Guillotine Paper Cutter Guide: HPM S16, S19, S22 and Automatic Cutting Lines

A guillotine paper cutter holds a pile of paper, board or printed sheets under pressure and cuts it to size with a single knife stroke. On programmable models the backgauge is positioned with 0.01 mm resolution, and 200 programs of 500 cutting sizes each are kept in memory. In this guide we review the guillotine paper cutters and automatic cutting lines of HPM, for which we have been the official distributor in Türkiye and the Turkic Republics since 2014, using data from the manufacturer's catalogue.

How does a guillotine paper cutter work?

On a programmable guillotine every cutting cycle follows the same sequence:

1. Placing the pile on the table: The paper pile is placed on the chrome-plated air table; the air cushion reduces friction underneath so heavy piles slide easily.
2. Positioning the backgauge: The servo-driven backgauge moves to the programmed size and aligns the pile against the knife.
3. Clamping: The hydraulic clamp presses the pile so the sheets cannot shift during the cut.
4. Cutting: The knife comes down and cuts the whole pile in one stroke; photocell protection prevents cutting while a hand is in the knife area.
5. Next size: The program moves to the next cutting size; turning and pushing are repeated.

HPM-H, HPM-L and HPM-I: which cutting system suits whom?

HPM offers its cutting systems in three main classes. Each system can be set up as a line consisting of a guillotine plus an optional stack loader and stack unloader:

S16, S19 and S22 control system differences

The main difference between the series is backgauge speed and program memory. On jobs with many cutting sizes, backgauge speed directly determines job time:

Other control system features: a mainboard with industrial chips imported from Italy; signal amplification that prevents dimension errors caused by drive ageing; relative positioning from the current position; rapid correction of program errors caused by paper distortion with minimal compensation; an air cushion programmable for each program; a paper-pushing program that pushes paper automatically; and several languages such as Chinese and English.

Safety: what protection do HPM guillotines have?

• Electronic knife locking safety device: Prevents unintended movement of the knife.
• Photocell protection: The cut does not start when an obstacle is detected in the knife area.
• Password-protected single automatic cut: The timing of automatic cutting signals can be set or cancelled; a single automatic cut is started with a password.
• Hydraulic system and oil pump: Clamping and cutting are driven by the hydraulic circuit; a US or Italian proportional valve is optional.
• Servo motor and HPM PLC: The backgauge is driven by a servo motor and the machine is controlled by HPM's programmable logic controller; a remote control system is optional.

PDF/JDF template cutting and 210 mm cutting height for business cards

The 137G S22 (Business Edition) focuses on cutting set-up time: it parses PDF and JDF files and irregular template files, and automatically generates a visual cutting program and an animated cutting guide. Files are read directly from a computer over Wi-Fi or a wired network, and a separate network port is reserved for data transfer.

With a 210 mm cutting height and the high-strength G-series cutting system, 500 business cards are cut in one go; the manufacturer states that efficiency on this work is more than twice that of normal paper cutting. In the manufacturer's example, gang-run cutting that takes 10 hours with the traditional method is completed in 6.5 hours with the intelligent PDF/JDF system, which is a time saving of about 35%.

Automatic cutting line: stack loader and stack unloader

With large and heavy piles, the operator's workload matters more than the guillotine's speed. On an HPM cutting line the servo stack loader picks up the paper pile at the set height with a roller and transfers it to the cutting table; the servo stack unloader unloads the finished product from the centre, left or right automatically and stacks it neatly. Both use a low-noise, low-maintenance hydraulic lifting system.

The loader's paper clamp is pneumatic and its clamping force is adjusted to the paper type; a parameterised settings screen ensures smooth pick-up of thick, thin and slippery paper. The workbench has safety edges that prevent impacts while the machine moves. The line can be installed as an L-type or I-type layout to suit the workshop.

Pile turner (SFZ) and pallet lift

A pile turner turns, aerates and aligns the paper pile before or after printing. According to the manufacturer, it quickly squares a tilted pile with a large air volume and vibration, removes paper dust and scraps, and removes spray powder to speed up ink drying. The manufacturer states that improved surface quality allows printing press speed to be raised by 3–5%, and that fewer defective products raise yield by 2–3%.

The SJ1000 / SJ1500 pallet lift is supporting equipment for the cutting line and the printing press: it raises and lowers the paper pile in manual or automatic mode, with a maximum pallet travel height of 900 mm. Our catalogue lists the HPM SFZ-1300LA pile turner.

6 criteria for choosing the right guillotine paper cutter

1. Sheet size: Your largest sheet must fit the guillotine's cutting width and the loader's maximum paper size; HPM-H (137, 168, 188) suits large formats.
2. Cutting height and job type: For business cards and small products, the pile height cut in one go determines output; the 210 mm cutting height of the 137G S22 is designed for this work.
3. Program and backgauge speed: On multi-size jobs, backgauge speed of 20, 32 or 38 m/min and program memory (unlimited on the S22) determine job time.
4. Set-up time: PDF/JDF template cutting shortens set-up. The manufacturer's 35% time-saving example equals about 8 × 0.35 × 22 ≈ 62 hours a month (22 working days) on a line cutting 8 hours a day.
5. Loading and unloading: For piles up to 350 kg, a stack loader and unloader reduce the operator's workload; a pile turner speeds up pre-press preparation.
6. Safety and service: Knife locking, photocell protection, hydraulic system maintenance and access to spare parts determine long-term cost.

About HPM

HPM is a Chinese manufacturer with more than 39 years of experience in producing paper cutting machines, window patching machines and auxiliary equipment. It is the main drafter of the national standard for paper cutting machines, stack unloaders and window patching machines. It has been a National High-tech Enterprise since 2009, holds ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 environmental management certification and CE certification, and owns many invention and utility model patents.

Özdemir Makine is the official distributor of HPM. Since 2014 we have handled sales of HPM guillotine paper cutters, cutting lines and pile turners in Türkiye and the Turkic Republics. We provide model selection, technical specifications, quotations, customs clearance, installation and spare parts directly from our offices in Istanbul and Krefeld (Germany).

You can browse the paper cutting machines in our catalogue, for example the HPM S16-92, HPM S16-115 and HPM S16-137, and contact us for technical information and a quotation. For the other post-press steps, see our film laminating machine, die-cutting machine and folder-gluer machine guides.

Technical values are taken from the manufacturer's current catalogue; efficiency and time-saving figures are the manufacturer's statements. You can request the current technical specification from us for exact values.