Your first
choice
in digital
cutting.
zund.com
The Magazine
08/2025
Contents
Thinking ahead,
taking control
A team of 513
Our customers: just as diverse
as their cutters
A step ahead
with Zünd
14
Cutting systems
to meet your every need
18
Automate your
material handling
26
Sustainability
in everything we do
28
Rooted in Switzerland,
active all over the world
24
What service
means to us
22
Our software
solutions
Over the course of over 40 years, Zünd Systemtechnik AG
has grown from a small business to a fully fledged global
player. A remarkable feat, especially when you consider
the company’s somewhat unusual beginnings.
In 1984, my father, Karl Zünd, founded a small enterprise in
Altstätten. Among other things, he sold Wild plotters to Euro
pean customers. In 1986, he developed the first cutting heads
and peripheral devices for these flatbed plotters. His efforts
paid off in 1989, when the company launched its first cutter,
the Zünd P-1200.
In 1994, my father took over the production, sales operation,
and service organization from Wild Plotter AG, setting a miles
tone in our company’s history and that of the digital flatbed-
cutter market.
How does Zünd manage to defend its position as market leader?
We know that success is a matter of innovation, swift action,
and excellent customer service. Keeping in touch with our
customers and their customers is a priority for us. Every year,
we attend numerous trade shows to get an idea of upcoming
trends and to keep abreast of all the different markets.
Zünd’s unique selling point is its Swissness, which manifests
itself in properties such as top-precision mechanical engi
neering, extremely reliable production systems, and sustai
nable manufacturing.
That’s right. These values are enormously important to me and
to us as a family business. They are an integral part of our
company’s DNA and are lived by our employees on a daily basis.
You are positioned globally and rooted locally. Does this
inspire your approach to the development of the company
and its products?
In a way, yes. Our most defining characteristic is that we think
ahead. It gives us a lot more wiggle room. The fact that Zünd is
family owned and operated allows us a certain freedom in the
way we do business: we are not motivated by short-term profit
goals. Our cutters are developed and produced in Altstätten
and sold globally. We have sales and service operations all over
the world, ensuring our products are of the highest quality and
available worldwide. Thanks to this concept, we have been
highly successful on the international stage for many years.
Zünd cutters are used all over the world, not least because of
their technology. What sets them apart?
Our cutters are extremely versatile. Adapting them to new
requirements is simple and quick, and they are easy to integrate
in digital production workflows. That is one of the reasons for
their popularity in such a wide range of sectors, from advertising
and packaging, to garment and furniture manufacturing, auto
motive, and aerospace. These are all very different industries
united by largely digital, automated production processes. In
today’s environment, no modern production system can survive
without the greatest possible degree of flexibility and
individuality. On top of that, our cutter technology is consistently
developed with a long service life and maximum productivity in
mind.
Thinking ahead,
taking control
Zünd Systemtechnik AG is an independent company, owned and operated by one
family – key factors in its formula for success. The Swiss cutter manufacturer’s CEO,
Oliver Zünd, spoke to us about the benefits of quick, independent decision-making
and the values that continue to shape the company’s culture to this day.
Zünd is fully committed to producing in Switzerland. Not
the cheapest choice, globally speaking.
Our commitment to Switzerland is not rooted in a sentimental
love of our homeland. Naturally, we don’t make everything
ourselves – some electronic components are sourced abroad.
But more than two-thirds of our mechanical components come
from suppliers that are based within 30 kilometers of us. They
are innovative, long-standing partners who deliver on demand
and just in time, enabling our flexible and highly efficient final
assembly. This guarantees a consistently high production quality.
It is thanks to this seamless quality assurance that we can
manufacture first-class products with a long service life,
outstanding precision, and uncompromising reliability – all
made in Switzerland. And needless to say, close proximity also
ensure faster delivery times. Short transport routes protect the
environment, making our already very modest carbon footprint
even smaller.
Looking at your headquarters, it is obvious that for you,
sustainability goes beyond short transport routes and long-
lasting products.
We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously. Our
“Bau 4” (Building 4) meets tough Minergie requirements; the
entire technology behind its construction, as well as the
building envelope, meet the strictest environmental standards.
The amount of energy we save this way could heat 30 single-
family homes for an entire year. The building emits less than
20% of the CO2 that conventional industrial buildings produce,
while the energy generated by the 1400 solar modules on our
roofs covers 70% of our total requirements.
In fact, we even grow our own produce as part of our commitment
to the environment! Every day, our employee cafeteria receives
fresh vegetables from our company gardens.
Speaking of productivity, Zünd cutters are predominantly
used for making parts of products. What can Zünd really
contribute to efficiency, productivity, and automation?
It is exactly this automation of sub-processes we consider one
of our most important tasks. We focus on maximizing efficiency
in production, minimizing idle time, and eliminating manual
tasks by making a wide range of automation solutions available
to our customers. From compact robot solutions for removing
cut parts, to fully automated system solutions for industrial,
pallet-to-pallet production, our product offering covers the full
gamut. When combined, these solutions are an enormous
boost to our customers’ productivity.
What does a typical day in your customers’ production
facilities look like?
In many applications, we have noticed that continually increasing
individualization is making order sizes shrink while order
volumes skyrocket. Our customers are facing ever higher order
frequencies paired with shorter process cycles and tighter
deadlines. With our automation solutions, we take the pressure
off. Our products are tailored to our customers’ needs and,
when integrated into their specific workflow, they enable largely
unattended production. With this level of automation, our
customers can efficiently and economically finish all the countless
products that are being manufactured digitally these days. As a
tool, our cutters allow our customers to stay on top of the rising
demand for customized products ordered in small or medium
quantities – and still make money.
Oliver Zünd,
CEO
“The teamwork at Zünd is really great. I never stop being amazed at all the different
possible applications Zünd cutters offer, and that brings a lot of variety to my job, too.”
– Antonio Coldebella
Repairs & Equipment Manufacturing at Zünd Systemtechnik AG
“In Pre-Assembly, we lay the foundation
for every single Zünd cutter. I enjoy being
involved in the pre-assembly of key
components of Zünd cutters and knowing
that, at the end of the process, the tools
and modules will be used by our
customers in so many different
applications”
– Bianca Ladner
Pre-Assembly at Zünd Systemtechnik AG
A team of 513
Revealing the secret behind one’s success might seem foolish.
We are doing it anyway: it’s our employees, plain and simple.
From Altstätten to our 13 global subsidiaries, they are what
makes Zünd so successful.
“Zünd is an exciting, future-oriented
place to work. The company’s
commitment to innovation and cutting-
edge technology is reflected in its
impressive range of digital cutting
systems, used by internationally
renowned brands for countless
purposes.”
– Gaj Jeevanandan
Marketing Manager at Zund UK
“I enjoy working at Zund because
of the innovative technology, the
opportunity to engage with customers
and the exceptional camaraderie
among my colleagues. Zünd cutting-
edge technology not only pushes me to
continually expand my skill set, but also
allows me to explore creative solutions
to customer challenges.”
– Tom Gent
Field Service Engineer at Zund UK
“As an applications engineer, I work at the Customer
Experience Center. My job is to present our cutters and
software solutions to customers, both in house and at trade
fairs. My work constantly puts me face to face with fascinating
people, applications, and materials, and I get to work with
customers and suppliers to find the ideal machine and software
configuration for an efficient digital cutting workflow.”
– Benedict Wasmer
Technical Sales Project Manager at Zünd Systemtechnik AG
“What I like best about my work? It’s the flexibility, the work/
life balance, the corporate culture, the people, the challenging
work, and the room for growth.
I truly feel that Zünd sees the person behind every employee,
and that’s the most important thing. Right from the start, I felt
like Zünd saw me as a person, not just a number. A friendly
word, a quick chat about my kids, someone asking about the
fishing trip I just went on – that feeling of being valued is
fantastic.”
– RJ Dusak
Service Director at Zund America
Watch the Zünd
corporate video
“I really love working in a family-run company that makes such
a solid, respected product.
What I like best about my current job is the variety of the work
– every day brings new challenges, and I relish all of them.
Talking to a wide variety of customers and making sure they
have a positive experience is extremely rewarding. After all,
customer service is everything.”
– Angela Johnson
Service Plan Manager at Zund America
“I’ve met many customers since joining Zünd, from manufac
turers of luxury vehicles and Formula One teams down to small
companies producing flyers and stickers from home.
With such a variety of people and businesses, I never run out
of challenges. No two days are the same. The many trade fairs
I attend are another great source of contacts and interesting
conversations, so my work really never gets boring.”
– Jamie Taylor
Senior Applications Technician at Zund UK
Virtual Showroom Tour
Our customers:
just as diverse as their
cutters.
It takes great employees and high-quality products to get
ahead. But there’s more. It also takes ambitious customers
determined to be the very best.
Zünd has helped more than 15,000 customers in more than
100 countries live up to their potential.
A step ahead
with Zünd
What do graphics, packaging, garments, furniture, shoes,
composites for automotive and aerospace engineering, shade
sails, tents, and so many other things all have in common? They
involve the use of state-of-the-art cutting technology from Zünd.
All over the world, our customers utilize our software, our cutting
systems, and our automation solutions in so many different ways
– we never fail to be impressed. At Zünd, we keep raising our
innovation benchmark to pave our customers’ way to even more
efficient digital cutting processes and always keep them one
step ahead of their competitors.
Fully digitalized
production with Zünd
“We operate three Zünd cutters in Switzerland and the
Philippines. During the week, they essentially run around the
clock. Thanks to these cutters, we were finally able to make
our production process digital, through and through. That,
combined with the incredible reliability of these devices, has
been very important to us. The orders we receive often involve
thousands of individual parts, making them hugely complex.
Our Zünd cutting systems really make life a lot easier.”
Sven Erni
Co-founder and CEO, Impact Acoustic AG
Switzerland & Philippines
Watch the
video
An amazingly quick return
on investment
“We’ve been using Zünd cutters for two decades now, and their
durability, precision, and service have never disappointed us. If the
latter isn’t any good, even the best technology won’t help. Zünd has
been taking care of us very well indeed. The Zünd technology we bought
essentially paid for itself within a single year. I don’t think there’s any
better way of demonstrating the success of this investment.”
Christoph Kannengiesser
Head of Technical Projects, Berkemann GmbH
Germany & Hungary
A vision of 24/7 uninterrupted
production brought to life
“Zünd played an essential part in the digital transformation of
our production processes. The project initially took root in the
sample-making department and rapidly grew into an entirely
digital, fully integrated production line with a whole host of
automation opportunities. Zünd brought our idea of an
autonomous, 24/7 production system to life perfectly. Zünd
cutters are powerful, high-performance, digital flatbed cutting
systems with highly durable blades, router bits, crease wheels,
and other tools that give you the ability to process a vast range
of materials with outstanding precision and efficiency.”
Brandon Townsend
CEO, Promotional Print and Packaging
Canada
Opening new horizons with composites
“Zünd offers a unique, comprehensive, and modular solution for challenging
tasks in cutting composites. We get to draw on their 18 years of experience in the
field of cutting technology, which makes a huge difference. Zünd provides open
and modular solutions with optional service agreements and extremely reliable
software without short-lived updates. That’s exactly what we are looking for as a
customer.”
Patrick Rohrer
Project Manager Systems Procurement, Pilatus Aircraft
Switzerland & USA
Supporting the arts
“Christo art projects have to be installed very quickly, almost
as if they’ve appeared out of nowhere. There’s no room for
error. With the Zünd cutter, we can always guarantee the
required cutting precision, which has saved us a great deal of
time and money.”
Robert Meyknecht
Owner, geo – die Luftwerker
Germany
10
“Zünd cutters are
great at multitasking”
“Investing in our second Zünd cutter was an important part
of our growth strategy. Today, we can produce most orders
in house, which allows us to boost our value creation even
further. I can only reiterate that investing in Zünd cutting
technology is the best decision I’ve ever made. I've said it
before, and I'll say it again.”
Robert Bincik
CEO, Druckwerkstatt
Austria
Production capacity doubled
“By combining automated material handling with a
high-performance Zünd cutter, we can now cut foam,
corrugated and solid cardboard much more quickly and
without interruption. Without this automation, it would be
impossible to prevent bottlenecks in cutting. Automation
has proven extremely cost-effective, offering huge
potential in terms of value creation, which we’re able to
fully exploit thanks to Zünd cutting technology. In fact,
we’ve nearly doubled our production capacity.”
Andreas Kilchenmann
CEO, Wellpack AG
Switzerland
Going for versatility
and quality
“We can now process a remarkably wide range of materials.
including acrylic, foam, vinyl, wood, paper, rubber, leather,
textiles, plastics, aluminum, cardboard, and composites for
prototyping. No matter whether we're producing one-offs or long
runs–the process is sure to be equally efficient and cost
effective. We have invested in Zünd cutting technology to make
sure we can guarantee our customers products of the highest
quality. Our Zünd cutter enables cutting processes that are
consistent, repeatable, and fall within the tightest of tolerances.”
Chris Jones
Owner, CDO Routing
United Kingdom
We can count on Zünd
“We love Swiss engineering and have been dreaming of a
fully integrated, digital leather-cutting workflow for a long
time. For us, investing in Zünd cutting technology is the
continuation of a 30-year digitalization process. We
expect a fully digital cutting workflow to reduce the
footprint in production by 50% and increase material
yield for even greater cost savings.
We always knew we could count on Zünd cutting
equipment to be precise, reliable, easy to use, and durable.
Veronica Schnitzius
President, American Leather
USA
12
Zünd cutting technology for
innovative manufacturing
“We’re a high-end provider in a highly regulated sector, so
flexibility is hugely important for us. Our customers expect us
to be flexible and able to work with a variety of composites
depending on the components to be produced and their final
application. We’ve found Zünd G3 cutters to be highly
adaptable. The tools offer great versatility and can process
diverse materials with ease.”
Jon Bridges
CEO, Velocity Composites PLC
United Kingdom
Boosting productivity
with Zünd Connect
“The monitoring tool Zünd Connect makes a big difference to
everyday production with our Zünd D3 and S3 cutters. For us,
Zünd Connect also acts as a tool for automation. It gives me
all the KPIs I need so I can easily identify where there’s
potential to further optimize efficiency. Being able to see at a
glance where I need to modify the workflow makes it easier
for me to plan our production schedules.”
Mike Sorrentino
Production Manager, NGS Printing
USA
S3
S3
G3
G3
G3 cutter – our powerful
all-rounder
No matter what you need for it to
do, the G3 cutter will get it done. It
will process virtually any material for
you while offering all the flexibility
and precision you expect, making it
an indispensable tool for your digital
cutting operations.
Cutting systems
to meet your every need
When it comes to high-performance digital cutting, your needs are our command.
Zünd’s innovative cutting systems will have you at peak performance – and
one step ahead of your competition – at all times. The unique, modular systems Zünd offers give
you all the flexibility you need in digital cutting.
S3 cutter – compact
and multi-talented
The Zünd S3 cutter adds a multi-
functional, space-saving component
to your production lineup. It boasts
Zünd’s characteristic modular design,
utmost cutting precision, and superior
efficiency— and takes up very little space.
L3
L3
D3
D3
14
Modules & tools
Combine the modules and tools you need
from our extensive product portfolio.
Benefit from our expertise and perfectly
coordinated solutions to boost your
production efficiency.
L3 cutter – expertise in
leather cutting
The Zünd L3 cutter excels at leather
cutting as much as in ergonomics.
Produce your leather goods efficiently
and to the highest quality standards
with the Zünd L3. Outstanding
productivity, low operating costs, and
easy integration in your production
workflow ensure a very quick ROI.
D3 cutter – made for performance
The Zünd D3 cutter will take your productivity to the next
level. With an innovative dual-beam system, the D3 will keep
your cutting operations moving effortlessly.
Q-Line – ultimate performance
for your production
The Q-Line stands for maximum efficiency, superior precision, and reliable
automation in modern production environments. Developed for demanding
applications, industrial integration, and high-capacity production, this state-
of-the-art digital cutting system offers outstanding cut quality and maximum
process reliability.
Thanks to innovative technologies combined with a revolutionary, robust design,
the Q-Line ensures smooth processes in serial production but also in nimble yet
highly demanding production scenarios.
Discover the Q-Line's unique design.
Scan to find out more
16
In packaging and display applications,
the Q-Line delivers efficiency,
flexibility, and unprecedented workflow
automation. From large numbers of
orders in small quantities to volume
production, it enables high-precision
cutting of a diverse range of materials.
Seamless integration into automated,
industrial-scale production
In highly automated production environments, the Q-Line
sets new standards in efficiency. As an integral part of highly
automated industrial workflows, it enables seamless data
integration and maximum processing efficiency. With its
revolutionary design and innovative features, the Q-Line can
cut even very challenging materials, such as composites, with
ultimate precision and process reliability.
Thanks to the modularity characteristic of Zünd cutting sys
tems, the Q-Line can be configured in three widths, depend
ing on the size of the material and parts to be processed, but
comes standard in one length; nevertheless, it is also possible
to extend the Q-Line to a length of up to 21 m/69 ft.
This means even large, aerodynamic components for the
aerospace or wind-power industries can be cut cleanly and all
in one piece.
With or without robotics integration, the Q-Line offers consis
tently high quality at an industrial level, ready for use in highly
automated production lines.
It integrates perfectly into digital
workflows and boosts production
speeds, all while simultaneously
reducing material utilization and cost
per unit. And thanks to the high-
precision, die-cut quality cuts the Q-line
delivers, downstream processing of
cut parts also becomes much more
efficient.
Maximum repeatability and the shortest
setup times make for cost-effective,
sustainable production at the highest
level.
Maximum productivity for packaging
and displays
Find out how Dutch customer Grafisch Bed
rijf Goes benefits from the Q-Line
Watch the video
Aero Q-Line with robot integration
Watch the video
Automate your
material handling
We combine our expertise in building digital cutting solutions
with equally in-depth know-how in material-handling automation.
Our solutions ensure your production stays nimble, your productivity increases,
and changes never catch you off guard.
Cradle Feeder 100
We provide roll-off units for automatically feeding roll goods, no matter what your specific
requirements may be. The Cradle Feeder 100 is perfect for unwinding fabrics gently and
without any kind of tension. and changing rolls during production is quick and easy.
Watch the Cradle Feeder 100
in action
More on material-handling
solutions