Joe Newnham MD of Diametric Ltd
The investment in the advanced digital technology at its Newport, Isle of Wight production plant marks another major addition to Diametric’s cutting division, strengthening its production capability and expanding its ability to manage a broader range of materials and finishes with greater speed and consistency. The ColorCut FB9500 Pro-T combines high speed performance with a compact footprint and full automation – making it a perfect fit for Diametric’s state of the art production site.
“Our customers look to us for quality, responsiveness, and technical precision across some of the most demanding materials,” said MD Joe Newnham. “The ColorCut FB9500 Pro-T from Plockmatic Group brings a new level of capability to our operation – fast, fully automated, incredibly versatile and with a small footprint. It gives us even greater confidence to deliver consistent accuracy across every substrate we handle. Agreeing on the ColorCut FB9500 Pro-T was a virtual no-brainer with the range of substrates that can be used and many advanced features. This is a new productivity touchpoint, with a drastic increase in automation and productivity.”
Plockmatic’s ColorCut FB9500 Pro-T has been engineered to deliver high volume, unattended cutting and creasing performance. Its auto feeder holds up to 1,000 sheets, supported by a refined vacuum and air blade system that ensures faultless sheet separation and feeding – even for laminated or static prone materials.
The integrated SmartMark registration and unique Rear Mark Scanning System provide exceptional sheet to sheet accuracy while eliminating the need for costly cutting dies. With cutting speeds up to 1,200 mm/sec and digital job recall through QR coded workflows, the FB9500 Pro-T streamlines both production and prototyping, enabling Diametric to increase productivity and agility in a single system.
Ed Hudson, UK General Manager at Plockmatic Group, said: “Diametric’s values and reputation for precision, quality, and continuous innovation perfectly align with our own. We’re delighted that the ColorCut FB9500 Pro-T is helping to support its growth as well as improve efficiency across such a wide range of specialist materials. This installation underlines how our automation technology can help manufacturers of all sizes achieve exceptional, repeatable results.”
Founded in 1982, Diametric Ltd is recognised as a trusted UK manufacturer of custom badges, labels, nameplates, and fascias. From its headquarters in Southampton and production site on the Isle of Wight, the company supports customers with comprehensive technical design expertise, precision colour management, and a variety of decorative and adhesive finishes.
Diametric’s facilities are certified to BS EN ISO 9001 and 14001, with IATF 16949 accreditation at its head office – all audited by the British Standards Institution (BSI). The company also holds Jaguar Land Rover’s JLRQ quality award, highlighting its long standing commitment to excellence and innovation in manufacturing.
– Ed Hudson, UK General Manager at Plockmatic Group UK
As one of the UK’s leading providers of high-quality, end-to-end print solutions, CDS Print Services continues to invest in technology and partnerships that keep its operations at the forefront of print production. Following a major investment programme in 2024–2025, the company has upgraded multiple finishing lines with the latest Morgana and Plockmatic systems – reinforcing a relationship spanning almost 20 years.
Part of the Bailie Group, CDS Print Services combines secure print and fulfilment, large format production, and managed print services within a single, efficient operation. The business recently unified all print-related activity under the CDS Print Services name following an internal reorganisation designed to drive closer alignment across its teams and enable faster, more consistent turnaround for clients.
A two-decade relationship built on trust
CDS Print Services’ long-standing partnership with Morgana began nearly two decades ago. Over that time, the company has commissioned numerous installations, each aligned to its goal of delivering quality, consistency, and efficiency for customers across both commercial and public-sector sectors.
Investments with Morgana have included a broad suite of systems. They include the BM5035/SQF3000/FTR/VFX, Aerocut X, DigiFold Pro XL, DocuBind Pro VFX, Band-It 50, MOHR 80 Plus – forming a comprehensive, automated finishing workflow. The company also operates a PowerSquare 224 system with Canon feeder, and uses wire-binding solutions from RENZ, part of the Plockmatic Group portfolio.
“We chose the Morgana and Plockmatic systems for their reliability and the strength of our relationship,” explains Darren Burley, Head of Operations, CDS Print Services. “Over the years, we’ve come to rely on Morgana for robust engineering, knowledgeable support, and machines that perform precisely as we need them to.”
Installed in 2024, the Morgana BM5035/SQF3000/FTR/VFX booklet maker has already produced more than 380,000 books for CDS, transforming digitally printed sheets into fully finished booklets with sharp, professional quality. Typical production runs range between 100 and 2,000 copies, though many longer‑run projects also pass through the system.
Ease of use and automation remain key benefits. The company highlights intuitive touchscreen controls, simplified feeding and job memory features, and quick changeovers between tasks. Together, these features have reduced setup times and allowed operators to process a wider range of substrates (80–400gsm across uncoated, gloss, silk, board, and NCR materials) without compromising consistency.
“The automation and versatility of Morgana’s latest technology delivered immediate productivity gains,” says Burley. “We’ve reduced waste, maintained consistent finishing quality, and increased throughput – making it easier for our operators to focus on quality rather than adjustment.”
Unexpected advantages have also emerged from the equipment’s flexibility. On the BM series booklet makers, turning off the stapling function allows flat-sheet folding at speeds exceeding 6,000 sheets per hour – a substantial increase over previous capabilities. Paired with other systems such as the DigiFold Pro XL and Aerocut X, this has opened up new workflow efficiencies and helped futureproof the finishing department for upcoming growth.
Operational stability and cost control have also improved. CDS Print Services previously maintained 21 individual service contracts across various finishing machines. Working closely with Morgana, the company consolidated those agreements into a single, fixed-term support contract – simplifying administration, providing consistent coverage, and securing long-term cost predictability.
“It’s a genuine partnership approach,” adds Burley. “By aligning everything under one agreement, we gain cost stability and the confidence that our key production systems are fully backed by the manufacturer. One of the things we are most proud is the three-year fixed-term servicing contract demonstrating strong commitment from both of us. It shows we know where we stand. Instead of coming out on separate occasions, we now have an engineer on site once a year.”
Across CDS’s print operation, the combined benefits of automation, precision, and flexibility have led to measurable improvements in productivity and overall output. Reductions in setup time, waste, and manual handling have allowed the company to handle higher volumes and tighter deadlines while maintaining the consistent quality for which it is known.
The uptime reliability of the Plockmatic equipment has also contributed to higher printer utilization rates, ensuring that CDS’s fleet of Canon imagePRESS systems operates continuously at optimum throughput. Optional features such as SquareFold spines and dynamic trimming on finished booklets further enhance aesthetic finish – qualities that align perfectly with CDS’s commitment to high standards and attention to detail.
For CDS Print Services, technological investment and partnership go hand in hand. As the company continues to evolve, its focus remains on initiatives that drive operational efficiency and sustainable growth.
“Our investment decisions always balance productivity, quality, and customer value,” concludes Burley. “Morgana and Plockmatic’s finishing systems fit seamlessly into that vision – helping us to deliver print that performs, every time.”
On the 4th of November, we had the pleasure of welcoming Australian National Print Awards winners Zaidee Jackson and Isobel Clark to our Plockmatic Group site in Milton Keynes as part of the Visual Media Association’s UK professional development tour.
Their visit followed their participation in the Power of Print Conference in London – the main event of their UK program. Representing Australia on the global stage, the two winners joined hundreds of delegates from across Europe at this annual gathering of print and paper leaders. Hosted by Two Sides UK and the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), the conference explores sustainability, innovation, and the evolving role of print in a digital world. The Australian delegation attended as Emerging Talent and Woman of the Year award recipients, supported by Ricoh Australia, Konica Minolta, and Plockmatic Group.
Supported by Konica Minolta, Ricoh, and Plockmatic Group, the tour gave the winners the opportunity to visit Ricoh and Konica Minolta in the UK, as well as other companies within the UK print industry.
During their visit to Milton Keynes, we hosted an interactive session where the two award winners had the opportunity to explore and try out a selection of Plockmatic’s finishing solutions together with our team. Both are incredibly driven and inspiring professionals, recognised for their leadership, creativity, and strong contributions to the print community. It was a pleasure to exchange ideas and showcase our technology.
As part of the visit, Chris Toll, Regional Sales Manager – Australia/New Zealand, Asia, sat down with the winners for a recorded interview. In the discussion, they reflected on their experiences during the tour, the importance of global collaboration, the role of innovation and sustainability in the print sector, and the value of building international connections within the industry.
Hear from these two inspiring professionals as they share insights from their UK tour.
Adam Jones, joint director of Green Hippo alongside Andy Healy, described the DigiFold Ultra as the ‘Swiss army knife’ of finishing.
“It is so versatile and runs day in, day out,” he said. “Our operators love it because it ticks all the boxes. It is already bringing in new orders for Christmas cards and menus for restaurants and other venues. Before installation, around 30% of our finishing work was outsourced. Now, with the resources in‑house, we can respond faster to client needs and maintain far greater control.”
Building on the capabilities of the DigiFold Pro XL, the DigiFold Ultra offers full‑bleed trim and can process up to 6,000 A4 sheets per hour. In a single pass, it can slit, cut, crease, perforate, and fold, making it an ideal solution for mid‑ to high‑volume digital and offset production environments.
Green Hippo is a well‑established print provider offering both wide‑ and narrow‑format services. The company has expanded its digital capabilities with the addition of a Canon imagePRESS V1350, complementing a suite of Morgana finishing systems. Its services range from general print requirements to complete exhibition stands and striking vehicle graphics. The finishing portfolio includes lamination, embossing, and spot UV. Clients span private businesses and public sector organizations, including the NHS.
Ed Hudson, UK General Manager of Plockmatic Group, Morgana Systems’ parent company, said: “Green Hippo’s investment shows the confidence our customers have in the way we’re redefining finishing technology. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to giving businesses the smartest, most cost‑effective solutions to help them succeed. With the DigiFold Ultra, we’ve made productivity simple. The machine can slit, cut, crease, perforate, and fold in one seamless operation – no extra machines, no extra steps.”
GD Print has come a long way from its humble roots in the family garage. Run today by father and son team Gary and Craig Dobbs, the south coast online printing services specialist began life when Gary was just 14. Under the guiding eye of his father Keith, the pair would produce company newsletters and stationery on the weekend. Gary went on to set up his own printing company when he was just 20 years old and today his son Craig is the Managing Director of what remains a family run business. The operation offers a streamlined online ordering process and fast turnaround times for a wide range of applications from A4 or A5 booklets to flyers and professional banners.
One of keys to success in running a healthy business is recognising operational demands and responding to them with wise investment. To enhance production flexibility and application versatility Gary and Craig identified the need to invest in a new Konica Minolta AccurioPress C14010s and a Konica Minolta AccurioPress 7090 ENHANCED.
A key deciding factor for choosing the former press was its ability to support long sheets up to 1,300 mm or 900 mm in duplex. To ensure the finishing matched the high quality production, investment was made in the UK’s first Morgana Systems EBA68 Guillotine with SpeedCut.
After researching the options to support GD Print’s throughput the EBA68 Guillotine with SpeedCut was identified as the best solution. “We are a long-standing Morgana Systems customer and bought a Morgana PowerSquare™ 224 last year, but we did look at other systems on the market,” explained Craig.
He went on to say: “We liked the large LCD screen and the ability to store up to 50 programmes. That will help us set up regular jobs faster which is especially important as jobs are getting smaller and smaller and turnaround times are shorter.”
An important factor was how the new solution would help us meet customer expectations. He states: “We do a lot of order of services, and we can’t let anyone down. Sometimes we get a file at 3pm for a funeral the next day. The investment we have made helps us ensure we can provide that level of service.”
Effortless operation was a highly valued capability as well. Craig adds: “We also liked how easy, with minimal training, the guillotine is to set up. It’s simple-to-follow prompts via the touchscreen means anyone can be comfortable operating it. Another consideration was that we only don’t have three-phase electricity, and this is a solution that will run on single-phase power. We also get great service from Morgana Systems, and we didn’t want to move away from that.”
He continues: “The ease of use and the larger blade size were the main factors for our choice, but I also liked the fact there is a very simple step by step process for the safe changing of the blade.”
The investment included SpeedCut – a software solution designed to streamline production of even the most challenging jobs. It was put to the test almost straight away, says Craig: “We were asked to produce a printed logo for the inside of a keyring. The job was 90 up and the logo had to be centred. We put it into the SpeedCut and boom, it immediately planned the cuts. It was fast and accurate. It removes manual programming and reduces errors. This is very useful for out-of-the-ordinary jobs.”
Return on investment was not a main consideration Craig adds: “The system was brought to support a larger sheet size and for its speed of use. We didn’t look at it for its return, it was necessary to invest in the future of the business. If you don’t do that you could wake up one day and find you are technically so far behind that you can’t catch up.”
He added: “We like working with Morgana Systems/ Plockmatic Group because of the quality of their systems and the quality of their service. A solution can be the best in the world but, if it isn’t supported, it could end up being worth nothing.”
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