The Cambridge-based commercial printer bought the then-12-year-old Polar 76 from a closing print company in 2006, and was persuaded in discussions with Heidelberg to drop considerations for another secondhand replacement and buy a new model.

The new guillotine was delivered at the start of July for an investment of £30,000 and is helping with the production of a wide range of litho, digital and large-format commercial print.

“We produce everything from business cards and letterheads up to large-format posters,” said managing director Doug Doig. “Now, there is nothing really that we do not offer.

“It felt like the right time to replace our previous Polar, and this new machine is quicker and allows us to work through more production. It does not change much about our offering, but it makes life a lot easier for us onsite which then benefits our customers.

“As with any new machine, it takes a little while to get used to but then you wonder how you managed without it – it is faster to work with and more accurate. Even when we were shopping around, I had seen other machines but when you buy a guillotine you know to go to Heidelberg.”

The Polar 78 Eco marked Quadraproof’s first time buying a machine directly from Heidelberg, installed with an Optiknife that allows for quick and easier knife changeover and adjustment.

Running at a back-gauge speed of 300mm/sec, it takes substrates up to 780x780mm in size, designed to be ideal for B2 printers.

With a wide gamut of finishing equipment that encompasses “nearly everything except foiling”, according to Doig, Quadraproof runs in-house lamination, duplex, bookletmaking, folding, scoring and more.

Its print portfolio consists of a Ryobi 524 HXX litho press, a Konica Minolta bizHub C1060 digital printer and an Epson SureColor T7200 for wide-format work.

With four members of staff on its 186sqm premises, Quadraproof turns over £450,000 and has been running for around 33 years.