Hampshire Flag Company has bought a Zund G3 XL3200 cutter from reseller I-Sub Digital. The company took delivery of the cutter in July at its Waterlooville factory close to Portsmouth.
Established over 30 years ago, Hampshire Flag started trading as a traditional flag manufacturer producing hand-sewn flags. In the past seven years the company has invested in digital printing technology but was still cutting all textile banners and flags they produced at their factory in the traditional manner using a hand guided machine.
Managing Director Graham Wilkinson, said of the G3 investment: “We looked at a few competitor machines and the Zund G3 XL3200 stood out as a robust and adaptable machine. Zund also allowed us to carry out thorough testing of the machine before we made a decision to purchase. The service we received was exceptional at all times.”
Installation and training were provided by the Zund UK team, including setting up the new Zund G3 XL3200 for optimum performance taking into account the particular production needs and tasks of Hampshire Flag.
As soon as the Zund G3 XL3200 was installed, Hampshire Flag noticed an improvement in work flow through their factory. The bottleneck in the finishing department was removed, allowing Hampshire Flag to take on more work without having to increase staffing levels. Wilkinson continues: “We calculated that we would need to employ three more members of staff to cut textiles to replace the Zund machine when it is operating at maximum output.”
Not only are customers benefiting from a quicker turnaround, now Hampshire Flag are able to produce more intricate and accurate finishes and there is also less wastage, as the Zund G3 XL3200 is so accurate. Some of the products that Hampshire Flag produces are “cold cut” a technique that means a lengthy and highly accurate hand cut finish, now the new Zund G3 XL3200 can complete the same task in a matter of seconds.
“Over the last decade companies that have not adapted to new technology haven’t been able to deliver the same service levels and many have had to close their doors. The new Zund G3 XL3200 will help us keep on delivering excellent service to our customers in this competitive marketplace. We are able to provide more complex items that we simply couldn’t have delivered before installation and our production times on simple tasks has fallen dramatically. I have no doubt this machine will pay for itself many times over.”