As a company that has invested over £750k in the last 12 months, PS2 Print has developed from a repro print and design business to a company that can fulfil virtually all print demands. Since its inception in 1995, the Runcorn based company has rapidly evolved with its latest diversification being to enter the large format print sector.
The entry into large format work over the last five years has grown significantly for PS2 Print and to support this growth the company acquired an OCE Arizona 8' by 4' flatbed UV printer in January that was followed by a matching DYSS X7 2616C flatbed CNC cutter from AG/CAD in April 2013.
Commenting upon the acquisitions, Company Director Mr Simon Langford said: "We were doing our large format printing such as reel to reel, exhibition displays, external graphics and POS printing on roll fed machines, which wasn't always cost effective or efficient. The introduction of the OCE flatbed has made us more cost effective, competitive and has opened new doors for the business. However, as a company that is always looking to develop new markets, the DYSS X7 was the natural next step for us."
Mr Langford studied the market and visited the main flatbed cutter manufacturers at the Sign UK show. "DYSS wasn't a name that was initially on my radar, but as soon as I had a demo of the machine and the software, I was sold on the complete package. The machine was excellent, the Kasemake software was better than the alternative packages and the technical expertise and support has been remarkable. The demo showed how the software adds value to our business by giving us the capability to go to the market with on-screen visualising of parts that can be presented in a virtual retail environment. It was this along with all the built-in design templates and the expert back-up that really sold me on the package."
The DYSS cutting machine has brought new work into the business by enabling the company to offer superior customer presentations through the Kasemake software that are backed up by the capabilities of the DYSS X7 2616C. As Mr Langford continues: "The DYSS is used daily and has been producing jigsaws, boxes, counter top displays and standee figures for exhibitions - all jobs we couldn't previously do. It also allows us to trial new products and do in-store development work, thereby enlarging our customer base and bringing more work in from existing customers."
"Furthermore, in a cost competitive environment, the DYSS has significantly reduced the cost of many jobs, making us more competitive and more profitable whilst offering the customer far more. For example, many jobs on the DYSS come direct from our roll fed printers and one regular batch of 100 banners used to take the finishing department two days to cut by hand. However, this is now done on the cutting table in only 4 hours."
Whilst many of the company's larger print runs are cut on a Heidelberg Cylinder, the DYSS has created remarkable efficiencies on its smaller runs, especially complex boxes and shapes. Recently the company produced 50 presentation folders and 100 bespoke cubes that were printed on the OCE and transferred straight to the DYSS. The boxboard cubes were creased and cut out on the DYSS and by doing this, PS2 reduced the cost of the job significantly.
The DYSS X7 incorporates three cutting heads that can accommodate routers, knives, creasing tools and kiss cut tools that can be programmed for each job and material type to simplify operation for the end user. Additionally, the easy tool levelling system calibrates tool height offsets automatically to reduce the operator input. This system works in synergy with the K-Cut Vision System that records distortions that are commonplace in most print and media jobs and calculates optimised cutting paths to deliver precise cutting and reduced waste, time and again.
Commenting on these features, Mr Langford says: "We have a frequent print run of 200 posters that we couldn't previously print or cut. The roll fed OCE prints 100 posters overnight and these are transferred to the DYSS, which also has a roll feeding set-up. This allows us to set the job on the DYSS and cut in one hour as opposed to a full day. The K-Cut Vision System automatically calibrates the cutting path and guarantees 100% accuracy on every job, resulting in fewer mistakes and less wastage. These posters are a job that we wouldn't have previously taken on, as the labour input wouldn’t have made it cost effective."
From a profitability perspective, Mr Langford believes the DYSS will have a return on investment period of 12 months. The 31 employee company was previously sending upwards of £30,000 of work out for subcontract cutting, which has now been brought in-house. This has improved the processing of the job, the profitability and lead times for PS2, enabling the company to react faster to customer demands.
Supporting this ability to react to customers is the Kasemake software that complements the DYSS cutting machine. As Mr Langford continues: "With the Kasemake package we can design and display our products within an in-store environment for customers to view. This has enabled us to design and implement POS & POP display projects that wouldn't have previously been possible."
"From a day-to-day perspective, the software has hundreds of templates for boxes, folders, displays and all types of shapes that can all be easily manipulated to our exact needs. This has reduced the time required by the design department to deliver a concept to the customer and then through the shop floor to finished product. The software is continually updated to ensure we will always have the most up-to-date package available.
Highlighting how the DYSS has improved the throughput of work at PS2 Print, Mr Langford concludes: "The complete package has been a revelation for our business. The Kasemake software has improved our design capabilities and lead times as well as our presentations to customers, whilst the cutting table has opened up markets previously beyond our scope. Not only can we cut, crease and bend forms, we can also cut acrylic, Di-Bond, box board, Foamex and other materials in thicknesses beyond 10mm that we couldn't have accurately cut by hand. This has improved our quality, consistency, accuracy and, above all, lead-times. We are delighted with the DYSS and OCE Arizona combination and we are destined to expand our large format business considerably with this combination."