The Westerham, Kent-based company unveiled the tie-up on day one of the show, and as well as having its own stand (17/F948) it will have a presence on the Guowang stand (7/C474).

DPM managing director Mark Sheldrick said the company had waited cautiously before entering the new machinery market. "In the past, many Chinese manufacturers were just trying to copy European and Japanese machines," he said. "But they realised they needed to produce a high-quality product."

Guowang guillotines can perform 45 cuts per minute and the products range from 780mm wide to 1,760mm wide. They are CIP4 compatible and include stack height memory and high-speed back gauge control.

The company recently invested €10m (£8.5m) to improve its manufacturing facility and, according to Sheldrick, it is also in the process of introducing larger-format cutters.

Guowang is already relatively well-known within the UK, and has an installed base of around 20 machines.

Sheldrick took over sole ownership of the £15m-turnover DPM in February when he bought out fellow shareholders John Topham and Steve Leonard.