Zünd table cutting systems are well-known in the graphics and POS industry for their quality Swiss build and reliability. However, other industries are discovering the benefits of computerised pattern cutting - such as Impact Acoustic of Lucerne and more recently the Philippines for the Asian market.
Acoustic panels, expertly fabricated by Impact using Zund cutters
Ever since its founding, Impact Acoustic has pursued a clear mission: to develop and manufacture high-quality acoustic solutions that meet the highest sustainability standards. They use materials such as recycled PET and cellulose and fully digitalized their entire production process from the outset – a decision that would not have been made without Zünd and its digital cutters.
Impact Acoustic wanted to 'make an impact,' to create something in which design and sustainable development would be in harmony. And they wanted to improve room acoustics and help reduce echo. This was the mission that led Sven Erni and Jeffrey Ibañez to found Impact Acoustic in 2019. Both men had their roots in architecture and design and had worked in Asia and Europe for a number of years. Today, they and their roughly 100 employees develop and produce acoustic solutions for a range of different uses at their production facility in Lucerne, Switzerland. 
Architectural acoustic panels is a high-growth market
For their cutting needs, Impact Acoustic has relied on cutting technology from Zünd since the very beginning. They now have three Zünd G3 XL-3200 cutters in operation, and they’ve got plenty to do. The acoustic materials are cut in shifts and the order books are bursting. However, they’re well equipped to meet demand with their all-digital production. “Where simple metal ceilings were once standard, today the demand is for more flexible solutions that meet higher standards in terms of room acoustics and aesthetics,” says Sven Erni. The clientèle is mainly from the office context, but the tourism and hotel sectors are quickly gaining ground.
Asian expansion from Philippines
Impact Acoustic also serves big-name clients in Asia, building on co-owner Jeffrey Ibañez’s personal connection to the market as a native of the Philippines. So it was an obvious next step when Impact Acoustic established a second production facility in Biñan, an hour’s drive south of Manila, in 2022. “The Biñan location mainly serves our growing customer base in Asia and the Americas. The additional location enables us to produce more locally and, above all, with lower emissions,” explains Sven Erni. Notwithstanding the 10,000 km between them, collaboration between the two locations runs like clockwork.
A Zund G3 table cutterMost of the order processing, product development and production planning is handled in the Philippines. An identical Zünd G3 cutter to Lucerne's is used for cutting in the Philippines: “With this kind of configuration, digitalized and standardized processes are absolutely essential. We have established the same production standards in both locations.” For centralized monitoring of production at both sites, Impact Acoustic works with Zünd Connect. All Zünd cutters are connected via the cloud and provide production figures in real time.
Sven Erni says: “In terms of production, we make no distinction between the Philippines and Switzerland. We can monitor all cutters from Lucerne and have an overview of all relevant indicators through various dashboards at all times. We’ll also be opening a third location in Italy soon, which will further increase the complexity.” The data from Zünd Connect provides transparency and helps Impact Acoustic identify areas for improvement in its production workflow.
The ultimate recipe for success, is the raw material used by Impact Acoustic. With a view to keeping their environmental footprint as small possible, the aspect of sustainability and the concept of upcycling play a central role. One example of this is Archisonic Felt, a 'high-performance acoustic absorber' and environmentally friendly acoustic solution made of recycled plastic bottles that Impact Acoustic developed in-house. One square meter of the material consists of 88 recycled plastic bottles. Erni says: “The materials that we use have a textile characteristic and are never entirely homogeneous or even. This makes the accuracy of the cutting all the more important so we can achieve our quality standards. You can’t see where a cut begins or ends, for example.
Impact Acoustic’s latest breakthrough is Archisonic Cotton, an acoustic absorber made of sustainable natural fibers. The main component is what are known as cotton linters, a by-product of the cotton industry. The material is completely recyclable and 100% of the acoustic absorbers can be returned to the production process at the end of the product life cycle. This reduces waste and makes efficient use of limited resources.
Complex projects such as acoustic projects for large office spaces spanning multiple floors can easily encompass several thousand square meters of space. “Jobs like that can quickly run to 30,000 individual parts or more.” And each one is a bit different from the others. Keeping track of everything would be inconceivable without detailed production and assembly plans. “Every single piece has all of the relevant order and position data printed on it during cutting. This simplifies matters for the installation staff on-site since the assembly plans tell them exactly where each piece has to be installed,” says Erni.
“The reliability of the Zünd cutters is absolutely key for us, especially at our relatively small location here in Lucerne. Our Zünd cutters are running non-stop five days a week, and we need every bit of that output. With our tightly scheduled production planning, we’d have a problem if a cutter was out of action for even half a day. I’m a big fan of the service from Zünd as well. Their flexibility, speed and expertise are exceptional. That’s very reassuring for us and it’s one of the main reasons we depend on Zünd.”
Zünd cutting systems are sold and supported in Australia and New Zealand by Starleaton
