BOBST Celebrates 40 Years of Innovation in Die-cutting

Published: September 21, 2022

Ever since the SP 102-CE Autoplaten® stole the show at drupa in 1982, BOBST’s flatbed die-cutters with cam-driven movement have paved the way for mass production of high-quality consumer goods.  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the revolutionary mechanism that made it all possible. ​

“Often copied but never equalled,” is how Marco Lideo, Head of Product Line Die cutter Stampers, Flexo, Litho Lam describes BOBST’s cam-driven platen system, which was first granted a patent back in 1982 and subsequently launched at drupa that same year. Originally devised by inventor and engineer Georges Polic, it still remains one of the greatest innovations in die-cutting technology after 40 years on the market.

This unique mechanism for the cutting station in the Autoplaten® press – which itself was invented by BOBST and launched in 1940 – has been implemented across evolutions of the company’s world-leading portfolio of flatbed die-cutters. Customers across the globe have benefited from the much smoother operation and faster speeds enabled by this invention, which allowed the first SP 102-CE model to deliver a record-breaking 10,000 sheets per hour.

“Right from the very early days, BOBST has led innovation in die-cutting with superior technologies and machines that supported the acceleration of the consumer-oriented market,” said Lideo. “From the early 1980s, when mass consumption first took hold, to today’s e-commerce driven society, BOBST continues to provide solutions capable of supplying products at the most competitive productivity rate thanks to revolutionary mechanisms that allow for easy integration into the substrate converting process.”

The patented cam platen technology, which is still the reference point in the industry today, drives the current VISIONCUT, EXPERTCUT and MASTERCUT 106 and 145 models, the SP 162 CER, and the MASTERFOIL 106, along with many legacy machines that have withstood the test of time. Such is the quality of the early flatbed die-cutters that many are still in operation after decades of faithful service, providing customers with enviable speeds and high productivity, year in and year out.

“As we celebrate an incredible 40 years of cam-driven platen technology and the many, many businesses that have benefited from this innovation over the years, we also look ahead to many more opportunities for our customers to break productivity records and secure their futures with BOBST die-cutting technology as a foundation,” concluded Lideo.