Success Story

Large Format
CO2 Laser Cutting
A unique company located in Redmond, WA, Ennco Display Group
specializes in all forms of displays for eye-wear and sunglasses. Their products
range from individual retail counter top and wall displays to full-service architecturaldesigns for optical stores. They focus not only on office efficiency and user experience,but also the unique appearance and branding of the space. “We’re very careful not to put
ourselves or our customers in a box,” says Bryce Sills, Director of Operations at Ennco, “Evenstandard offerings get customized regularly.”

Ennco provides a large amount of flexibility in their offerings, including choice of material, color
options, and custom shapes—all designed and built at their facility in Redmond, WA. This tailormade approach can present manufacturing challenges, including processing an assortmentof materials, ensuring part-to-part accuracy, and overall process efficiency. Plastics like acrylic(frequently appearing as shelving, display walls, and signage) are especially cumbersome tomechanically process because sheets must first be cut with a router, then edges are flamepolished. Founder and CEO Jan Ennis delivered the solution: “The way we do it is with cuttingedge tech.” In this case, a cutting machine powered by an i401 CO2 laser. Jan continues: “No oneelse competes in our arena with a 400 W, large format laser.” This system adroitly resolved threemajor manufacturing concerns:• Versatility: It operates over a variety of materials• Accuracy: The fully-automated, digital process ensures precision• Speed: High laser power increases production speeds while creating perfect edge quality ina single step©2021 Novanta Corporation. All rights reserved.

Novanta - Large Format CO2 Laser Cutting

2The system truly is something special: a gantry mounted Synrad i401 400 W CO2 laser
operating over an 80”x 120” bed (2 m x 3 m), including fume extraction and four optional
focusing lenses. The system was custom designed to provide the work area Ennco needed andcurrently processes acrylic, wood laminates, MDF, plywood, and on occasion woven fabric. The
most popular application is cutting acrylic (including frosted, clear, and UV printed versions) due
to the increased efficiency verses mechanical processes. Ennco also found themselves limitedin the amount of detail achievable with a traditional router, seldom creating parts less than six
inches in size. The laser system has no such limitation, and because of their proficiency withnesting, setting up drawings to laser process was easy. “If there was one line in the company, itwould be before laser and after laser,” Bryce says.

Working closely with Novanta Application
Engineers, Ennco integrated the Synrad i401 CO2
laser into this unique industrial cutting system.
Uninhibited by the limitations of traditional
cutting systems, Ennco pioneered game-changing
manufacturing techniques, improving efficiency
while adding industry-leading flexibility.

Jan predicts that we’ll see a few trends: further growth in online retail, a continuation ofbrick and mortar optical stores, and a more segmented market. “As the population ages,[you] can’t prescribe and dispense progressive lenses over the internet. Someone isneeded to help prescribe lenses,” explains Jan. He points to Warby Parker and Amazon
as examples of online retailers who have seen the value in opening brick and mortar
stores for their customers. Jan also expects the market to more sharply divide intohigh end stores providing service-rich options verses more economical optical retailers.
Either way, he says retailers want items accessible for the impulse buy, and in the opticalfield especially, you “can’t be a no-touch retailer.” This is where Ennco will continue toflourish: leveraging industry expertise, technical aptitude and equipment, and providing
the personal touch.

Interested in speaking to one of ourknowledgeable representatives?
Americas & Asia PacificNovanta Headquarters
Bedford, USA
P +1-781-266-5700
Photonics@Novanta.com

Europe, Middle East,
AfricaNovanta Europe GmbH
Wackersdorf, Germany
P +49-9431-7984-0
Milan, Italy
P +39-039-793-710

China

Japan

Novanta Sales & Service Center Novanta Service & Sales Office
Tokyo, Japan
Shenzhen, China
P +81-3-5753-2460
P +86-755-8280-5395
Suzhou, China
P +86-512-6283-7080
Photonics.China@Novanta.com

Photonics@Novanta.com©2021 Novanta Corporation. All rights reserved.

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