Supplied by Duplo strategic partner AfterPrint in August, the machine is part of a £400,000 investment made on print and finishing equipment by Stockton-on-Tees-headquartered Party Décor in the last 18 months.
Owner Jan Jaskowiec said: “We have an established online presence for party decorations but have been expanding into more traditional print markets over the last 12-18 months.
“Due to the expansion we needed to upgrade to the large B2+ size to speed up production. The larger format table allows us to print on a larger sheet and therefore gang more work into each pass.
“Also, with the addition of the oscillating blade we have been experimenting with new products such as puzzles and other products that are both thicker and harder which is a standout feature of the machine. It really adds value to the machine and has increased the products we can produce.”
He added: “We chose the PFI Blade B2+ on the advice of Chris O’Brien from AfterPrint. We approached Chris with some specific requirements and additions to what our existing flatbed cutter offered.
“The B2+ was the obvious choice once Chris explained to us the software advantages, increased speeds, and the addition of the oscillating blade to cut thicker materials.
“Furthermore, Chris and his team at AfterPrint wanted to ensure they offered a piece of kit that they themselves can support, with the backup and training provided by Duplo the B2+ was the only machine that fit this criteria.
“In terms of our hopes for the machine, we just wanted something that could expand on what our existing cutter could offer. The larger format was a main contributory factor to this upgrade but the added benefit of being able to now create bespoke puzzles is a real game changer for us.
“We had looked into creating bespoke puzzles for a few years but using a traditional die type machine for the small on-demand market in which we operate just wasn’t feasible.”
The PFi Blade B2+ does not require dies to produce intricate and accurately cut products. Through the PFi Connect software, job preparation and setup are easy and fast. The Blade B2+ also now has an optional roll to sheet module that was launched in September.
The kit can take rolls of up to 620mm in width and 300mm in diameter while the optional feeder also allows users to feed and cut oversized materials, creating longer finished applications such as banners and signage products.
The roller feeding system boosts the machine’s versatility as it can handle materials such as vinyl to make labels, and clothing transfer products.
“Other notable differences is the ease of the software to use, previously, we had a dedicated operator as the software caused confusion, now literally any of my team can jump on the machine with minimal training,” said Jaskowiec, who also praised AfterPrint’s service.
“Nothing is too much trouble and they will always go out of their way to help, Just recently they sorted a small issue on another piece of equipment using FaceTime. Sounds daft but this simple ability allowed us to fire the machine back up and meet a strict deadline for our client.
“I really cannot recommend them enough when it comes to machinery expertise, advice and technical support.”
Last year Party Décor took on a Konica Minolta PKG-675i inkjet printer to support its business arm that manufactures cardboard products including shipping boxes and decorative boxes.
