Launched to market just a week before Fespa, the F1625 measures 1600 x 2500mm and offers a range of productivity-boosting features, including fully-automatic roll-based workflow and the ability to use front and rear zones alternately while the operator loads fresh material.

Designed as a successor to Summa’s entry-level F1612 cutter, the machine is designed to offer all-rounder value for money, allowing smaller print companies to better automate their cutting departments. 

“Looking at the F1612, which was our smallest size [in the F-series], there was a sweet spot there, both in terms of size and in being focussed on board materials. That’s why we brought this product [to market],” Lieven Bertier, chief marketing officer at Summa, told Printweek.

Thanks to the cutter’s recommended manufacturer’s price of £79,990, printers can look at making a return on their investment in just 24-36 months, according to Bertier

“If you look at this industry and the current investmtent climate too, you see that investment can be harder at the moment for some companies. Printers need to make sure they have good ROI on your machine, and so that’s important to us as well,” he added.

The F1625 also features automatic calibration and tool recognition, and handles three tools at the same time. Cut speeds are up to 1 m/s, with the machine’s edge coming from its productivity-enhancing features and accuracy.

“It’s all about productivity, and I would link that to it being hard to find skilled operators. So you need to focus on workflow efficiency and improvements, and combine it with a machine that is easy to use, and intuitive to handle. The training requirement is extremely low, and you can set this machine up in less than a day.”

“The F1625 is all about giving professionals what they need most: versatility, reliability, and smart automation in a compact footprint,” said Randi Kerkaert, product manager at Summa.

Speaking to Printweek, he added that the F1625’s ability to run overnight for roll-based media was crucial to Summa’s vision of accessible high-automation machinery.

“Having an unmanned system is a view to the future,” he said.

“Our focus today is to make the machine as easy to operate as possible, so anyone can run it. The next step is to have the machine run overnight, not just for roll-to-roll but also for board materials. Automation is the next step in any machine’s evolution.”

Officially launched to market on 29 April, the F1625 is available now globally.