Expand A Sign pushing boundaries with the Summa FB1850 laser cutter

The South African-based company Expand A Sign was initially active in the manufacturing of sunshades. Over the years, it has converted into a global leader in portable branding solutions with 300 employees and offices in Durban, Cape Town, England, Ireland, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and more.

Expand A Sign likes to push the boundaries and set the trends, which is why they decided to buy their first Summa bespoke FB1850 laser cutter about four years ago. Meanwhile, another two FB laser units were put into operation. The bespoke FB Series, manufactured by Summa’s laser division CadCam Technology, features laser cutters that can be tailored to the customer’s specific cutting needs.

The search for better quality

Expand A Sign provides high-end customised branding solutions, mostly textiles, that have become ‘must-haves’ for many product launches, activities or events. Four years ago, the company was on the search for a laser cutter, which would simultaneously increase the cutting quality and seal the edges of their fabric-based applications flawlessly.

Wade Bartlett, General Manager of Expand A Sign explains: “If we wouldn’t have had the Summa FB1850 laser cutter, we would have been forced to seal the edges of fabrics using hand burners, which would undoubtedly have led to horrendous results. Thanks to the FB1850 laser cutter the edges are perfectly sealed, which has an immediate positive effect on the cutting quality of our products.”

The automated and efficient workflow

Bags, banners, labels, roll-ups, face masks, A-frames, bunting, PVC windows, felt bags, sportswear, you name it. The FB1850 is used for the processing of infinite applications. The production workflow happens straightforwardly and efficiently. As soon as the job is printed and the fabric is rolled onto the laser cutter, the operator selects the correct cut file. Thereafter, the FB1850 starts the cutting process and delivers a perfectly cut product, ready to be sent to the sewing production line for the final touch. The laser cutter will then look for the next job and will start cutting it automatically – job after job.  This way, the laser cutter can run day and night. Continuously.

Wade Bartlett adds: “The ease-of-use of the FB1850 is simply fantastic! In addition, CadCam Technology provided excellent service during the unit’s installation, which convinced us soon to order another two units to increase yield even more. The fact that the FB Series can be tailored to specific cutting needs makes this series one-of-a-kind to be used in numerous print&cut workflows.”

 

The will to lead and succeed

Expand A Sign has a strong ‘can-do attitude’, representing an undeniable will to succeed. The company’s core pillars are quality, innovation, service and passion. Their distinct culture is reflected in their business doing by giving chances to people, inspiring them and by achieving as a team. This positive attitude combined with their FB1850 laser units enables the company to produce many more perfectly cut branding solutions that place them as a league of their own. Or as they would put it: Where we lead, others follow.

Expand A Sign makes a meaningful difference in South Africa by reducing environmental impact and contributing to local skills development and job creation in their subsidiary www.uzwelo.co.za. The bags manufactured here are made with zero carbon footprint and processed for 90% with the Summa FB1850 laser cutter. This environmental consciousness is reflected in all aspects of Expand A Sign and its subsidiary Uzwelo.

About the Summa laser cutters

The FB Cutter Series is manufactured by Summa’s laser division CadCam Technology. These bespoke laser cutters, as the name suggests, are tailored to the needs of the customer. With its large number of options and configurations, this product series is extremely suitable for companies that process special applications. Other companies that do not require this degree of customization, will benefit more from the Summa L Series.

Find out more about Summa’s L Series laser cutters and Summa’s bespoke FB cutters.