While printing technology has advanced rapidly over the past decade, finishing departments — including cutting, routing, and fabrication activities — have increasingly become an operational bottleneck. Within the interviews of seven executives and technical leaders representing major cutting and routing equipment manufacturers, one overarching reality emerged: The future of production will not only be defined by faster printers, but also by smarter finishing processes.
From adding automation and AI-driven software, to migration toward higher-value signage applications, finishing OEMs are aligning around common solutions to shared challenges. Included in this article is input from representatives of the following companies:
- Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems/MultiCam Summa
- Zünd America
- Graphco
- Elitron America
- Graphtec America
- Cutworx USA
1. Automation Is No Longer Optional
If there is one word that appears in every interview, it is automation. One by one, executives emphasized that automation is not merely an upgraded feature; it has become a valued and essential survival tool for wide-format print service providers (PSPs). Though automation, finishing is transitioning from a labor-intensive craft into an industrialized manufacturing process.
Read this full article on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
