Intuitive Software & Versatile Tooling boosts Productivity & Growth for FastSigns

Colorado-based FASTSIGNS® DTC (FASTSIGNS) is in the business of living up to its name - delivering signs, fast. That means investing in machinery that can help deliver the most accurate, highest quality finished product, quickly. When the company’s previous cutting machine needed replacing, the Kongsberg X24 became the only choice. “We’d had our previous machine for 18 years, and while it was a tank, it was also declared obsolete and we could no longer get replacement parts,” said Buddy Williams, President of FASTSIGNS. “A cutter/router runs in our business almost 80% of the time, so it was critical we made a wise choice when it came to selecting a new machine. We were pitched a direct replacement that included a loyalty rebate and trade-in discount, but even then the price still didn’t make sense for our business. “We route more than we cut, so having a robust routing module was essential,” added Buddy. “We were looking for a solution with a bigger, more powerful router motor – that was really a driving factor for us. In the fall of 2022, we attended an open house event where Kongsberg PCS was running demos of its X24 digital cutting table.

Everything is just easier. We spent hours simply watching the machine work and we became convinced it was the right fit for us!

Software is “the secret sauce”

Derick Courtney, design and production manager for FASTSIGNS, explained that while the power and speed of the Kongsberg X24 caught the eye, it was the software and ease of operation of the table that impressed him. “We found that the Kongsberg software is really amazing, a huge upgrade from our previous machine,” he said. “It's intuitive and very powerful, which is hugely important and often overlooked when comparing just router motor specs and cutting speeds. Software is really where the efficiency lies.
“For me, the ease of operation is crucial. The old machine had lots of nuances, which made training staff really challenging. If you forgot to do one strange little thing then you could do some serious damage to the blade or the material, which could set you back even further,” added Derick.
“The ease of use with the Kongsberg is amazing. People get focused on the speed and power elements, but honestly, software is the key. That’s the secret sauce that makes it invaluable.

When our primary operator was off work, I jumped in after not touching it for about six months and it was so easy for me to pick back up. It basically tells you what to do, and then tells you if you’re doing it wrong.

  

Accuracy and versatility for new product lines

FASTSIGNS acquired a number of innovative Kongsberg tooling solutions with the X24, including the Braille tool, Kisscut tool and High Frequency Oscillating knife, as well as the Straight Drag tool, Creasewheels, Ballpoint Pen tool and Box Kit. “The versatility we have from the table and extensive tool combination has enabled us to expand our range offering,” added Derick. “We have a lot of customers who had requested custom packaging but we just couldn’t do that before – our old machine was a bottleneck. But now it’s so easy for us to make something super-custom. We just define the parameters – size, shape, substrate and so on, and in no time we can design it, send the files to print and take the material to the Kongsberg and make the box!
“With this setup and the water-cooled MultiCutHP we’re able to make custom packaging, sample kits, and really get creative,” added Derick. “That’s something we just couldn’t do previously. The High Frequency knife in particular makes a huge difference. We simply didn’t have the time before - something that would take three days on our old machines can be done in just a couple of hours on the Kongsberg.”
Derick said that switching between jobs and tools was also simple and fast with the table. “Everything is just ‘plug and play’, and the Kongsberg X24 runs a full shift from 7am through until 6pm. While all jobs are different, we’re running it throughout the day, delivering an average of 10-15 jobs each day - although it’s so versatile that if we have several small order jobs it can easily crank through 30 of those in a day. 

We love the accuracy. If you are cutting/routing or dropping braille on a 4' by 8' substrate, it's going to line up. Not all tables deliver that kind of accuracy.

A ‘beast’ that aids business growth - now and tomorrow

Agreeing with Derick’s assessment, Buddy said the ability for the table to evolve with the business is another significant advantage of acquiring the Kongsberg X24.  “It’s an easy option to upgrade the machine as you grow your business,” he said. “We recently opted for the speed upgrade, which really threw it into another gear, and the additional efficiencies have been amazing.”
Buddy said the business was working to around 10% growth year on year, producing a volume that would simply not have been an option with the previous machine.
“It’s a beast,” he said. “We can throw a 5x10 board on there and just go. It handles everything we throw at, and it’s also nice having a few extra feet so we can be staging the next job while the current one is finishing,” he said. “It’s really a huge feature to have the ability to field upgrade to different speeds while getting into the machine initially at a competitive entry point.
“If we continue to grow we’ll add a second shift, and I have no doubt that the Kongsberg X24 will be able to handle that additional workload,” said Buddy.

It's easily my favorite machine in our shop, and we have a lot of equipment that we love, if that tells you anything!

More info

• Kongsberg X series
• Digital finishing solutions