Flying the Swiss flag in Britain

The swiss have a reputation worldwide for making high-quality, precision engineered products. And in the sign and display market, the Zünd name is synonymous with quality engineering, performance and reliability. With many wide-format manufacturers being based in mainland Europe and further afield, what few may know is that Zünd UK is firmly based in Britain, and has been for over 17 years.   Established in 1993, Zünd UK has rapidly become one of the industry leaders in the supply and service of precision cutting systems. Situated to the north of London and close to the M1 / M25 motorway network is Zünd UK's sales and service centre offering a full pre- and after sales service. It’s also where it houses its state-of-the-art demonstration suite complete with a bank of its new G3 cutters, cutting table options and finishing solutions.

Peter Giddings, sales director at Zünd UK, explains the company ethos: “Back in ’93 there were few facilities in the UK to demonstrate specialist cutting and finishing systems. You had to fly out to Europe or Japan to see anything outside of the norm. We saw an opportunity to fulfil the need for a UK-based operation that allowed customers to come and test the machines properly without haste or cost and enable them to build a genuine and close partnership between themselves and the manufacturer and so we set up Zünd UK to meet this demand in 1993. Since then Zünd UK has installed over 750 cutters and finishing solutions in various markets, such as graphics, sign and display, textile, aviation, motor sport, packaging, retail and many more - and they, like us, have stood the test of time. Put simply, it worked.”
Seventeen years later, Zünd UK as a company is still renowned for its excellent customer service and superior engineering skills. With the introduction of the G3 series, Zünd UK has seen a dramatic increase in sales due to the flexibility and modularity of the machines. The new G3 series was virtually re-designed from the ground up, incorporating new safety features, environmental considerations and a new universal cutting module that employs plug-and-play technology, catering for a comprehensive range of different cutting tools designed for specific jobs.
It’s this flexibility and precision engineering that singles out the G3 and Zünd as global market leaders in their field. So much so that Zünd UK has noticed a change in the purchasing profile of its systems. Giddings explains: “If we look at the graphics sector in particular as a large triangle cut into three horizontals, traditionally Zünd sales have come from the top section. This year, we have seen our sales increase significantly from the mid and upper-lower sections where businesses are investing in an automated finishing solution to compliment existing or new digital printing equipment. As a result our sales are currently 35-40% up on last year with a high level of activity resulting from demonstrations here in our UK demo suite. The demands of the market have driven the development of the cutters with our G3 3XL1600 size becoming more popular – with its ability to handle a 3.2m wide roll of media as well as 3 x 1.5m (10 x 5ft) rigid sheets. Therefore, as printers increase their size and speed, so must the cutter ability.” One of the application tools that makes the G3 stand out is the V-cutting tool with which the G3 can achieve cutting angles of 15°, 22,5°, 30°, 45° for materials up to 16mm (5/8in) thickness. In addition, the packaging design software that is offered with the Zünd G3 completes a full solution with pre-defined templates and 3D visualisation.

About the Zünd G3:
z The new G3 is freely accessible from all sides.
z The workstation provides secure storage for modules or tools that are not in use.
z A new V-Cut tool can be used to cut rigid materials up 16mm (5/8in) thick at various angles from 0° to 45°. This makes it possible to create three-dimensional displays from materials such as Kapa, Egafix, and similar dense sandwich board or honeycomb materials.
z A high-resolution ICC camera attaches to the tool carriage and can be freely combined with any and all tools and modules. This option is indispensible for applications that require efficiently and accurately matching cut to print.
z Zünd’s high quality standards for G3 are also reflected in the unprecedented two-year warranty that comes with the base G3 machine.
z G3 is fully compatible with many widely available CAD and packaging programs.

UK-based service engineers and parts With many customers running systems up to 24 hours a day it is imperative that they have peace of mind with regard to the performance and reliability of the machine. Factory trained technicians and a comprehensive spares service at Zünd UK ensure that all systems are maintained to the highest level and with a fast response by UK-based engineers. For more information on Zünd G3 or to book a demonstration, call 01727 833003 or visit www.zund.co.uk. 


Clicks Digital is one of the most successful print businesses in the UK today. Its secret? According to managing director Dave Spaul, its simple – buy the right technology at the right time to keep innovation alive. This mantra permeates through every part of the business and still holds true today. Clicks bought its first Zünd cutter way back in 2003, followed closely by a second in 2004 and the company has just upgraded one to a brand new Zünd G3.
Clicks started out life in 1983 as a computer graphics company, creating bespoke presentations for large corporates. With the introduction of personal Powerpoint software this business radically changed and that was when the company bought its first HP Indigo press. Clicks was a leader in its field and an early adopter of digital print technology, but, it is not just a printing house - its in-house production facilities include a whole range of finishing equipment, products and services.  Projects can be complicated and Clicks has to keep up with the demands of clients and top agencies. It is well known for being able to complete difficult tasks using innovative techniques and creative firepower. The company operates through the night and at weekends, 24 hours a day, to react to client demands, focusing on achieving only the highest quality with the finished product.

Time for change
Following the installation of its Inca Spyder V back in 2009, Clicks found that Zünd was bringing out a new model and immediately rang for a demo. The company’s previous two Zünd cutters were the flagships in its finishing department and almost everything it produced needed to be cut or finished so, with promises of increased speeds, extreme precision cutting and more features than you could shake a stick at, Clicks was very excited. Spaul comments: “The Spyder V, with twice as many heads, could produce the right amount of work at the right quality and it was paramount that the finishing process complimented this. We heard that the new Zünd G3 had been virtually rebuilt from the ground up and we knew we had to get one to match the new direct-to-substrate printer. The safety features and new software on the cutter is impressive and the different tools allow us to create more innovative products for our clients needs.” Following the successful installation of its first Zünd G3, Clicks decided to buy another unit. Spaul explains: “New technologies and innovations have a reputation for emerging out of recessions. We are very fortunate to be in a position to be able to buy the right technology at the right time, which has now enabled us to move forward out of the recessional period with a stronger and more dynamic business and ready to take on any new challenges our customers want to throw at us.”

Flexible
Spaul agrees that the G3 is the most flexible and reliable cutter available on the market, stating that cutting Perspex panels is like “a knife cutting through butter!” As with all new installations at Clicks, the company doesn’t just train the operators on the kit but all the sales executives and other members of staff so that they know just how capable the machines are and what solutions they offer. 
Clicks knows that with these two new G3 Zünds installed, it is able to take quality finished products into various new markets including retail, transport and banking. Spaul concludes: “We are here to create tangible solutions for our clients and deliver quality products that meet their needs. Its what we do best and that’s why we only invest in the best products for the job.”