The Zünd Digital Cutter G3 M-2500 is the newest addition to the Knowlton School's M/I Homes Foundation Materials/Fabrication Laboratory. The Swiss manufactured equipment is a modular system that can process a wide variety of materials, adding versatility and functionality to the shop’s array of cutting solutions.

Materials & Fab-Lab Supervisor Michael Baumberger says that the Zünd’s benefits are “precision, speed, and ease of use.” “Our goal is to set up the Zünd so students can operate the equipment without the aid of shop staff.”

Zünd's modular design and material-handling system will allow students to customize their cutting projects according to specific production requirements. Specific applications for the wide flatbed model include cardboard, foam, and textiles, whose cutting is assisted by energy-efficient vacuum turbines that ensure reliable material hold-down. The Zünd is also a multi-blade tool exchanger in which the setup of knife-cutting, routing, and creasing tools occurs automatically. Baumberger indicates the array of modules and tool types available will increase over time.

The G3 cutting system can process materials up to a thickness of 110mm. The Zünd allows cuts over a wide-ranging geometry. “Essentially, the Zünd Digital Cutter can cut any shape you envision. It offers the ability to cut precise right angles at material depths that you can't with circular routing bits.”

The digital cutter was funded by the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation Endowed Equipment Fund, established in 2014 with a gift from The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation.