the Kongsberg C64 is integral to the company’s future plans. “The Feeder really boosts productivity, and we see automation as the tip of the spear in terms of our expanding this side of the business,” he said. “I couldn’t have dreamed it would be as impressive and productive as it is. The combination of speed, power, precision and automation gives us such flexibility that we can easily pivot from roll work, regular cutting and routing, and we are using the belt drive more often than I would ever have thought.”
Matt Sisson, Territory Sales Manager with Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems, said he was thrilled the Kongsberg C64 was making such an impact for Brad and the team at Push Solutions.
“They made this investment to not only deal with their existing demand, but to lift the ceiling of what they can actually do,” said Matt. “They wanted to be able to handle larger, more complex jobs faster. With the Kongsberg C64 and their new automated setup, they can cope with anything customers send their way.”
Brad said this acquisition was the latest step for the partnership team at Push Solutions on a journey that has seen the company come a long way in the last decade. “From the outside we’re quite unassuming,” he said. “But when people see the inside and the production firepower we have, they always walk away really impressed.
“It used to be that up to around 1,000 boards was a big job for us, but now we can easily manage up to around 5,000 boards. With the combination of our new Kongsberg table and Feeder, and the Agfa Tauro H3300 printer we had installed at the same time, we have increased our output capacity by three-to-four times,” he said.
