Zünd expands Q-Line with BHS180 Board handling system

Zünd is expanding its machine portfolio in pallet-to-pallet production with the new Q-Line with BHS180 Board Handling System and UNDERCAM. The Q-Line with BHS180 has smart machine-control technology and a high level of automation.

The new Q-Line with BHS180 board handling system is an integrated solution intended to meet the demands of highly automated, industrial finishing of printed boards for displays and packaging. The individual components – the board feeder with UNDERCAM, the new Q-Line cutter generation, and the off-load unit – are optimally coordinated and provide high productivity levels. Together, the company says, they offer cutting accuracy and reliability, making it easier for packaging and display manufacturers to automate their cutting operations and achieve maximum efficiency.

The system enables an unsupervised, uninterrupted production workflow and gives users enormous savings potential, irrespective of company size.

Working together, the new machine components generate a speed of up to 2.8 m/s. The new substructure for Q-Line cutters is made from extremely stable concrete. It ensures smooth operation and optimum cutting precision, even at extremely high speeds. The beams are made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, which makes them very light and exceedingly strong. Even demanding materials can be processed at top speeds and the highest quality levels. The new linear drive system enables acceleration of up to 2.1g. Therefore, jobs can be processed at even greater speeds and shorter cycle times per job.

The Q-Line with BHS180 comes with the latest generation of modules and tools. AUTOMO L provides a creasing pressure of up to 50 kg. This makes it the perfect carrier module for creasing with large crease wheels like the CRETO 150. AUTOMO E excels particularly in the speed at which it lowers and lifts the tools. Each beam is equipped with four modules: two AUTOMO E modules, one AUTOMO L, and one fixed INCAM sensor module to capture registration marks, QR codes, and material edges.

UNITO is used with centred and off-centred drag knives and is suitable for processing materials up to 5 mm thick. ELOSTO is available in two variations for cutting operations requiring electric motor-driven oscillation. If creasing wheels are to be used, CRETO is the required tool. CRETO 24, CRETO 61, and CRETO 150 differ slightly in their design and can accommodate crease wheels of different types and diameters. PERTO is the tool used in conjunction with perforating wheels. DRAWTO is for marking and drawing on an extensive range of materials.

The new tool-management system makes digital finishing more efficient than ever before. Q-Line cutters come standard with an automatic tool-changing system. The TOMAC Tool Management Client handles tool management from start to finish, ensuring easy and automated processes. In addition, tool management digitally links the tools with presets, which saves valuable time in setup and tool changes.

The Q-Line with BHS180 removes bottlenecks in digital cutting by eliminating the need for manual material handling. Automatic material transport from pallet to pallet maximises the productivity of the production workflow and prevents idle time.

A customisable, transparent production workflow also ensures smooth and reliable order processing. The system captures the information stored for each job using QR codes and thus ensures an intelligent, error-free, QR code-based production workflow. It enables processing a variety of different jobs in the stack. Processing begins automatically.

The UNDERCAM integrated into the board feeder captures the precise location of the image printed on the board. It reliably identifies any distortions in the print, compensates for them, and perfectly matches the cut to the print every time. With every scan, the software adjusts the cut paths to the printed image in real time, significantly reducing the cycle time for each job.

During the feeding process, sensors capture the edges of the material, and the board is correctly aligned. If the board is not within tolerance, the board feeder grabs it once more and realigns it so it can be fed onto the cutter without interruption. This allows even imperfectly stacked materials to be processed, further streamlining the production workflow. In addition, to ensure reliable board and sheet separation, redeveloped suction cups can be individually adjusted for different materials via Zünd Cut Center – ZCC.

The innovative design of the off-load unit allows bridge-free cut boards to be stacked quickly and cleanly. Different jobs are stacked slightly offset, which enables finished jobs to be quickly and neatly removed for downstream processing. Any faulty boards are also set aside with an offset and can easily be detected as the pallet is removed.

The new Q-Line with BHS180 is initially available as a dual-beam system in three sizes. Users select the appropriate machine size for their specific requirements, no matter whether their production involves one-offs, small batches, or high-volume orders. The Zünd Cutter Q 32-32 D has a working width of 3.2 m, the Q 22-32 D has a working width of 2.2 m, and the Q 18-32 D has a working width of 1.8 m.