Hampshire Flag Company buys Zund G3 XL3200 cutter to speed up finishing process

Hampshire Flag Company has recently purchased a new Zund G3 XL3200 cutter through i-Sub Digital which has been installed at the company's Waterlooville factory near 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, revolutionising the business by bringing down production costs and increasing sales.

Despite this investment in new technologies, Hampshire Flag was still cutting all textile banners and flags it produced at its factory in the traditional manner using a hand guided machine.  It was a time consuming and laborious task and the company realised that the next phase of development required a new digital cutter.

Graham Wilkinson, managing director at Hampshire Flag, explains, “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 its 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 have 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, but Hampshire Flag is now 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 previously needed to be 'cold cut' - a technique that means a lengthy and highly accurate hand cut finish - but now the new Zund G3 XL3200 can complete the same task in a matter of seconds.

Wilkinson is very happy with his new Zund G3 XL3200 cutter and sees the machine as vital to the future success of Hampshire Flag in a rapidly changing industry.  “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.”

Peter Giddings, managing director of Zund UK, adds, "It’s great when we see a Zund cutter having such a positive and immediate impact upon a business.  Zund UK will be here to support Hampshire Flag Company with all aspects of their new Zund G3 XL3200 and we have enjoyed working with them on installation and training.”

For more information or to book a demonstration of Zund's cutters, please visit www.i-subdigital.com or email sales@zund.co.uk.