Lancashire-based Poppy Signs has boosted its production capacity, expanded its application range, and removed a key workflow bottleneck following the installation of a JWEI JCUT 3230 digital cutting table from CMYUK.
The company, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, specialises in bespoke, turnkey signage solutions, from survey and design through to manufacture, installation, and maintenance. With a 10,000 sq. ft facility and a team of 18, it has built a reputation for delivering high-quality, often complex work to tight deadlines for both agency clients and direct business customers.
Tier-one performance without the tier-one price
The JWEI digital cutting table is the latest in a number of strategic investments designed to keep the business agile, efficient, and competitive. Founder and MD Dave McDonald spent over a year carefully researching options across the market, benchmarking the JWEI against what he describes as the traditional tier-one tables.
What impressed him was the combination of advanced functionality, build quality, and price performance.
“If you make a list of all the major cutting tables, most people will put certain brands at the top as the pinnacle – the Ferraris of the market. What the JWEI does is give you that kind of top-notch performance but at a more accessible price point. When you line up the features, speed and capacity, and then look at the price, it’s a bit of a wow moment,” he says.
Among the features that stood out were:
• Large cutting area with 3.2m-wide capability
Poppy Signs had already been printing in-house at 3.2 metres wide, but its previous Kongsberg table was too small to handle this full width, creating an unnecessary limitation. “We’ve been printing 3.2 metres for some time, but our older cutting table meant that we were artificially limiting ourselves. The JWEI finally lets us use the full width of our printers, which is exactly what we needed,” says Dave.
• Automatic Tool Changer at this price point
“We’ve had dedicated CNC routers with automatic tool changers before, but to get that functionality on a table of this size at this value is unheard of. On paper it looked fantastic, but seeing how smoothly it actually worked in real life was even better,” he notes.
• Powerful milling, not just knife cutting
Poppy Signs mills as much as it knife cuts, making this capability non-negotiable. “The milling capability was huge for us,” says Dave. “On that front, the JWEI performs at a level you’d expect from something considerably more expensive.”
• Comprehensive tool set as standard
Dave also appreciated the variety of tools supplied as standard with the JWEI. “Creasing wheels are just part of the standard package, which is brilliant. They’ve allowed us to add products like Correx wraps and other folded items that we simply couldn’t do properly before,” he says.
A faster, wider workflow with bottlenecks removed
Before the JWEI installation, Poppy Signs had a clear bottleneck at the finishing stage. The new table has transformed this, increasing production capability by an estimated 30–40%. The business can now process 3.2m-wide prints from its hybrid printer and finish them at full size rather than being constrained to narrower formats.
Poppy Signs can also comfortably handle large panels such as 4m x 2m aluminium composite sheets for totems and cladding, including fret-cut sections for illumination.
“We’d been able to print at 3.2 m wide in-house for some time, but we were restricting ourselves. Now we can cut big sheets all day long. The capacity bottleneck is gone,” says Dave.
The investment in automation has also enabled Poppy Signs to stabilise staffing in production. Previously, multiple team members — including fitters, sales staff, and Dave himself — would be pulled into the workshop to help clear backlogs. Now, two dedicated members of staff can handle the bulk of manufacturing thanks to the table’s speed, automation, and versatility.
New application opportunities
The JWEI has also enabled Poppy Signs to add new applications and improve existing ones. One example is a regular job featuring PVC-free Gecko wallpaper, supplied exclusively by CMYUK. Previously, large single-piece drops measuring 3.2m x 20m were cut manually — a time-consuming and labour-intensive process that, even in skilled hands, carried the risk of human error. Now, the JWEI handles this accurately, consistently, and in a fraction of the time.
“It’s just fantastic,” says Dave.
Automation as an aid for growth
The JWEI table fits into a wider ecosystem that includes several large-format printers, including a super-wide 3.2m hybrid model, as well as industrial-grade 3D printers used for channel lettering, embossed and relief elements, plus engineered brackets and assemblies for signage.
Together, these technologies allow Poppy Signs to focus on what it does best: bespoke, high-value signage, often involving unusual creative or engineering challenges, rather than competing on price for high-volume commodity print.
“We’re not the cheapest sign company – we don’t want to be, instead we focus all our efforts on providing the best value solution. If you want a strategic reliable partner, someone who can get you out of a hole, come up with a new idea, and manufacture something really creative in-house without subbing out, that’s where we excel,” says Dave.
The automation the JWEI has brought to the business has reduced manual labour and reruns, shortened lead times, freed up skilled staff to focus on problem-solving and innovation, and improved output consistency.
CMYUK support behind a strategic investment
Behind the technology investment is a long-standing relationship with CMYUK and its team. Dave first met Sue Hayward, CMYUK’s Commercial Director, and Nick Reed, CMYUK’s Business Finishing Manager, many years ago and has consistently returned to the company for advice, equipment, and materials.
“We default to CMYUK because we’ve had a fantastic experience over the years,” comments Dave. “Their technical advice and guidance is simply unbeatable. Their demo facilities are excellent. You get tier-one support to match the kit.”
That relationship was particularly evident during the JWEI purchase. After a strong year, Poppy Signs needed to move quickly to place the order, install the machine, and complete invoicing within a tight timeframe. “I rang Sue and asked if we could have a machine installed and invoiced within a couple of weeks, and she did exactly that. The speed of support, installation, and paperwork was incredible, far beyond what you’d expect.
“The training was excellent too, not a rigid one-size-fits-all approach but rather shaped around our historical skill set and what we actually needed,” notes Dave.
For Poppy Signs, the JWEI digital cutting table is more than just another piece of kit. It is a strategic enabler that supports the company’s growth, enhances its bespoke offering, and strengthens a trusted partnership built over many years.
“We’ve always punched above our weight,” says Dave, “but the JWEI has given us the firepower to match our ambitions. It’s not just improved what we do today, it’s reshaped what we believe is possible for the business going forward.”
