30% turnover jump prompts JCT to buy DYSS table

JCT Developments has invested in a DYSS X7 1630C digital cutting table to help it keep up with “extraordinary” growth levels.

The Hampshire specialist in large-format digital advertising and retail print, POS and signage work has seen business jump 30% over the past 12 months and has suffered bottlenecks as a result.

Managing director Julian Turner said: “While our print capability is outstanding, our flatbed and vinyl-cutting machines were manually operated and this caused a production bottleneck.”

As a result the company bought the table, from AG/CAD, to smooth out workflow and support ongoing growth.

The new table runs alongside the company's fleet of digital print kit, which includes two Screen Truepress W3200UV and a Jetrix KX7, plus four Mimaki roll-to-roll upright printers

JCT specified the SuperHead model with three tooling stations that can accommodate kiss-cut tools, routing, knife, creasing and pen tools.

The DYSS works with Kasemake CAD suite with templates for boxes, folders and display units to enable JCT to supply projects such as leaflet holders that wouldn't have previously been possible.

The 1630C table has a bed size of 1.7x3.4m, which complements JCT's max print format of 1.6x3.2m. The new table offers higher precision and greater flexibility than its manual machines, meaning the company can process more work on a wider range of substrates – E-flute board, Foamex and Corex thicker than 5mm were impossible to cut by hand while retaining edge quality. 

JCT supplies brands including Pizza Hut, Halfords, Hobbycraft, Marks & Spencer, Thorntons, Puma and Pret A Manger and last month installed projects for Audi and Ferrari at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The DYSS was used on a Pret A Manger poster project on a 50m-long roll. Previously, this would have taken over two hours to cut by hand. According to Turner, the DYSS machine took less than 30 minutes.

“This is partially down to the rollers that makes set-up and cutting more precise and faster to process. We can relocate an employee from full-time manual cutting to working a few hours a day,” Turner said.

“What used to be a production bottleneck is now a complete role reversal. We installed a Truepress printer at the same time as the DYSS and another shortly after.

“The two new printers would have eventually made hand-cutting a full-time job for two people. However, the DYSS is so fast and precise, it can take everything our printers throw at it.

“It can be cutting within minutes of jobs being printed, which now means our printers struggle to keep pace with the DYSS.”

The table has a list price of £110,000.