Supplied by Valiani’s exclusive UK distributor Morgana Systems, the Optima 160 replaced an existing Mat Pro Ultra V150 at the East London-based company’s premises in early June.

The 160 features a vacuum table for holding media in place, a twin headed tool station, and interchangeable accessories for cutting, half-cutting and creasing, drawing and oscillating, and perforating a wide range of media.

The device comes as standard with a camera for crop mark detection. Used in combination with the optional OptiCrop software, it can perform accurate contour cutting and creasing around pre-printed media.

Wellington Press managing director Nick Murray said: “We are now regularly handling thicker substrates. The Optima 160 can cut up to 20mm, and we can now work on materials up to 1,600x1,230mm.

“It also allows us to produce work faster thanks largely to the twin head tool station. That means, for example, that we can cut and crease at the same time.”

He added: “The V150 was a great product, and has served us well, but, as demand has grown, the time was right for us to move to a more capable and more productive machine.

“Morgana kept in touch with us after the initial purchase. We were able to update them on our progress with that unit, and when the more robust Optima unit became available to them, they talked to us about the benefits the change might offer us.

“We were looking for faster production and the ability to cut thicker boards, and that is what the more robust Optima can provide.”

The Optima 160 is suitable for in-house prototyping, point-of-sale displays, and short to medium runs of packaging boxes.

“The typical workload for our cutting table has been incredibly mixed; short runs of boxes, either for prototype or small production runs, banner products, point-of-sale pieces, as well as general signage items of all shapes and sizes for a wide variety of purposes,” said Murray.

Employing eight staff, Wellington Press offers services ranging from business cards, stationery, and corporate brochures through to bespoke boxes, signage, binders, and cross-media campaigns.

It also operates Ricoh digital kit and Heidelberg litho equipment while its finishing capability includes perfect and wire-o-binding, saddle stitching, die-cutting, folding, creasing, and perforating, along with other specialist finishes such as laminating, spot UV varnishing, foiling, and embossing.