Currie Group has partnered with Pro Cut to supply the Fold Stream range of print finishing systems to the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Pro Cut is a family-owned, German-based manufacturer which has provided systems integration and custom solutions for the print finishing market for over 20 years.
At drupa 2024, Pro Cut launched its own range of innovative, tailor-made finishing solutions to the market under the Fold Stream brand name.
The new partnership will expand Currie Group’s range of finishing solutions by adding new, high-efficiency short-to-medium run folding and glueing options, which complement the solutions from some of the company’s existing partners such as Horizon, KAMA and Foliant.
The partnership came about when Alan Tam, Currie Group’s category manager for Post-Press Equipment, and director of operations, Marcus Robinson, connected with Pro Cut’s founders Dirk and Jacqueline Stunkel at drupa, through their close relationship with existing Currie Group partner, Horizon.
“Pro Cut and Horizon in Europe have a great working relationship, with the Fold Stream range providing efficient and cost-effective entry-level folder gluer systems, which complement the Horizon product portfolio,” Tam said.
“We were impressed with the quality and productivity of the machines we saw on the Pro Cut stand at drupa, and particularly with their ease of use.”
According to Pro Cut, its machines are extremely fast and simple to set up, especially compared with traditional folder gluers, while setting up and changing over between jobs can be done in a matter of minutes.
This is complemented by high run speeds of up to 10,000 units an hour for straight-line box production, and between 4000 to 6000 an hour for more complex products like pillow boxes, wallets and folders.
“This makes the Fold Stream machines a very profitable solution for short or medium runs,” Tam points out. “And, because they are so simple to use, they don’t require much training or expertise to operate, which is a real bonus with the current shortage of skilled tradespeople.”
Dirk Stunkel, founder of Pro Cut, said he is excited to bring the company’s innovative solutions to the ANZ Market.
"Building on the overwhelming positive response we received at drupa 2024 for our Fold Stream range, we're excited to bring these innovative solutions to Australia and New Zealand,” said Stunkel.
“Our machines' ease of use and flexibility make them perfect for short-run productions, similar to the challenges faced in Europe where labour shortages and high costs are a challenge."
The Pro Cut Fold Stream range is completely modular and tool-less to operate, so systems can be configured to suit individual requirements, and units can be added as production requirements change.
Options include manual hand-feed or continuous feeders, shingle-conveyors and delivery stackers, tape applicators, hot melt or cold glue applicators, tipper plates and cross-folding units for wallets and pockets. The three-point glueing (for auto lock bottom boxes) and rotary creasing options were also released recently.
According to Tam, Currie Group is expecting the range to be popular with businesses that need to produce several different jobs a day, in runs from the low thousands to tens of thousands.
“That’s definitely the sweet spot,” Tam said. “It really will be the perfect solution for a range of businesses – from smaller packaging operations to commercial printers who want to expand into the label and packaging market, or larger PSPs who need a more efficient and profitable way to produce those shorter runs.”
Rob Mesaros, CEO of Currie Group, said the new partnership is another demonstration of the company’s commitment to providing total solutions for the ANZ markets.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Pro Cut to bring these high-quality, value for investment finishing solutions to the market in this part of the world,” Mesaros said.
“The new partnership is part of our ongoing quest to ensure print service providers in the ANZ have access to the solutions that best suit their production requirements, and can invest with confidence knowing that they have the full support of the largest technical support and service team in the region.
“As a family-owned company with a history of customer-focused service and innovation, Pro Cut is a great fit for Currie Group, and we look forward to working with them.”
Jacqueline Stunkel, co-founder of Pro Cut, added that the company is thrilled to partner with Currie Group, as the company is “a well-established and respected player in the printing industry in the ANZ”.
“We believe that our shared commitment to providing exceptional solutions and service makes us a natural fit, and we're looking forward to working closely together to bring innovative print finishing technology to this region."
At the time of writing, two Pro Cut folder gluers have already been ordered by Australian customers and will be installed in the coming months.