Abbot Print has speeded production of business cards with a Horizon APC-610 programmable guillotine supplied by IFS to meet demand for fast turnaround work.

The Luton-based business, which celebrated it centenary this year, focuses principally on duplicate/triplicate books and pads, as well as continuous forms, register sets and specimen bags. It has a variety of offset presses for this, but the high volume business card work is largely produced on Xerox Nuvera, V3100 and V80 digital presses.

Abbot’s managing director Alasdair Browne explained, ‘We had two business card cutters but they were not always able to handle the volumes we needed. At times we were having to get the work completed by a guillotine in our main bindery. So, we decided to look around for an alternative. We needed something that could complete the volumes.

‘We liked the Horizon APC-610. It goes to a minimum cut of 25mm and has a compact footprint so it can run near the digital press producing the cards. It is so easy to set up anyone can use it and we are able to keep guillotining with the digital staff rather than occupy a dedicated guillotine operator.’

The APC-610 has a maximum cutting width of 610mm and maximum lift height of 100mm and is controlled via a touchscreen. A chrome-plated work table is claimed to virtually eliminate paper marking.

Mr Browne concluded, ‘We know and trust Horizon and IFS. The guillotine has been running constantly since it went in. It is doing what we need it to.’