ProductWatch: Kongsberg’s digital cutting table

WhatPackaging? (WP): Name of the machine?
Kongsberg Systems (KS): Kongsberg C Series digital cutting table

WP: What does it do?
KS: The machine is built for a high performance, and is the essential cutting table for the packaging, wide format and signage and display sectors. The result of more than 50 years of technical expertise and innovation, it offers speed and acceleration with quick and precise tool movements, for high quality digital production even under the tightest deadlines.

WP: Explain what it is suitable for?
KS: With a complete range of tooling options, the Kongsberg C Series can tackle any cutting task. It improves productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction for corrugated board and folding carton converters.

WP: When was it launched?
KS: The C Series was introduced in 2013. The latest member of the family, Kongsberg C20, was launched in 2021.

WP: How does it serve the corrugation industry? What are its applications?
KS: The extreme rigidity of the carbon traverse allows high speed, accuracy and a heavy payload, even when working on the most demanding materials. The power, performance and precision combined with automation capabilities, deliver efficient results.

WP: How does it contribute to the SME sector of the Indian packaging industry?
KS: The Kongsberg C Series delivers optimum performance in terms of speed, quality and reliability, helping businesses meet the demands of customers as well as growing into other areas. The recently launched Kongsberg C20, packs all the similar features into a compact size of just 1.6-m by 1.4-m. 

Industrial manufacturers, as well as small sign shops, require a high-speed cutting table to keep up with the manufacturing process, but floorspace comes at a premium. The high cost of owning or renting space is a serious problem for many in the sign and display market.

WP: What is unique about this product?
KS: The Kongsberg C tables have a carbon composite traverse, making it possible to combine speed with quality, even while spanning 3.2 metres. Performance is further enhanced by the tooling system. The comprehensive range consists of a wide variety of optional tool units, all of which can be quickly mounted in one of the three tool positions available, enabling up to three tools to be used on the same job.

WP: How convenient is it to use?
KS: The Kongsberg C Series is capable of full automation as part of an integrated production workflow. MultiZone production allows users to load two sheets at the same time and maximise the production capacity on the cutting table without expensive automation add-ons. The MultiZone operation mode enables the operator to prepare one zone while the table processes the other, with automatic change-over when one zone is completed, vastly increasing overall productivity and throughput. 

An optional zone control panel mounted on the table’s side cover, provides a time-saving way of acknowledging that the zone is ready for production, as well as manual vacuum hold-down control. An easy to use pallet-to-pallet material handling solution, with a stack height at 915 mm and quick automatic load cycles. The Kongsberg board feeder eliminates the chance of damage encountered with manual handling, and ensures that the print moves to the cutting table with precision and care.

WP: Assembly line speed?
KS: The Kongsberg C Series offers a speed of 100 m/min and acceleration up to 1.7 G.

WP: How does it score on the merits like being trouble-free?
KS: Kongsberg machines have earned a reputation for build quality, power, performance and precision. With more than 50 years of technical expertise and innovation, we are proud of the robust quality of our precision cutting systems. We have a service team available to remedy any problems as quickly as possible.

WP: Any feedback from your customers?
KS: Gerald Maister, vice president, Global Imaging, said. “Our in-house design team prides itself on delivering the impactful displays our customers want, and we believe their imagination deserves an equally imaginative approach to digital printing and display fabrication. The Kongsberg C64 enables us to deliver the very best finish to make our customers’ visions a reality, while the investment in the automated feeder and stacker ensures that we can achieve more in less time.”

WP: Key customers?
KS: Our customer base spans across 114 countries across the packaging, sign, display and industrial markets. We are the preferred digital cutting supplier of the leading companies within these segments.

WP: Contact person and details:
KS: Muhammad Rafiq Shaikh, sales leader and service leader
EMail id: Rafiq.Shaikh@kongsbergsystems.com