HP launched the 7500, an upgrade to its Indigo 7000, on its stand (12/AB150) yesterday (see p3), while the Alpha is on show in the UK for the first time on Duplo's stand (20/C676).

However, the two firms have been working together to produce an inline version of the Alpha that can be linked inline to the 7500, which can be seen running on HP's booth. It will enable users to pro- duce stitched books in one process at speeds of up to 12,000bph.

The system allows the 7500 to run at full speed. The print engine feeds directly into the Alpha, where the sheets are collected, folded onto the saddle and stitched with Hohner heads. The books are then trimmed around the three edges and delivered on the book delivery conveyor. All set-up and adjust- ments are controlled centrally.

Duplo group chairman, Robin Greenhalgh, said: "The supreme quality of the HP 7500, coupled with the feature-rich, heavy-duty build of the Alpha saddle-stitcher means that we have created one of the most impressive end-to-end print and finishing lines in recent history."