Business News
Creative Artform invests in a practical Polar solution
Wednesday 27. October 2010 - Artform International is experiencing increased demand for point of sale graphics materials and so continues its programme of investment in equipment and facilities with the purchase of a very sophisticated Polar guillotine.
Artform is one of the worlds leading creators of in-store merchandising and display solutions for global brands and retailers, including such famous names as LOreal, Coty, Bourjois, Gosh and Vodafone.
This month they are taking delivery of a Polar 115 X Plus with Compucut programming, stacklift, jogger and Transomat downloading devices as well as a counter to ensure order quantities are fulfilled accurately.
Andy Bebbington, decoration production manager, was given the remit of finding a way of improving throughput and product quality in the cutting area.
“We had two Wohlenbergs which needed upgrading,” he says. “We had also had Schneiders in the past. I was given a blank sheet and I went out to investigate the market from scratch. As a result of my own research, and on the recommendation of a company we have regularly used for outsourced cutting work, the verdict was that the best choice was Polar.
“That alone could save us an hours programming on each order, given that typically there are 90 or more cuts per job. Everything about the Polar 137XT is better with the more accurate and consistent cutting, the faster backgauge and the materials handling that means that operators arent endlessly bending and lifting. There is no strain on them and the 137cm wide format is a very comfortable fit for B1 jobs.”
The company will retain the larger of the two existing cutters, a 155cm guillotine. That will handle oversize products or cut down sheets for the screen printing process. The bulk of the litho and digitally printed work, typically 190 to 200gsm, will be handled on the Polar along with some thin price strips.
Staff reaction has been positive, pleased to see their company investing in its long term future and receptive to the two days training that will bring their programming skills up to scratch when the machine is delivered.