The West London-based firm is running the HT30jdf machine alongside a Horizon single-clamp perfect binder to finish work from its kit that includes two Konica Minolta Bizhub 1050s.

The 40-staff firm, which is part of a group that includes Blissett Digital and Primary Colours Print & Design, produces and finishes on-demand, out-of-print titles for customers such as libraries, universities and local authorities.

Blissett Bookbinders managing director Gary Blissett said the new trimmer has "taken the strain off our guillotines in the bindery".

He added: "It has saved space and streamlined production so that the books are coming off the line and are ready to go straight out rather then having to go to the guillotine."

Blissett said that a growth in business at the £2m-turnover firm had "created a trimming bottleneck and this is the ideal solution".

He added that the firm used to have two separate operators, one binding and one cutting, but the new trimmer requires only a single user, "freeing up the other operator to work elsewhere".

The HT30jdf three-side trimmer rotates the books to trim three sides with a single knife and features touch-screen control for automated set-ups and hydraulic knife operation.

It can trim books up to 51mm thick and incorporates a maintenance system, which is claimed to cut knife change time to a third compared with normal trimmers.