His journey began in 2010 when, working as a guillotine operator at a company he does not want to name, he was having trouble producing a quality crease on a job that consisted of two 400gsm Ivory Board glued together.

"We tried the Heidelberg Cylinder, we also tried outsourcing to a specialised print finishers, but to no avail," he says. "The only thing that could produce such a crease of any notable quality was an old-fashioned foot operated treadle, but there was no automatic back gauge, and this was far too slow a process."

So Collins suggested to his boss that he could design something for the guillotine. His first attempt, although rough round the edges, provided a crease quality of such a high standard that Collins was convinced there could be a market for such a product, if designed properly.

After showing samples to a contact at Heidelberg, they recommended he get in contact with Graham Harris, the managing director of Tech-ni-fold and inventor of the Tri-Creaser. Over the last couple of years, Harris became an invaluable mentor to Collins as he designed prototypes of the product.

"Graham and I have become friends and he has been the biggest influence on my journey so far, with his advice and guidance," he says. "He has perhaps prevented me from making a lot of mistakes with his vast knowledge."

This journey culminated with a hugely successful trip to Drupa this week, when a number of companies showed serious interest in becoming involved with the Guillo-Crease. But despite such positive levels of interest shown, Collins says he has decided to manufacture the Guillo-Crease himself through a company in Lincolnshire, and then sell it on to distributors.

Over the last two years Collins says he has invested around £20,000 into the project, including patenting and manufacturing costs, with his family, particularly his father-in-law, being very supportive.

"It’s been a long hard slog, but I am now beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel," he says.