61 www.printmonthly.co.uk Issue 363 - November | December 2026 GUILLOTINES | ROB FLETCHER longer the bottleneck – it keeps pace with today's high-speed digital presses.” Picking up on the automation point, Hudson says this should be “absolutely critical” to print service providers (PSPs), explaining it is no longer a luxury, but “essential for competitive survival”. “Our SpeedCut software exemplifies this: it automatically plans cuts for complex jobs, removing manual programming and reducing human error,” he explains, continuing: “With step-by-step, on-screen graphical display instructions for each cut, connectivity means the guillotine is no sheet size capabilities for businesses expanding their offerings. Action Graphics is one company that can attest to the impact the machine can have, with the company now able to cut sheets up to 660 mm – something that helped it win new business in the very first week of installing the solution. Looking further ahead, Hudson says technology in and around guillotines will continue to evolve and not only make life easier for operators but also help improve the finish printed product. On this, he says intelligent automation and AI-driven workflow management will define the next era. “We’re seeing robotics shift from curiosity to practical opportunity across print,” he says, adding: “Cloud-based connectivity will enable real-time production monitoring and predictive maintenance, reducing costly downtime. Software is becoming more important than hardware as production gains now come from workflow automation and intelligent job management rather than just faster motors. “Sustainability will also shape decisions, with more efficient material usage and energy consumption becoming priorities. Suppliers offering integrated workflows that combine software, automation, and service will be the ones that lead this market forward.” Greater Consistency Elsewhere, Ian Trengrouse, product manager of post press commercial at HEIDELBERG, agrees that guillotine technology has evolved from a standalone cutting machine into an integrated production system focused on productivity, automation, and process reliability. “At POLAR, development has focused on reducing non-productive time before and after the actual cutting process,” he says, continuing: “Today, the efficiency of material handling, job setup, and operator guidance often has a greater impact on overall productivity than cutting speed itself. Automated cutting program generation, intuitive user interfaces, and integrated peripheral equipment help printers process more jobs with greater consistency and less operator dependency.” Printers want intuitive operation, operational flexibility, and the confidence to take on larger-format jobs they might otherwise turn away Action Graphics recently purchased a Mohr 66 Plus from Plockmatic Group French inventor Guillaume Massiquot patented his paper-cutting machine 1844 longer an isolated machine; it's part of a unified production workflow. “Printers need equipment that integrates with their MIS systems and handles jobs from file submission through to shipping with minimal intervention. The next major step is end-to-end integration, where the entire production line communicates seamlessly. Printers want intuitive operation, operational flexibility, and the confidence to take on larger-format jobs they might otherwise turn away.” With this, Hudson draws attention to the Mohr 66 Plus, which he says boosts
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==