The Intersecting Paths of Digital Finishing: MGE, Kongsberg, MultiCam, and Zund
The Intersecting Paths of Digital Finishing: MGE, Kongsberg, MultiCam, and Zünd
By the Editor
To view the history of digital finishing as a series of isolated corporate timelines is to miss the broader narrative. The evolution of automated cutting is, in reality, a deeply interconnected web of partnerships, acquisitions, and technological cross-pollination. The stories of Mikkelsen Graphic Engineering (MGE), Kongsberg, MultiCam, and Zünd Americas do not exist in vacuums; they branch, intersect, and ultimately weave together to form the modern landscape of precision manufacturing.
The Divergent Origins
The roots of these four entities could not be more disparate. In Norway, Kongsberg began in 1814 as a weapons manufacturer, eventually pivoting its control systems expertise into creating computerized plotting tables for shipbuilders and rocket models [1]. In Switzerland, Karl Zünd founded Zünd Systemtechnik AG in 1984, obsessively focused on Swiss precision and modular flatbed design [2].
Meanwhile, in the United States, two distinctly American stories were unfolding. In Texas, Ken Koelling founded MultiCam in 1989, building heavy-duty, customized CNC automation systems for industrial fabrication [3]. In Wisconsin, Danish engineer Steen Mikkelsen established Sign-Tronic USA (later MGE), focusing not on building heavier machines, but on developing the software and vision systems that would make existing machines smarter [4].
These four distinct DNA strands—Norwegian control systems, Swiss modular precision, Texan industrial heavy fabrication, and Wisconsin-based software intelligence—were destined to collide.
The First Intersection: MGE and Zünd
The first major intersection occurred in the 1990s. Before MGE became famous for its i-cut Vision software, the company operated as a distributor for Zünd cutting machines in the United States [4]. This relationship was symbiotic. Zünd provided the highly accurate, modular Swiss hardware, while MGE provided the localized market knowledge and early workflow integrations needed to sell into the American sign and display market.
This early partnership helped establish Zünd's reputation in North America, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Zünd America, Inc. (ZAM) in 2004 [5]. However, as MGE shifted its focus toward developing its proprietary i-cut Vision and i-script software, its path began to diverge from Zünd, leading to a new, industry-altering partnership.
The Esko-Kongsberg Convergence
By the early 2000s, Kongsberg (now under the Esko-Graphics umbrella) was producing highly capable digital converting tables, but the industry desperately needed automated print-to-cut registration. In 2004, MGE partnered with EskoArtwork to integrate the i-cut vision system directly onto the Kongsberg i-XL and i-XE tables [4].
This integration was explosive. The marriage of Kongsberg's robust hardware with MGE's intelligent vision software created a dominant force in the digital finishing market. The success of this partnership was so profound that in 2008, EskoArtwork acquired MGE entirely, bringing Steen Mikkelsen and his team in-house to lead their strategic finishing business unit [4].
"EskoArtwork and MGE started their close cooperation in 2004 with the integration of MGE's i-cut vision system onto our Kongsberg digital converting tables... The resulting i-XL and i-XE digital finishing systems have seen great success in the market." — Carsten Knudsen, President and CEO of EskoArtwork (2008) [4]
With MGE absorbed into Esko-Kongsberg, Zünd Americas, now operating independently from its massive new headquarters in Wisconsin, pushed forward as Kongsberg's primary global rival, driving rapid innovation and modular advancements across the industry [5].
The MultiCam Acquisition: Completing the Circle
For over a decade, the Esko-Kongsberg and Zünd rivalry defined the high-end graphic and packaging finishing markets. Meanwhile, MultiCam continued to dominate the heavier industrial CNC routing and fabrication sectors, while also producing its Celero line of wide-format cutters [3].
In 2021, the narrative branched once again. Kongsberg was sold by Esko to OpenGate Capital, emerging as the independent Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) [1]. Seeking to rapidly expand its scale and technological breadth, Kongsberg PCS immediately acquired MultiCam [6].
This acquisition brought the story full circle. Kongsberg, whose modern success was heavily fueled by the software intelligence of the Wisconsin-based MGE, now absorbed the heavy-duty Texas fabrication power of MultiCam.
The Undeniable Legacy
Today, the landscape is defined by these historical intersections. Zünd Americas operates from its massive Oak Creek, Wisconsin headquarters—ironically, in the same state where MGE pioneered the vision systems that empowered its greatest rival [5]. Kongsberg PCS now offers a portfolio that ranges from the delicate, camera-guided cutting of printed graphics (the MGE legacy) to the heavy-duty plasma and waterjet cutting of thick steel (the MultiCam legacy) [6].
The history of these four companies proves that innovation in digital finishing is rarely a solitary endeavor. It is a continuous cycle of hardware meeting software, of European precision meeting American industrialism, and of distinct corporate paths branching and merging to build the automated future.
References
[1] Corruga Expert. "From Rockets to Cutting Tables: The Story of Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems." June 22, 2014. https://corruga.expert/news/from-rockets-to-cutting-tables-the-story-of-kongsberg-precision-cutting-systems/ [2] Zünd Systemtechnik AG. "About Zünd." https://www.zund.com/en/company/about-zuend [3] MultiCam Inc. "About the company." https://www.multicam.com/en/about/company [4] WhatTheyThink. "EskoArtwork to acquire Mikkelsen Graphic Engineering." June 13, 2008. https://whattheythink.com/news/33969-eskoartwork-acquire-mikkelsen-graphic-engineering/ [5] Zünd Systemtechnik AG. "Zund America, Inc." https://www.zund.com/en/company/sales-network/zam [6] Texintel. "Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems Acquires Multicam To Create The World’s First Diversified Provider Of Digital Finishing And CNC Cutting Machines." August 23, 2021. https://www.texintel.com/press-room/kongsberg-precision-cutting-systems-acquires-multicam-to-create-the-worlds-first-diversified-provider-of-digital-finishing-and-cnc-cutting-machines