Dayfold has installed a PFI Blade B2+ from Duplo International, increasing its capacity to take on creative projects. Managing director Del Simmons explains: “Our process is always solutions driven. It’s about how we can come up with new ideas and this investment allows us to develop those new ideas and the way to do it, and to do so faster rather than when using a scalpel.
“And we also do quite a few short run packaging jobs where the Blade is great for cutting out and creasing for runs up to 200 items.”
The company was the first in the UK to install a Heidelberg Speedmaster CS92 with LED UV. The impetus for this was the range of high value, frequently uncoated papers, that the company uses. “We do not produce straightforward four-colour commercial work. We are always working with creative papers with foiling, embossing and lots of added value and finishing processes. Now the Blade enables us the opportunity to the added value to customers when using such expensive materials.”
For longer runs, Dayfold has a Cylinder and Kluge die cutting machines. These require dies which must be returned from the trade provider, taking time. “With the Blade we do not need to buy dies and do not have the lead time issue,” says Simmons.
The cutting table is a step on from the first generation cutting tables. “It’s got what was missing before,” he adds. “It handles the bigger sheet, has more functionality and with the feeder is a much better bit of kit.”
For Dayfold it is a first step in an investment cycle. A laser cutter is on order and will partner the Blade in delivering greater creativity to customers. “The Blade has been a pleasant surprise. We knew it would be good for us. We just didn’t realise how much time it would save us, it has definitely been a good investment.
“We are trying things to see what we can do with the machine and how far we can push it.”
One aspect that is being put to good use is the ability to groove in boards and so enable Dayfold to begin producing rigid presentation boxes. It is, says Simmonds, the start of a lot of investment in bindery, which should culminate next year in equipment for box making.
