Currently running an older Polar guillotine that is ready for replacement, the Bristol-based printer will take on its new line on 9 April. It will comprise a Polar N 115 cutter along with a stacklift, jogger and Transomat unloader.

The line was supplied by Heidelberg and financing was supported by Close Brothers Asset Finance.

Philtone director Neil Mercer said the new kit will, in particular, speed up the production of A6- and A5-sized leaflets.

“Our Polar is the busiest machine we have – about 99% of our work goes through it,” said Mercer. “The jogger and Transomat with the new machine will make things a lot less strenuous for our workers and we calculate it will be 33% quicker than our current setup.

“The system stacks jobs down and the jogger eliminates the need for a person to be lifting paper all day long. Everything goes much quicker through the machine.”

Polar’s N 115 high-speed cutter has a cutting width and feeding depth of 1,150mm and a knife speed of 45 cycles per minute. It is programmable through a colour touch screen GUI.

Nearly all of Philtone’s equipment is Heidelberg-supplied, including two Speedmaster XL presses with coaters – a four-colour 105 and a five-colour 106.

Mercer said: “We have always bought Heidelberg products – they are reliable, providing a good service and plenty of loyalty. If we ever have a problem they are there to help us, even down to our consumables which they provide.”

In the past three months, the firm has also eased another bottleneck in its finishing department with the installation of a Horizon mini-folder and automatic creaser, as well as a laminator from Cellcoat.

Mercer’s aim is for Philtone to build on its £3.7m turnover by boosting it to £4m in the next financial year. He will work to improve productivity and speed, which will be helped by the introduction of the Polar line.

Philtone Litho employs 43 members of staff on its 130sqm premises.