The ever increasing competitive nature of print media is driving businesses to investigate new opportunities and G4 Design & Print Solutions, is no different. In its 35 year history the company has evolved from a repro print house to a company that conducts specialised signage, vehicle wrapping, PoS, exhibitions, stationary and shop-fitting. Now, the company is taking business to the next level with the acquisition of a DYSS X7-1624C digital cutting table.
G4 prides itself on being an innovator and the company has a history of this, buying the first 8 by 4ft flatbed printer able to print white in the Hull region several years ago. With a variety of Konica, Epson and Canon printing machines, G4 was at the Sign & Digital 2015 exhibition looking for a cutting table to complement its roll-fed, small format and large format flat bed digital printers.
Commenting on the purchasing decision, G4's Managing Director, Mr Darren Jimmeson says: "As a business we could see that our roll-fed printers for posters, banners and roll-ups needed secondary hand cutting that was time consuming. Additionally, when we printed on rigid substrates we couldn't manually cut complex shapes with any level of repeat precision. This meant that cutting foamex, corrugated board or acrylic lettering and signs had to be subcontracted out or we simply couldn't take the jobs on. We knew a cutting machine would develop our business and at the 2015 Sign show, we looked at the options.
"We reviewed all the available cutters and what sold the DYSS machine to us was the attention to detail and knowledge of the AG/CAD staff. They were far more attentive to our needs than alternate vendors and, from a product perspective, the KASEMAKE CAD software stood head and shoulders above anything else available. We were sold on the technical nous and support of the AG/CAD team and also the KASEMAKE software; but the robust build quality, capability and flexibility of the DYSS X7 really sealed the deal for us. Within days of installing the machine we cut a PoS job on the DYSS in less than an hour. Previously, this job would have been a full 8 hours of manual cutting with edge quality and precision that wouldn't come close to the DYSS. Our decision to buy the DYSS was immediately justified."
With the KASEMAKE software another major factor in G4's decision to buy the DYSS X7 machine, Mr Jimmeson continues: "I could see the potential for the software immediately and we are now using it extensively when quoting on jobs. The ability to provide customers with a 3D mock-up in a PDF format enables the customer to visualise their design. Secondly, we can now design and produce a printed sample with exceptional turnaround times. Existing customers love this new sample process whilst new customers are being attracted by our visual and physical samples and quotes that are far superior to anything being pitched by competitors."
From a technical perspective, KASEMAKE has a database of over 700 different resizable cutter guides for leaflet holders, displays, boxes and much more. This is also giving G4 a competitive edge, as Mr Jimmeson says: "We receive artwork from customers and manufacture to specifications, however the dimensions do not always correlate to provide a makeable or correctly folding product. With KASEMAKE we can prove the customers design, provide feedback, amend inaccuracies and ensure the finished product is 100% correct. From an internal perspective, our design time is reduced as we only have to alter one parameter of the design and KASEMAKE will automatically adjust all other dimensions to suit. This eliminates any potential for design errors or miscalculations."
Prior to the actual arrival of the DYSS, the thinking was that the machine would complement the company's OCE Arizona flat-bed printer, however it has done so much more. Whilst the KASEMAKE software has enhanced quoting processes and brought in new business; it is the ability to cut acrylic, Dibond, foamex, polypropylene, B and E-flute board, corrugated board as well as vinyl and posters to complicated shapes and geometries that has expanded the customer base for G4. In addition, by bringing this work in-house G4 has reduced its lead-times and it is no longer reliant on the service or quality levels of external suppliers, something else that is assisting the sales process.
From a commercial standpoint, G4 is confident the DYSS will have a payback period of less than two years. So, how does the company calculate this? The subcontract cost of externally cutting signage and lettering from materials such as Dibond and acrylic has now been brought in-house, saving a massive £35,000 to £40,000 per annum. With regards to small format digital print, G4 produces regular runs from 1 to 2,000+ and these jobs tend to require externally produced cutting formes and the subsequent subcontract cutting service. Whilst cutting formes are faster for large print runs, any print run up to 300 is deemed as more economically viable to process on the DYSS. With the majority of its work being prototypes and small print runs, G4 will save upwards of £10,000 on subcontract costs for its print work.
As well as this combined annual saving in the region of £45,000, G4 is also cutting its material costs with the KASEMAKE software nesting the parts on a sheet to maximise material usage and minimise waste by calculating the square meterage of material needed. "We are delighted with the DYSS machine, the KASEMAKE software and the support from AG/CAD. The machine has cut our costs, improved productivity and lead-times, enhanced our sales process, opened new markets, streamlined our processes and made our staff more productive. We genuinely couldn't have asked for more from a machine or AG/CAD as a supplier," concludes Mr Jimmeson.
