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Sagetech's Koolkut hits the spot for Chris Drewett Signs

In recent years, Oxford-based Chris Drewett Signs has grown steadily, taking on an ever-increasing workload. Over this period, the company's principal sheet cutting tools - an ex-sawmill wall saw at one extreme and a handheld jigsaw at the other - proved increasingly limited. Managing Director, Chris Drewett, found that Sagetech Industries' Koolkut vertical panel saw range offered the ideal tools for fast, accurate sheet material cutting.

Chris Drewett Signs offers a wide variety of high quality sigmaking and digital printing services to customers ranging from small, local businesses, to multi-million conglomerates. Established by Chris Drewett in the mid-1980s, the company has been trading from its workshop in Cowley, Oxford for the past 17 years.Chris Drewett standing next to the Koolkut Series 1 KK12.

For much of that time, the signmaker cut sheet materials either on a wall saw that started its life in a sawmill, or by hand, with a jigsaw. As the company grew, the limitations of this approach began to make themselves felt.

"The wall saw was huge," recalled Chris. "It took up an enormous amount of space in the workshop and wasn't very accurate." The jigsaw had a different, but just as irritating, set of limitations: achieving a straight cut was almost impossible, and chipping and cracking were significant problems when cutting acrylic sheets.

Researching the saws on the market, Chris came across Sagetech Industries' Koolkut range at the company's website, www.sagetech.co.uk. It was quickly clear to him that the Koolkut Series 1 saws provided exactly what he needed. Compact, robust and accurate, they can handle cross, rip and diagonal cutting to the full length and width of boards ranging in size from 2500mm by 1250mm to 4200mm by 2100mm. Following further research, including reading about existing users of Sagetech's saws in the sign press, Chris ordered a Koolkut Series '1' KK12.

Chris explains: "I chose the Koolkut because I was confident that it would do what I needed. It hasn't disappointed. The company typically cuts a couple of sheets of plywood, acrylic or dibond each day. We use the Koolkut primarily for cutting sheets to size, modifying existing panels and making multiple duplicate cuts on a number of boards.

"The Koolkut's built-in scales are great, and the machine has been extremely accurate," he went on. "Having used it day-in, dayout for almost two years now, I'm delighted with the ways it has reduced stress levels and made huge savings in time, as well as helping us to further improve the quality of our signs."

Chris Drewett Signs' KK12 is one of Sagetech's Series 1 family of space-saving vertical panel saws from Sagetech Industries. These saws are designed for light to medium use, using a standard 13 amp domestic power supply. Series 2 Koolkuts are tough workhorses, intended for medium to heavy use. They have a 5.5hp three phase motor as standard yet are still available at remarkably attractive prices.

The heavy-duty Series 3 units are designed for continuous use. They feature a twin-blade scoring power head for ultra-clean cutting of faced boards and transport rollers for heavy sheets. Along with the ZK8 portable panel saw from Zapkut, Sagetech's sister company, this is probably the widest range of vertical panel saws available today.

Summing up, Chris said, "The Koolkut is an excellent saw. It's strong, accurate, remarkably compact and very easy to use. On top of all that, it's astonishingly good value for money. We couldn't run the business without it. Recommended!"

For further details on Sagetech Industries' Koolkut range of space-saving vertical panel saws, please visit www.sagetech.co.uk or call 0118 970 1950.

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