Many successful teams build by adding key pieces over a period of time. Team Concept Printing in Carol Stream, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, certainly fits into that category. A Komori shop, the award-winning commercial wholesale provider recently added a new cutting edge Saber® X15 paper cutter with Microcut™ that has improved production levels and is providing a host of other benefits.
The installation that took place three months ago is the result of a partnership between the KomoriKare program of Komori America Corporation, and Colter & Peterson, North America's largest independent distributor and foremost authority of paper cutters and paper handling equipment. The Saber X15 cuts material up to 37" and is used to finish work printed on Team Concept's new Komori Lithrone SX-29 press, a 6-color fully automated beast with inking and coating capability for packaging jobs.
"We installed the Saber cutter in January and use it for everything that prints off the Komori SX-29 press. That includes postcards, books, stationery, flyers, business cards, all types of folds – you name it, we can do it," exclaimed Team Concept's Infrastructure Manager, Luci Estevez. "We also use it with any jobs that have plastic and heavier substrates for the packaging products we produce."
Team Concept handles conventional, digital and direct mail printing for local marketing agencies, graphic designers and custom printing resellers. Estevez said a conversation with Komori last October led to discussions about adding the Saber X15 as the company's fourth paper cutter.
"We chose this machine due to the CIP ¾ capability and the double arm pull. With our new press, we are able to print on thick board stocks and plastics so the double knife drive is a big plus," said Estevez, indicating it is used during two shifts over a 13-hour period five days a week, plus on weekends when necessary.
Manufactured to ISO-9001 standards, the Saber X15 comes with game-changing automatic knife adjustment. Using the CIP ¾ files, programs can quickly be uploaded from a network or with a USB device and no additional hardware or software is required. Complete with the Microcut system - a popular computerized back gauge program that includes state-of-the-art technology, a 15-inch wide format color touch screen programming and control panel, and various safety features - Estevez says Team Concept has benefitted from increased production levels.
"We love this machine. With the ability to automate cutting sequences and position the back gauge, the Microcut feature has saved us a ton of time," she indicated, pointing out that Team Concept specializes in producing the majority of its work in three days or less.
"It helps a lot with the start of a job so the operator doesn't have to figure each and every cut. This cutter also can fit a larger lift than our other cutters. Overall, it makes us 15% more productive, which adds a lot of value throughout the year."
