As first published on the Dailymaverick.co.za on 18 Nov 2021

Glass is not a new invention, it has been around for thousands of years and the process of working glass has led to some amazing inventions. Glass protects, secures and at the same time provides access. This has become even more true since the development of smart devices where glass not only serves the function of protecting but also provides the direct means of interaction with the device.

Glass, however, by its very nature, is fragile and brittle and susceptible to cracking and breaking. Once again this is more true now than ever before because the glass used in smart devices is thinner as this is the feature which gives it the ability to become touch-sensitive. Thinner glass means more vulnerability. Cracked or broken glass is not only less secure but it is also hazardous to the user. It is for this very reason that security glass as a protector has been developed.

While it retains the super-thin quality prized for its interactive capacity, it is also stronger and more resilient than the glass used on the screens of the devices themselves. In addition, it stands in place of the device glass as the outer layer of protection and as such is designed to take the brunt of mishaps.

Until now, protective screens had to be pre-made specifically for the device in advance. This meant that not ever device could be protected as screens were not available. In addition, it meant that the screens were expensive. There is now a simple, easy and cost-effective alternative. The V-Auto Film Cutter is used to cut a range of protective screen films to the exact size and shape of the individual device. The V-Auto Film Cutter is available in the local market from cutting systems specialist AM.CO.ZA. While it offers considerable advantages over using pre-made protectors, the price tag and industrial capabilities of the cutter mean it is only really suited to customers with larger requirements.

This case study offers the experiences of three separate entities where the film cutter presents cost-efficiency benefits. The first, as one would expect, is the retail market where the film cutter can be used to quickly and effectively create screen protectors for retail customers. In this instance the user would provide the service to end-customers on a daily basis. The benefit is that the retailer does not need to store an endless supply of screen protectors for an almost infinite range of mobile devices including mobile phones, tablets, cameras, watches and the like. The protector for the specific device can be cut and applied in a matter of minutes. 

In this scenario, the end-customer brings the device to the retailer, who selects the protector template from the extensive and expanding library and then cuts the template from a sheet of protector film to the exact specifications of the device. This offers the retailer a two-fold saving in that he no longer needs to store endless supplies of the plethora of available screen protectors and his waste is limited to the small off-cuts left behind once the sheets are complete, rather than hundreds of screen protectors for mobile devices which become obsolete. In addition, once he is more proficient, he is able to custom-cut protectors for devices in the unlikely event where no template exists.

The second scenario where the film cutter comes into its own is in the case of larger delivery companies where mobile devices are used in the delivery, receipt and tracking of items being delivered. In this case the company would usually have to order bulk quantities of its mobile devices in order to achieve economies-of-scale, and not only the devices but also on the screen protectors. In this instance, as the devices are used in potentially more risky environments where the delivery agent is required to carry it and his customers are required to handle the device, the potential for damage is much higher, the need to replace screen protectors is greater.

Here, the company can use the V-Auto Film Cutter to manage all of its internal screen protector replacements. It also means that the company is no longer required to opt for a single type of mobile device, but can rather opt for different devices in different environments to match requirements of each environment. This offers greater freedom and efficiency as well as increased cost-effectivity.

The third scenario is slightly less common but shows the flexibility which the V-Auto Film Cutter offers. In the case of a large photographic studio with a wide selection of cameras and lenses which are used often in a variety of environments, the lenses and touch-screens on the cameras are susceptible to damage from being dropped, knocked or scratched. In modern photography, cameras are often attached to drones as a more-cost-effective method of taking aerial photographs. In these circumstances, there are a number of other ways in which screens and lenses can be damaged.

A studio such as this can use the V-Auto Film Cutter to protect their highly valuable equipment in a cost-effective and simple manner. Previously, many of the touch-screens and lenses would not have been able to be protected simply because the screen protectors would not have been available for them. Now the studio can cut the protectors to their specific needs and requirements.

The V-Auto Film Cutter standard model is capable of handling a range of screen protection films up to 1mm thick in sizes up to 185mm wide. It uses standard 220V household electricity supply making it suitable for any environment and can handle protection, privacy and printable films for all manner of portable devices. The protection and privacy film is used for the front of the device and the printable film is used for the rear or outside of the device allowing the owner to customise and change the appearance of the device as often as they like.

The V-Auto Film/180 handles a range of screen protector and privacy films including Clear Protection Film, Matte Protection Film, Anti-Blue Eye Protector and Privacy Protection Film (this prevents unwanted viewing of your screen from the side). In addition it can handle the Printable Film, a white film which can be printed on home/office inkjet printers for use on the rear of the device for customisation and aesthetics purposes. The printable sheets are printed with the customised design and then they are cut to the size and shape of the specific device to which it will be fitted.

In order to ensure that purchasers of the V-Auto Film Cutters are able to achieve maximum benefit from the device, AM.CO.ZA is including the first year’s access to the V-Auto Mobile Device Shape Library free-of-charge when they buy the cutter. In addition, customers who purchase 1000 protective sheets, or more in the first year of use, will receive an additional one-year free access to the Library. The V-Auto Mobile Device Shape Library is a web-based collection of templates for multiple devices from over 200 brands from mobile phones, tablets, watches, e-cigarettes, cameras, GPSs, vehicle navigation screens and more.

The library is regularly enhanced as new devices are launched. This means that users have access to templates for thousands of devices allowing fast, accurate cutting of the film to the exact specifications of the individual device. This means that there is almost certainly a protector for any device under 120 x 185mm on the standard model with a flat screen available in this library. In addition, users can create their own custom-designs for screens which do not appear in the library.

More demonstration videos and videos about the products are on the FilmCutter.co.za website and AM.CO.ZA has branches in Johannesburg and Cape Town with demonstration facilities. You are welcome to visit the showrooms and get a free screen protector cut and fit for your digital devices. You can visit am.co.za for branch locations or send a WhatsApp message to 060 600 6000 to receive precise directions. 

As first published on the Dailymaverick.co.za on 18 Nov 2021