The business, which produces corrugated cases, cardboard boxes, POS and packaging products, took delivery of the machine around three months ago. It was supplied by AG/CAD.

The machine, which can handle a maximum sheet size of 1,640x3,380mm, has replaced a Kasemake KM602A cutting table – also from AG/CAD – which the firm had been operating for 20 years.

WER said its requirement for samples has “climbed exponentially” over the past few years, putting greater pressure onto the company’s design and sample division and the ageing KM602A.

“Our sales department is very pro-active and is continually requesting more samples. The old machine could only do around 20 samples a day and demand was outstripping capacity,” said WER estimating manager Josh Asbury.

“I would be processing samples on the KM602A machine for more than six hours a day, five days a week. The new Dyss can process more than 20 samples in less than two hours. We’re making samples at least five times faster than before and have plenty of capacity to support the company’s future growth plans.”

The Dyss machine has been specified with Kasemake CAD software, the K-Cut Vision Pro automatic camera registration system and the 2T-Head configuration, which consists of an oscillating knife tool and creasing tool.

“One instant benefit was the improved cut and creasing quality. Our customers also recognised the drastic improvement in sample quality, something that has helped our sales division to convert more samples to production business,” said Asbury.

WER sales director Ben Wilks added: “The Dyss gives our business the scope to exploit new market segments. We are now looking more strategically at the POS, display and different packaging sectors.

“We also have the capacity and speed to process low-quantity fast turnaround production runs that would have needed to go on a platen in the past.”

In recent years WER has also installed a Peters-Marquip corrugator, which the company said had helped to boost its annual manufacturing output from 16 million square metres of corrugated board a decade ago to 36 million square metres.

The business employs around 150 staff and turns over around £17m. It operates from three production sites in Northfleet, Kent with a combined 9,290sqm space.