Learn by Doing – with Zünd

The Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts traces its origins to the “School for Country Printers,” established in 1946 with the goal to educate students in all aspects of the printing methods and technologies employed at the time. Today, the program has grown into a broad graphic communication curriculum that integrates design, technology, production, packaging, color quality, workflow, user experience, and business communication strategy. Students pursue a Bachelor of Science degree and develop both technical knowledge and problem-solving skills through hands-on coursework, lab experiences, and industry-connected projects.

Founded in 1968, the Industrial Technology, Packaging, and Entrepreneurship Department at the Orfalea College of Business has long prepared students for the technical and managerial demands of a rapidly evolving industrial landscape. Its Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology and Packaging (BS ITP) has grown into a multidisciplinary program integrating business, design, science, and technology. 

The BS ITP offers three areas of emphasis—Packaging, Product Development, and Supply Chain Management. This allows students to explore how products are conceived, developed, protected, manufactured, and distributed—from generating new product concepts to designing and testing packaging systems and managing complex supply chains. Through technical coursework, applied learning, digital fluency, and business-centered problem-solving, the BS ITP prepares graduates to think critically, collaborate effectively, and address real-world challenges across diverse industries. 

For the learning to be truly “hands-on,” students need access to current, state-of-the-art production technologies. With this in mind, Cal Poly reached out to ICPF, the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation, for assistance in sourcing and funding digital cutting equipment capable of meeting the two colleges’ needs in graphics and packaging. Zünd cutting systems were soon found to be the perfect fit for meeting the school’s objectives. Through a collaborative discovery and specifications process, it was decided two G3-series machines were necessary to cover their respective demands—a Zünd G3 L-2500 (71 in x 98 in cutting area) for Industrial Technology and Packaging and a larger G3 L-3200 (72 in x 126 in cutting area) to accommodate the wider format used in Graphic Communication.

Both machines were installed last year and have been heavily used ever since. What has the experience and student response been so far? Professor Colleen Twomey notes: “The staff and students of all four years have absolutely loved every minute of it. It’s so logical and intuitive, and incredibly quiet to operate. It has quickly become a true workhorse for us.”

Packaging projects and graphics for in-house distribution, specialty print including labels, stickers, wide-format graphics and signage around campus as well as outside orders through University Graphic Systems, a student-run enterprise also serving the community—everything ends up needing to be cut, creased, or perforated, so everything somehow ends up on the Zünd cutting table. Department Chair Dr. Javier de la Fuente says, “The Zünd table has been a pleasure to use. It is solid, reliable, and gives our students the ability to cut a wide range of 3D structures and substrates, including folding cartons, POP displays, rigid boxes, and shippers. Just as important, Zund America’s customer service has been outstanding—responsive, helpful, and always just a phone call away.”
 

The Graphic Communication program also offers summer classes, known as the Cal Poly “Summer Springboard,” a program designed exclusively for high schoolers as an introduction to the industry. This program, too, is very hands-on, so even enrolled high schoolers get exposure to Zünd and are introduced to digital workflow through guided activities that let them create, cut, crease, and perforate their own projects.

The Zünd system also supports a broader digital workflow, including Esko and Kodak Prinergy. This helps students learn the full production chain by connecting file preparation, die-line, materials setup, structural design, and the final product. “One concern we had,” says Colleen Twomey, “was how the integration with our existing digital workflows was going to happen. In the end, our concerns were completely unfounded, which is exactly as Zund had assured us in view of the open architecture and proven, easy integration of the Zünd cutting system. All our existing templates and die-lines worked seamlessly.”

While the materials currently being processed include foamcore, corrugated, carton, PS-vinyl and similar, it is not out of the question that both programs may add other tooling in the future to accommodate the ever-expanding range of substrates used in the industry. One recent first-year project involved Graphic Communication students designing and producing their own box of playing cards. It is a fun project for beginning students to learn how to use Zünd state-of-the-art technology and get them excited about the creative opportunities and diverse career choices awaiting them in the wide realm of graphics and packaging. 

For ITP students, the new Zünd digital cutter has been critical to producing award-winning entries for student competitions such as the Paperboard Packaging Alliance Student Design Challenge, AICC Student Design Competition, and 48HR REPACK. “The addition of this advanced cutter is essential to our mission,” says Dr. de la Fuente. “It enables students to design and develop sustainable, value-added solutions. Whether they are creating cost-effective systems, developing high-impact POP displays, designing inclusive structures, or innovating to delight consumers, this state-of-the-art equipment is a tremendous asset,” he added. “The new Zünd digital cutter is a key part of our hands-on, project-based learning approach at Cal Poly, significantly enhancing our students’ educational journey and future opportunities. It also strengthens our packaging research and testing capabilities.”