Robert Marshall, Vice President (Market Development) at AXYZ International reports that the most significant change in the industry from a routing perspective is the degree to which CNC machines have been adapted for the developing print & cut sector. He offers: “There have also been major machine upgrades that now enable a much wider range of both flexible and rigid materials to be processed, including those as diverse as aluminium sheet and other non-ferrous metals, aluminium composites (ACM), stainless steel, brass, acrylic and plastics, foamed and corrugated board, vinyl and cardboard.”

He adds: “A major innovation has been the recent launch of a hybrid digital finishing solution that is said to be the most versatile combined CNC routing and knife-cutting system currently available. Called the AXYZ Trident, it provides a three-pronged processing capability comprising a router spindle, plus oscillating and tangential knife units, within a single powerful production workhorse.

“Trident was developed to resolve issues frequently encountered by digital print finishers and in particular, those that relate to the need to process an ever-increasing variety of flexible and rigid substrates requiring wider, longer and deeper processing capabilities.  It also obviates the need to purchase a second machine to carry out all of the routing and cutting requirements of digital print finishing, as well as handling materials that might prove too challenging for conventional routers.

As to the challenges facing the industry and its future, Robert concluded: “Advances in CAD/CAM software have influenced the development of CNC routers and it can be argued that advances in routing technology have had a corresponding effect on the development of CAD/CAM software. Neither could exist without the other and therefore developments in both have tended to go hand in hand. This trend will continue and will help open up new market opportunities for router owners whilst reducing the cost of total ownership”.