Riverside Printers invests in a JWEI 2131 digital cutting table from CMYUK to bring acrylic cutting and POS display work in-house.
Corby-based mixed print provider Riverside Printers has boosted its large-format finishing division after investing in a JWEI 2131 digital cutting table from equipment supplier CMYUK. The installation replaces an obsolete legacy cutter, enabling the firm to bring acrylic finishing and short-run packaging production in-house.
Digital wide-format work now represents approximately 40 per cent of Riverside’s total turnover, up from 20 per cent in recent years. Operating in tandem with OptiScout software, the JWEI 2131 allows the printer to cut and polish acrylic on site, eliminating its previous reliance on external subcontractors while improving turnaround times and quality control.
Director at Riverside Printers, Duncan Raisin, commented, “We’d had our existing Zund cutting table for about six or seven years. It had done its time. It was getting slow, and we were struggling to get parts for it because it had become obsolete. Sooner or later, we were going to need something to replace it.”
Raisin added, “The JWEI is a lot better at cutting and creasing. If we want to create point-of-sale displays or anything with creases in it, it’s much better at that than the old table. We couldn’t really sell the creasing from our old cutter – it just wasn’t good enough. Now, for short runs, we can do it on the JWEI with no additional tooling costs and far more efficiency.”
Evaluating potential replacement hardware, the company selected the JWEI platform based on machine build quality and CMYUK’s ongoing service support. Raisin noted, “The build quality of the JWEI is really good, and the OptiScout software and machine operation are excellent. But the big factor was CMYUK. The training we’ve had has been amazing, and we’re confident we can get the machine serviced and parts supplied when we need them. That really tipped the balance.”
Capable of processing POS displays, creased packaging, and rigid sheet media without dedicated tooling, the new cutter gives the Northamptonshire printer expanded capacity to target trade acrylic and wide-format graphic contracts.
Raisin concluded, “We’re definitely seeing that area of the business grow. The JWEI gives us the capacity and confidence to push further into wide format production, explore new products and applications. It’s a big step forward for us.”