The company's Willerby, Yorkshire operation installed the machine just before Christmas, which provided a timely boost in capacity to the group's finishing operation.

ImageData chief executive David Danforth said that the company's previous experiences with the manufacturer had made this latest investment decision an easy one.

"We have other Muller Martini machines within the company, and we have found them both reliable and cost-effective," he said.

"Choosing the Primera was an easy decision for us as it is fast, ergonomically designed, compact and amply automated, as well as having the Muller Martini pedigree."

The group's new C130 stitcher incorporates automatic synchronisation of the feeder and gathering chain which is claimed to enable quicker set-up times. It runs at a top speed of 13,000 cycles per hour, features 16 stations and eight stitching heads

It also utilises an Asir 3 automatic signature barcode and image recognition system that the manufacturer said helped ensure finished products were complete and accurately assembled.

"The new system has helped speed up the binding process, a huge advantage as we ramped up production for the Christmas season," added Danforth.

The Muller Martini is ImageData's investment in a 12-month spending spree that has comprised a large-format Agfa M-Press Tiger, a Zünd G3 L-3200 cutting table, two Agfa Azura TS CTP systems and Apogee Workflow.

In July, it also invested in an HP Indigo 7000 digital press in a bid to provide "a more efficient, on-demand service" to its customers.