The screen and digital printer in Gloucestershire replaced an older Schneider 115 guillotine with a Senator S-Line 115H CT. The company uses it to cut vinyl, plastics and board for clients including more than 200 industrial plant and hire companies.

The Friedheim-supplied guillotine trims stickers square, rectangular or to shape for heavy-duty machinery. Though accuracy not speed was a major criteria, you could not beat a guillotine for speed and volume compared to flatbed cutters, managing director Graham Higdon claimed.

"The guillotine is absolutely key: if that goes wrong, everything stops – we can't prepare or finish jobs," he explained. "The Schneider does everything we need and is reliable. It has hydraulic cutting and clamping that cuts down on noise and makes it more effective.

"The old machine was good but you can repair kit only so long. These are such dangerous machines, you have to make sure all the safety checks are performed. We looked at the main rivals but this kit fitted our needs perfectly. Friedheim was a big help advising on smaller cuts."

Six-staff Atlantic Coast Studio runs traditional flatbed screen print kit and five Roland VS digital print machines as well as a Summa cutter. The company makes £500,000 turnover and expects to continue expanding its range of kit and areas of work, according to Higdon.