In Adelaide this week, one of South Australia’s leading sign businesses celebrated in style its new premises and a new oversize Gerber MCT 3.2 x 3.2 metre cutter supplied by HVG. Dignitaries in the crowd of over sixty included the local mayor and, all the way from Gerber Technology Connecticut USA, Mark Bibo, director of sales.
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| (R to L) In front of the new HVG-supplied Gerber MCT cutter/router: Carlo Capogreco (Big Image), Mark Bibo (Gerber USA), Deon Capogreco (Big Image), and HVG’s Adrian Morris, Paul Thompson and Paul Grasolo. |
But it was owner Carlo Capogreco’s heartfelt address that won the night, thanking and acknowledging the customers, suppliers, staff and their families for enabling Big Image Australia to become the sign and display powerhouse that it is today.
He graciously acknowledged his Italian heritage in giving his company ‘family values’ that extend into the community and both trade and end-user customers: “You are all family to us,” he said. Big Image Australia is still the only printer in SA with 5 metre wide roll production capability with the Fujifilm Uvistar Pro8, which Capogreco described as having been ‘fantastic for us’ since installation five years ago.
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Big Image Australia’s owner Carlo Capogreco addresses the gathering. |
Carlo’s son Deon also works in the business and was credited with doing great IT work on integrating a new website plus MIS and workflow system supplied by Nigel Davies’ m-Power. It gives total visibility of work-in-progress and automates several previously hands-on job tracking functions. Davies was much in demand by other sign printers wanting to look into m-Power’s automated workflow capabilities.
Carlo also heaped praise on the new Gerber MCT 3.2 metre table cutter, saying that even after just 3 weeks since installation, it is already changing his company and the products they can offer: “It’s exceeded our expectations,” he said, “it is so fast and versatile, we can already see new markets such as packaging and textiles ahead.”
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| The Gerber MCT cutter |
Wide Format Online chatted with Gerber Technology’s Mark Bibo and we asked what sets the Gerber MCT cutters apart in the increasingly crowded table cutter sector. “Its mainly speed and versatility,” he said, “and the camera-vision cut-to-print system that was developed by MCT founder Steve Mikkelsen and his team of very experienced people.”
Gerber Technology acquired MCT Digital in October 2018 and has completed the integration of the company by moving production to its Massachusetts manufacturing site. Gerber itself, of course, is no stranger to advanced cutting technology since Joe Gerber developed the GERBERcutter System70 in 1967, a device of such significance that one is on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. For twenty years, it was used by General Motors to cut car seating materials.
Gerber, which since 2016 has been owned by American Industrial Partners (who also acquired manrolandGoss in 2015 and until 2014 ran Mark Andy label press company), has brought greater global reach to MCT Digital: “We are strong in North America and are now going global by exhibiting at Fespa and pushing into European, Asian and other markets,” noted Bibo.
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The business end of the MCT cutter showing 3 heads and camera-spot reading system for true cut-to-print registration |
The first thing that strikes you with Big Image’s Gerber MCT cutter is that it just looks like it’s designed and built by engineers – it’s rock-solid with no vibration and a cutting head assembly that zips around substrates at amazing speed and torque.
At the open house, a photo was taken of one of the guests, Karl Volkmeker from trade customer Projection Graphics. This was then made into a file to be printed on Big Image’s HP FB750 using corflute, which was then transferred to the Gerber MCT cutter for die-cutting around Karl’s life-sized figure. Commencing the cut-out using the camera vision set-up with TigerVision software, I expected it to take a while and turned away to chat with people. When I looked back a minute or so later, the operator was already popping the cut-out from the sheet and presto! It was ready (see pic).
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| This life-size cut-out of guest Karl Volkmeker was printed and cut an amazing speed live on the night |
While Big Image’s Gerber MCT unit has three cutting/routing heads, HVG’s Adrian Morris noted that a laser module is also available with particular application in textiles and acrylics. Three HVG executives were there, Business Manager for Strategic Growth Adrian Morris, SA Manager Paul Thompson and Account Manager Paul Gerasolo. HVG also supplies various boards and roll materials to Big Image.
Walking around Carlo Capogreco’s new building, you see the Fujifilm Uvistar 5 metre printer plus three HPs – a Latex 570 and 3.2 metre Latex 1500 and the FB750 flatbed UV machine – not forgetting the new Gerber MCT 3.2 metre cutter. It’s an impressive powerhouse for wide and superwide format graphics production.
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| MC Marcus Lacey welcomes part of the audience |
Attending events such as Big Image Australia’s open house makes you proud to be in the sign and display industry; especially when the hosts are as welcoming and gracious as Carlo Capogreco and his team. The night was capably organised and MC’d by Marcus Lacey of SKO Media – also a customer of Big Image; it was well worth the trip to the Festival City and we look forward to charting Big Image’s further growth and successes which no doubt will happen.
The evening was beautifully rounded out with the drawing of two door prizes – some fine Barossa wine and a $1,000 Fujifilm XT-100 camera.
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| Nigel Davies (president SGIAA) was kept extremely busy with demos on his m-Power MIS software |
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| Carlo’s son, Deon Capogreco |
