Flatbed Printer, Cutter Increase Opportunity at California District

At the Cajon Valley Union School District, Duplicating Supervisor Ruben Peña has seen his share of transformation. What started out as an offset-focused in-plant has become a multi-process service provider that has reached into other districts and to local non-profit organizations.

Recent equipment acquisitions at the six-person in-plant have contributed to its ongoing transformation. In January 2024, the shop installed both a Mimaki JFX 200-2513 UV-cured flatbed inkjet printer and a Cutworx Apex flatbed cutting system in its El Cajon, California, facility, located about 15 miles inland from San Diego. With these systems in place, the in-plant has vastly reduced the time needed to complete signage and other applications, saving money and increasing its value to the district. Peña expects a three-year return on the recent investment.

Before the new systems were put in place, Peña says, “we had been doing everything by hand; it was labor intensive.” For signage, this included printing images on Mutoh roll-to-roll printers, then mounting them to a rigid board, which was then hand cut into the desired shape or size.

“We purchased the Mimaki to be able to print direct to boards,” he notes. The Cutworx system handles cutting automatically. Signage jobs that once took 45 minutes to complete now take between 10 and 15, he proudly shares — with less spoilage.

Currently, the shop is using the flatbed printer and cutter together to produce a range of signage applications — such as yard signs, A-frame signs, and banners — that help brand each of the district’s 27 schools, which serve the needs of 14,800 students. Materials used include foamboard, PVC, corrugated, and now, thanks to the burliness of the cutting system, Dibond, a metal-coated composite substrate. Dibond, he adds, could not be cut effectively by hand. Thus, the cutting system has aided expansion into durable signage, such as “no parking” signs. On average, signage produced by the shop is 18x24"; the largest applications use a full 4x8ˈ sheet. The in-plant also uses the systems to produce decals.

“For us,” Peña says, “it has helped to improve the look of the schools.” As the shop continues its effort to brand the schools, he says, his staff keeps coming up with new ways to enhance offices, classrooms, and even quiet rooms, which can serve as a welcome refuge for students. With these new systems and their capabilities literally at the operators’ fingertips, Peña sees plenty of room for further expansion.

“I can see it growing into something bigger that we realized,” he says. The in-plant now prints for other local school districts, nonprofits, and has taken on printing for special district events and a TedX event.

The new technology has enabled the in-plant to enhance office spaces and classrooms with unique designs like the one pictured here.

Asked how the addition of the new systems has added value to the in-plant, Peña immediately mentions speed, noting that the shop doesn’t have to wait for outsourced work to be done, and that much of the work is produced the same day, on-demand, and is often delivered or installed the following day.

The Cajon Valley in-plant, Peña says, has also experienced labor savings, and automation has enabled employees to focus their time on higher-value work. For instance, he says the shop’s installer can now focus more on installation and less on production.

“This thing is a time-saver,” he shares. Further, he says the automated cutting system results in a safer workplace, due to a vast minimization of manual blade work.

In acquiring the new systems, Peña relied on data, strong support from district administration, and the advice of colleagues. By outsourcing work, he says he was able to gain an understanding of the costs, which helped him present a strong case for bringing the work in-house. He says the district’s Superintendent, Dr. David Miyashiro, is a strong ally who makes sure the in-plant has the tools it needs. Finally, Peña became aware of the Mimaki and Cutworx systems from a colleague at another school district shop, whose experiences and recommendations helped him make his decision.