Pins and More specialises in creating custom-made pins, badges, key rings, insignia, emblems and tie clips. The company has been in business for around 15 years and has a friendly team of four people
Pins and More has just moved to new premises in Ruurlo and is expecting to welcome two new staff members shortly. They have the latest printing and engraving technology in-house to meet growing demand. The company is well known in the region for its promotional items, advertising materials and bespoke merchandise.
Working accurately and saving time
We speak to Chiel Potgieter, graphic designer/DTP specialist at Pins and More. During the interview, we see a world map in the background, showing all the countries where Pins and More’s customers are based. Chiel ensures that everything is ready for the colleague who cuts or engraves the materials. Thanks to his preparatory work, everyone can get to work independently. Additional notes are written in the manual, which is kept next to the machine as a reference. If they don’t know something straight away, they just have a quick look in the manual. ‘Then we don’t even need to call for support. Everything’s actually in there,’ says Chiel.
According to Chiel, the biggest advantages of the BRM laser machine are its precision and the high-quality finish. ‘It’s brilliant that the cut edges are immediately smooth and beautifully finished. It all goes very smoothly.’
Cutting, engraving and combining techniques
At Pins and More, the BRM laser is most commonly used to cut plastics, such as polystyrene sheets. These are first printed in full colour using a UV printer, after which they are cut into awards and medals. They also use the laser machine to engrave promotional gifts, such as glass plaques that can be personalised to order.
Precise, simple and comprehensive
Chiel uses these keywords to describe their BRM laser. ‘That laser simply cuts very precisely along the line.’ And even his colleagues without specific technical or graphic design training can handle the machine and the software perfectly well. ‘It’s all very comprehensive, yet simple to operate.’ Sometimes they come up with a different solution, which means they tackle things slightly differently next time. This is how Pins and More continues to develop.
“That laser machine? Yeah, it really does the job well!”
Close ties with BRM
When Pins and More had to part with their previous laser machine, colleague Werner thought of Ruud, who works as a Laser Machine Consultant at BRM Lasers. After the initial contact, Werner visited the showroom for a demonstration. ‘That’s when we chose this machine because it suited us well,’ says Chiel. Even after the purchase, there was frequent contact with Ruud, who gave tips on how to do the work even better. ‘That was really helpful, because it was a great help to us!’ There haven’t been any breakdowns yet, but should that be the case, they know at Pins and More that the lines of communication are short.
