The Perfecta 76 HTVC machine was chosen for its ability to meet a very specific requirement: low-pressure operation means it is able to cut without flattening Braille dots, which are included on much of the sight charity’s printed material. 

The inplant produces a lot of multimedia products that include elements of conventional print, Braille text and electronic audio inserts, which require delicate handling. 

According to IFS, the HTVC cutting table aids gentle stock handling.

Production team leader Stuart Hale said had boosted the throughput of the inplant's post-press operation: "It's much quicker, it's programmable – and the programs are named – and blade changing is much easier."

"It was very quick to train our two operatives up on," he added.

The B2-format Perfecta 76 features a 15in touchscreen control system, memory to hold up to 30,000 different cutting programs and is JDF enabled. The guillotine, which cost around £32,500, replaced a 20-year-old ITOH machine and was installed at the end of spring.

Most of the work the inplant produces is for the charity itself but it also prints "whatever business we can bring in" from external customers, according to Hale.

Hale added: “We are being asked to complete a lot more smaller jobs per shift so being able to set the guillotine up quickly means we can be more efficient. It is already paying for itself.”

“We can do a lot more bespoke products because the system is easier to set up.”

The company prints on Konica Minolta, Ricoh and HP Indigo digital presses.