Colter & Peterson to demonstrate new SABER and PRISM finishing products at PRINT 18

Colter & Peterson’s two most popular paper cutting brand lines are about to attract even more attention. Used by a wide range of customers - including those from outside the graphic arts industry - for a variety of different applications, new SABER® and PRISM® machines will be prominently featured in the Print Technologies Show Print 18 C&P booth (1607) at PRINT 18, to be held September 30-October 2 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The 45-inch SABER S115 and 36-inch PRISM P92 paper cutters will be demonstrated alongside new PRISM paper jogging and paper stack lift units. Equipped with game-changing Microcut® electronics packages, most new SABER and PRISM customers reap a windfall in their finishing departments by experiencing productivity increases of 50 percent or more. It is often achieved through a reduction in set-up time, more accurate and quicker trim times, and faster turnaround while cutting sheets of paper or different and difficult substrates at various thickness levels.

“Both machine lines have a well-earned reputation for durability. They are reliable and built for the toughest jobs, and not just cutting paper sheets,” says Bruce Peterson, Colter & Peterson’s President and CEO. “But the greatest compliment is what our customers are saying. It doesn’t matter if it is a commercial offset or digital printer, a direct mail or in-house print shop, a wide format provider, P-O-P providers and packagers, sign makers or plastics manufacturers. They all like what the PRISM and SABER does for them.”

Mailings Unlimited, a Portland, Maine direct marketing print and mailing operation, installed a 37-inch SABER last October to support its fast turnaround times. Co-owner Jon Webel says learning how Microcut and the HP Direct-to-Finish program interface with his HP Indigo 7900 and 7600 presses was important to supporting their reputation as a fast turnaround shop.

“With the speed of this machine,” said Webel about the SABER, “we get a call in the morning and if the artwork is good, we can cut and mail 50,000 postcards the same day. Our machine comes with a clamp height that allows us to cut 500 sheets of postcard stock per lift. With the auto-cut feature, the operator can stack finished card while the machine automatically makes the next cut. That just blew our minds because speed is important to us. Ninety percent of what we print is on-demand personalized mailings.”

Bindery Manager Tom Jurney at digital print provider Avanzado near Detroit, was so impressed with a new 36-inch PRISM he convinced his bosses to add a 45-inch PRISM eight months ago.

“It’s been a win-win for us,” he said, noting they have experienced greater levels of work and output. “The PRISM knife cuts thick stocks like butter and the Microcut program saves us time and makes us more efficient. It really hit home for us because it impacts everything we do.”

Greg Gabbana, VP of Finance and Operations, saw additional benefits with both machines.

“The 45-inch machine has a larger stack lift by two inches, so we can cut up to six inches of material with it. The majority is 80 to 100-pound cover stock and we can also cut a broader range of sheet sizes,” he said. Mentioning how the clamp pressure of the 36-inch PRISM at 7,500 pounds was a huge improvement over their previous paper cutter, Gabbana said the 45-inch unit provides even more power. “At 9,200 pounds, we do a lot of jobs that require UV coating where the clamp pressure is absolutely critical. The PRISM cuts are so much cleaner and sharper.”

Scott Ruple, Production Manager at Bourne Brothers in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, knew productivity would increase once his 36-inch PRISM was up and running for his busy season, which runs from May through September. He anticipated good results on the large format conventional side, but the speed of the PRISM is paying off for digital work.

“We do everything from banners to displays for retailers and schools, and smaller run work for businesses and mom and pop stores. The PRISM excels when we have a job that is 1,000 pieces or less. The speed is very good and it is really easy to set-up for jobs. With our 6-inch clamp opening, we can cut 50 or 60 sheets at a time. Those jobs are finished in no time and is why our productivity continues to improve.”

As workloads and demands have changed, so has Colter & Peterson by adapting to fit the needs of different applications. Need something larger to fit the large or wide format segment? The SABER line can accommodate customers up to 141-inch widths and the ability to do something outside the box. That’s what convinced Austin, Texas plastics manufacturer K&R Plastics to install a SABER XXL cutting system that includes Microcut PLUS electronics and a PRISM paper unloader.

“It has helped triple our production and because of its capabilities, we take in every kind of job we can get. There isn’t much we can’t do with it,” explained Will Peter, the company’s Production Manager who says his run sizes vary between 25,000 and 77,000 pieces. K&R uses 10 types of print-grade plastics – the most popular being vinyl – and produces millions of pounds of material monthly that is shipped across the U.S. and to Canada and Mexico as well.

Peter said the cut angle and high accuracy necessary to trim thicknesses up to 6 mil and sizes from 3-by-48 inches to 60-by-40 inches, combined with the fast turnaround nature of his business – one day or less – were factors in his decision to invest in the SABER XXL.

“Having the double bevel blade definitely improved our ability to do a greater variety of work and trim material without breaking it. We square cut a lot of material and go as high as 60 gauge, but we get a real smooth edge at 40 gauge. It saves us a lot of time by cutting large stacks of 3-1/2 to 4-inches of material at a time when we trim 12 or 15 gauge. We’re now doing some work involving APET. It is similar to polycarbonate., a high volume thin gauge packaging material. We print it on 28-by-40-inch sheets, square cut and trim it down for custom jobs.”