Quality paves the way to new opportunities

For Frederik Möller and wide-format print service provider CCL in Hamburg, Germany, superior quality and perfect execution are what counts. He opted for a Zünd digital cutting system to increase productivity and expand the company's product offering.

One of the first things one notices about CCL Hamburg is the enormous product palette. There is almost nothing within the scope of wide-format digital printing the company doesn't handle – from textile to films and vinyls, to wall coverings, canvas and leather, PVC, aluminum, as well as glass, plexi, and wood. As an additional service for its retail and wholesale customers, CCL also contour routes, finishes, and on request, assembles.
30 years ago, owner and CEO Frederik Möller started the company as a professional photo lab. Back then, wide-format digital printing was still rather exotic, so the company's focus was primarily on developing and processing photographs. When a few years later digital photo processing began to make inroads and the first laser imagesetters became available, CCL began using such a system to produce large-format slides and photo prints.
In the intervening years, the company has always kept up with new developments and continually updated its equipment. When it began running out of space, CCL relocated to new, larger facilities in Hamburg's Bergfelde area in 2008.
In subsequent years, when wide-format printing started coming into its own, the field became more and more crowded with competitors, and customers began demanding shorter and shorter delivery times. This is what prompted CCL to invest in new UV-, latex-, and wide-format printing equipment that used water-based inks suitable for all common flexible and rigid substrates.

Aiming for faster production
As the order volume increased and with it, the demand for finishing, Frederik Möller quickly realized the company's existing finishing equipment was nearing capacity.
„While I was continually investing in the latest wide-format printing technology — our newest and, to date, largest printer has been in operation for no more than six months – I realized in early 2016 that we would have to further automate our production. As a means to fight competitive price pressures, we needed to considerably speed up our finishing processes including cutting, routing, creasing, and drilling – all operations we were largely still performing by hand.“
The purchase of a digital cutting system presented itself as an obvious solution for effectively increasing productivity. This is where the Zünd G3 came into play. Asked why he opted for a Zünd digital cutting system, Frederik Möller explains: „I have to confess, I have always been impressed with Swiss craftsmanship and quality of construction. What also played into my decision was the fact that many years before, when Zünd was still making wide-format printers, I had one in operation for a long time and it never once failed me.“
That is why in 2016, he decided to invest in a Zünd G3 L-2500 cutting system – a decision Möller came to after visiting the Zünd manufacturing facilities in Altstätten, Switzerland, and one he has never regretted. In comparison to some competitive systems, the Zünd came with a higher price tag, but for him, quality was the deciding factor.