Banbury Litho powers growth with Zünd Cutter investment

Banbury Litho, a leading creative and commercial printing company established in 1978, has taken a bold step in its business evolution by investing in a Zünd G3 3X-3200 digital cutter. This acquisition is a pivotal part of the company’s ongoing strategy to transition from a traditional litho printer to a comprehensive design, print, packaging, mail, and fulfilment service provider—all under one roof.

Based in Oxfordshire, Banbury Litho has built a reputation for exceptional client service and high-quality print solutions, including full-colour litho printing, digital printing, and wide-format graphics specialising in relief printing. “With over 40 years of experience, we take immense pride in the work we produce and love seeing our printed products bring value to our clients” says Managing Director Matthew Plant.

Recognising the changing demands of the market and technology, Banbury Litho embarked on a three-year diversification strategy. Matthew explains, “Our goal has been to expand our offerings beyond litho printing to provide even more value to our customers. We’ve introduced an in-house creative design agency, relief printing, CAD design services, and corrugated packaging and fulfilment solutions—allowing us to keep everything in-house for maximum efficiency and quality control.”

The company’s rapid growth in wide-format and packaging services presented a challenge: their existing digital cutter couldn’t keep pace with the increased demand generated by investments in state-of-the-art swissQprint and Heidelberg equipment. Banbury Litho needed a finishing solution that would eliminate bottlenecks while meeting their exacting standards for precision, reliability, and speed.

“After carefully evaluating the options, Zünd stood out as the best choice for us,” says Matthew. “The precision and reliability of their cutters, along with the versatility of their toolset, made them the clear winner. What’s always important to us, is the involvement of our wider team —who use this technology daily—in the decision-making process, and they were thoroughly impressed by Zünd’s user-friendly interface and intuitive software.”

Key features like the ability to make on-the-fly adjustments while the cutter is operational have proven invaluable. “These small but impactful capabilities have streamlined our workflow and significantly improved efficiency,” Matthew notes.

Beyond the technical advantages, the decision to partner with Zünd was influenced by shared values. “As a family-run business, it was important for us to align with another family-oriented company like Zünd. Their strong UK presence, including a showroom, engineering team and ready availability of spare parts, reinforced our confidence in this investment” Matthew explains.

Since its installation in September, the Zünd cutter has revolutionised production at Banbury Litho. Operating 24/7, it has become the primary production table, seamlessly integrating with swissQprint systems for a streamlined print-and-cut workflow.

“The diverse applications we’re seeing are remarkable,” says Matthew. “The cutter has been instrumental in producing high-end packaging, including custom influencer boxes, and has increased production capabilities by two-thirds. The feedback from our operators has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Banbury Litho’s investment in the Zünd cutter marks an exciting new chapter in its growth story. With enhanced production capabilities, the company is well-positioned to continue delivering innovative, value-added solutions to its customers while staying true to its legacy of quality and service.