FRANK STEEL UPS DIE-CUTS WITH NEW CENTURY

Point of sale display company Frank Steel Displays can now offer faster die-cutting times for its displays and a quicker turnaround for its trade customers, with the purchase of the new Century MWB 1620, installed by Graffica.

Owner Anthony Steel says the MWB 1620 die cutting machine, which was ordered from Graffica in July and delivered at the end of October, has replaced a clamshell of the same cutting size. He says it provides flexibility within the die-cutting process as it offers the choice of the right die-cutter for the right job.

"We also have a large clamshell die-cutter (2600mm x 1600mm) which is currently cutting 90 per cent of our work. The Century will take 70 per cent of the work from the large clamshell to free it up for extra-large sheets for cutting and to enable additional machine time for our customers," said Steel.

"Frank Steel Displays services two types of markets – direct to customer and trade work. The two machines can cost effectively die-cut up to a size of 2550 x 1550," he added, confirming that the company also has a sheet-to-sheet laminator that can accommodate the large clamshell size.

Commenting on the company's experience dealing with Graffica, Steel says that it was an easy process. "There was no 'hard sell'. We were aware that Century die-cutting machines have been in the market for a while now. We only heard good things with the machines, so it was an easy sale for Neil. The installation was a breeze, and the machine was up and running in 24 hours," he said, confirming that Frank Steel Display's operators had undergone basic training, with further training scheduled in the coming week.

Neil Southerington, director Graffica explains that the Century MWB 1620 was purchased by Frank Steel Displays to speed up production, while at the same time the company also had safety in mind.

"Anthony and I had many discussions about the features and benefits of the various models and sizes Century has to offer, which culminated in the purchase of the Century MWB 1620," said Southerington, confirming that this is the 12th Century MWB 1620 that Graffica has brought into ANZ and the sixth into businesses where displays are the main focus.

Award-winning fifth generation company SME Frank Steel Displays is one of the oldest companies in the temporary point of sale display market in Australia. Originally a signwriting company in the late 1800s, the business has evolved to designing and producing "innovative" point of sale displays. Currently there are three family members in the business –  Trish and Anthony Steel and their son Blake.