Valiani & Arnografica: Consulting and digital prototyping transform the cardboard converting typograph
Arnografica, a family business based near Varese, is a company specialized in paper converting products, for which it offers a complete service, from design to the finished product. The company has chosen a Valiani digital cutting and die-cutting system with proprietary software.
Find out all the details by reading the article that Italia Publishers wrote regarding the relationship between Valiani and Arnografica, which we report in the complete version.
With its 50×70 offset printer, the Lombardy Arnografica is specialised in the production of packaging and has inserted a Valiani digital cutter for projects and prototypes
Arnografica of Cardano al Campo, not far from Varese is a family business typical of the varied intertwining of the Italian production fabric. Founded in the 1970s by the fathers of the current owners Mario Cagnoni and Maurizio Vanetti, the company also now includes Cagnoni’s sister and Vanetti’s two sons, in addition to thirty employees.
Historic supplier of commercial printing in 50×70 format, Arnografica has expanded its activity over the years, specialising in paper converting products for which it offers a full service, from design to prototype, and up to the finished product, which also includes accurate technical and commercial consultancy support.
The print format has never changed, being a particular choice by Cagnoni and Vanetti. They thus intended to make the most of the potential of a niche market that demands high quality in medium and medium/small volumes.
The same format 50×70 then for the three 4-colour offset machines, one of which is complete with coating unit. Soon, a fourth machine with UV LED technology, and 6 colours, will be added for work on plastic substrates, transparent, and other specialised applications.
The paper converting department makes use of four punches and two fold-glue, as well as a Valiani Mat Pro cmc – iXV digital cutting and die-cutting system managed by CAD software, used for design and construction prototypes. A management software completes the customer service, providing easy tracing, via a code, of every product already made and of the vast die-cutter warehouse.
Above, the die-cutting, folding, gluing and packaging assembly departments of Arnografica. Bottom, the design, prepress and prototyping department, where the Valiani digital die-cutting and creasing system is installed.
Just-in-time die-cutting and creasing for prototypes and testing: thus closing the full-service circle.
Precision and versatility are the main features of the Valiani Mat Pro cmc – iXV digital flat cutting and creasing system. Arnografica uses it for the production of prototypes and small test runs of paper/card products. The system is, in fact, capable of cutting and creasing all types of supports, including cardboard, corrugated board, PVC, Vinyl, Forex and polycarbonates of thickness up to 5 mm, which are secured to the vacuum table by a unique material locking system for ensuring an accurate result. A wide range of quickly interchangeable tools – such as fixed and oscillating blades with adjustable cutting depth, creasers, knurls, writing pens and others – allow you to perform all the jobs with ease and precision. The single-head model chosen by Arnografica is completed by a high-resolution camera that allows the reading of the crop marks and the exact centring of the cutting path on the printouts.
Maurizio Vanetti
Arnografica CEO
INTERVIEW WITH SRISCO CEO MAURIZIO VANETTI
Only printing in small format is an unusual choice. What are the reasons?
It is a precise choice of positioning ourselves inside of a market niche, thanks to which we can better deal with these years of crisis. The 50×70 format allows us to be versatile and fast at low cost, therefore competitive with respect to other larger companies in our sector. Starting the machines for a small print format is quick and inexpensive; we can change jobs with ease, and we don’t need long-term planning: flexibility that is much appreciated by our customers.
Who are your customers?
We serve customers all over the world: Europe, Turkey, North Africa, Canada, the United States and even Australia. Much of the 3.5 million Euros we bill annually is derived from the creation of packaging for women’s hosiery, whose main production centres in the world are located in Italy, in the Mantova area, and Turkey. Another relevant market segment is made up of the production of complete lines of tags for some important international clothing trade groups. Lately, we have also started producing packaging lines for cosmetics and home fragrances. We offer everyone a quality service, also guaranteed by ISO certifications 9001, BS OHSAS 18001 and FSC COC, which includes the guarantee of compliance with the laws on packaging that are different in each country.
How does the Valiani Mat Pro system fit into your production flow?
Paper converting is now a growing sector: packaging is an essential element for the sale of products off the shelf, and the quality of the prototypes is vital. After advising the customer on the most suitable die we prepare, using the Mat Pro, a white mock-up that we pair with a colour print created on a digital plotter to provide a prototype perfectly identical to the final result. This can be used both as a sample and for drop tests that verify the adherence of the protective capacity of the packaging to the standards set by the customer. In addition to this, Mat Pro allows us to make even small sample runs for new packaging lines to test, which customers can also use for presentations during trade fairs and promotional events.
