When Tradenet Publishing Inc. set out to expand its product line they needed equipment that provided solutions rather than problems. Located in Gardener, KS, Tradenet is a leading manufacturer of various promotional products made with resilient paper and plastic materials. One piece of equipment used to manufacture those products is a web fed die-cutting press. Tradenet has been using an existing press to manufacture their products, but was unhappy with the equipment. The equipment’s edge guides were made from nylon blocks, which developed cracks that the material could catch on. The equipment was also having some electrical problems, which were increasing costs and decreasing the dependability of their current equipment.
Tradenet attended the PACK EXPO International trade show in search of a reliable web fed die-cutting press so they could produce existing products more efficiently and expand their product line. The equipment would also have to be custom engineered to accommodate Tradenet's needs such as an aluminum edge guide instead of nylon blocks to prevent cracking due to wear, and control unit mounted on a swing arm for easier operator use.
At the show, Tradenet found CONTECH and purchased a CONTECH 12” Web Fed Die-Cutting press. Capable of precise cutting, the die-cutting press can thermal die-cut, emboss, deboss, hot and cold steel-rule thru-cut, and steel0-rule kiss-cut. The press is also capable of operating at variable speeds while keeping in Tradenet’s tolerance range of +/- 0.045 inches.
“We are a growing company, in a year or so we will probably be back for another press. CONTECH is doing a great job,” said Dennis Koch, Tradenet vice president.
The die-cutting press was just as fast as Tradenet’s old equipment. The new aluminum edge guides had solved the material hang-ups, and the electrical problems experience before were eliminated. Tradenent also discovered that the CONTECH press made it easier for the operator to make certain adjustments during the actual production process. These adjustments, such as feeding different materials at different speeds, allowed Tradenet to produce more products faster. Another benefit about the due-cutting press was the ease of installation. Tradenet has been able to install and set up the new equipment in a very short amount of time. A CONTECH representative worked with Tradenet personnel to make sure the process was as painless as possible.
“The people of CONTECH are great”, said Koch, “they are good people and they follow through.”
