Adelaide’s Hunter Bros is installing a Trotec GS-1000 laser cutter, as it looks to carve out a new market for laser finishing.
Ian Delbridge, owner director, Hunter Bros says, “Hunter Bros has traditionally been a trade printer for foil, embossing, and embellishing. We have a client base of every printer in Adelaide, with some interstate as well. We are heavily involved in wedding stationery. We are constantly getting enquiries for work needing a laser cutter, far too intricate for a die cutter.
“We had one particular job we outsourced to get laser cut from a non-print entity. After seeing the results and a poor back-and-forth to get more samples, we decided to invest in our own machine.
“We wanted to establish a market which was not there. Initially we were going to start with a small, entry-level. After discussions with Reece Moore from Trotec, we ended up buying a bigger machine, the GS-1000 and it arrived yesterday.
“Following an initial testing after one hour of setup, the response has been sensational. We have put a couple of videos on Facebook, and let close customers know it is here. The number of enquiries and comments we have had in 24 hours has been amazing.”
Delbridge purchased the 60-year old Hunter Bros in 2006, and has been owner director since. He says, “We are the go-to people in Adelaide when people cannot get things done. We are the sort of company where if something is possible to do, we will do it.
“We were already using magnesium foil dies, boss dies and traditional die cutters. Having laser cutting capabilities allows us to do far more intricate designs and engraving to compliment the things we do now.
“We run traditional Heidelberg equipment, and are heavily involved in old-technology letter pressing, ink on paper using compression to apply ink, which has had a resurgence in the past five years.
“The cutter rocked up yesterday morning. It is still being calibrated, tested, with our workers being trained. I quoted the first job using it this morning.
“It has been a fair bit of risk, but we believe no one in Adelaide is targeting the graphic arts industry. We will be attending trade shows to let industries know we have these capabilities. We expect to get enquiries about applications we had not previously considered.
“I am not concerned about other printers introducing laser cutters, as we are already a trade service to industry, with 300 clients in Adelaide alone. An individual company without that backing might be hard pressed to get one up and running.”
Reece Moore, managing director, Trotec Australia says, “Hunter Bros was looking for the next addition for their business, so we recommended what we feel is the most innovative finishing machine on the market.”
The company has entered a partnership with Trotec as part of the purchase.
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