Supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS) and installed at the Luton-based firm’s site in October, the guillotine will work alongside a raft of Xerox digital presses to complete the high volume of business cards the company manages.
Abbot Print’s core business is duplicate and triplicate books and pads, as well as continuous forms, register sets and specimen bags. It operates Drent, Edelmann, Heidelberg, Ryobi (now RMGT) and Timson presses.
Managing director Alasdair Browne, who featured on a Sky News report that highlighted print’s pandemic plight last month, said: “We had two business card cutters, but they were not always able to handle the volumes we needed.
“At times we were having to get the work completed by a guillotine in our main bindery.
“So, we decided to look around for an alternative. We needed something that could complete the volumes.”
The APC-610 has a maximum cutting width of 610mm and a maximum lift height of 100mm.
“It goes to a minimum cut of 25mm and has a compact footprint so it can run near the digital press producing the cards,” said Browne.
“It is so easy to set up anyone can use it, and we are able to keep guillotining with the digital staff rather than occupy a dedicated guillotine operator.”
He added: “We know and trust Horizon and IFS. The guillotine has been running constantly since it went in. It is doing what we need it to.”
26 staff work at Abbot Print, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in July this year.
