The machine replaces an aging Itoh guillotine and offers a fully automated service, with a 115cm cutting width and a range of programming features.

As well as being fully automated, the CCM Premier has improved safety and maintenance features with additions such as a centralised lubrication point and an easier knife change routine, TCS said.

While Nottingham-based TCS is an agent for CP Bourg binders and the smaller-scale American guillotine maker Challenge, CCM Premier is its own brand.

Mark Stephenson, managing director of the 22-staff company, said: "We looked at guillotines from all the 'usual suspects', but in the end we went for the machine which offered the best value for money.

"We're also familiar with TCS having had equipment from them in the past."

He added that the new machine had already made a noticeable difference, because of the computer control system, the ability to store jobs and because of the diagnostic capabilities of the computer.

Falcon Press, which also runs B2 and B3 presses, is a family-run business, producing a wide range of commercial print.