Installed at the end of last year, the new arrival represents a £115,000 investment for Tamworth-based KEP and will work alongside a range of other cutting tables.

Moving forward from the purchase of the new machine, which will assist in POS production, KEP is marking 40 years in business this year by scoping the market out for further equipment to invest in.

Managing director Mark Plowman said: “We had a requirement for a computer cutting machine and wanted to see what was available in the UK market, and we found there was a manufacturer that produces them here in the UK.

“Not only that, but they manufacture all their own parts, which results in a much quicker turnaround time for repairs. We also found the Genesis-V to be a more robust machine than others on the market and very easy to set up.

“It certainly enhances the speed of operation, which enables quicker turnaround. We also find it gives us more accurate prototypes so the customer can get a better idea of what their finished product will look like.”

With a cutting speed of 1.2m/sec, the Genesis-V is a new key player in the technology portfolio of Heybridge-based Blackman & White.

A CNC system, it has a cutting accuracy of 0.1mm and can run as both a conveyor or flatbed system. The version chosen by KEP is 3.2m wide.

On KEP’s 5,574sqm premises, which Plowman said he intends to expand this year, it runs alongside a print technology portfolio that includes a five-colour Manroland 900 XXL, a 10-colour perfecting Manroland 710, an HP Indigo 7900, an HP Scitex 11000 industrial flatbed and a Lamina Blackline 1620 laminator.

The commercial printing firm’s finishing capabilities include semi-automatic taping, cutting, die-cutting, gluing, guillotining, stitching, folding, drilling and collating.

With 118 members of staff, KEP Print Group currently turns over £14m.