Finishing & Screen Printing

Anton seeks four new guillotine operators as its fifth Polar line arrives

Thursday 04. October 2012 - This week Anton Group is taking delivery of its fifth Polar line, a Polar 137 Autotrim with stacklift Jogger and Transomat downloader. As a result it is recruiting four new staff to man the line on Continental shifts to give 24/7 cover.

“You still need an eyes and hands on approach because although finishing is more automated,it is not an exact science” says Michelle Knight, bindery manager.
“There is a big increase in cutting. It seems that there are more simple two page marketing leaflets being produced alongside the more elaborate products and this means more cutting. Polar machines are sturdy and reliable and we know we can trust Heidelberg’s after sales service which with five lines is critical.”
All five guillotine lines feature 137cm width cutters, meaning that even 1020mm sheets from the company’s Speedmaster XL 106 presses can be cut lengthwise first where necessary. Standardisation also allows the knives to be interchanged easily as required. The company uses tungsten blades which need less frequent sharpening and have a longer life.
As always there is a significant amount of materials handling around the latest guillotine, partly to increase productivity but also to safeguard the health and safety of staff.
“In the 1970s and 1980s the industry had more operators who suffered from all the manual lifting and shifting. It is a good thing that we have moved on and that responsible companies protect their workforce with good materials handling. We regard it as a necessity; it’s equally vital for output and for safety,” says Michelle.
Four lines are identical, including this latest purchase, but a fifth line also features a pallet feeder. “Guillotining is all about speed and accuracy, about reams per hour. The throughput of the Polar is better than anything we have seen on the market. That’s why we keep coming back for more.”