The £270,000 stitcher is the first Duplo machine for the five-staff company and replaces a Horizon Stitchliner, for which the company was also the first customer in Europe.

Partner Nigel Misra said the 18-year-old company had always replaced its equipment every four to five years.

"Our standard pricing has not changed since January 2000. Having faster and easier machines has enabled us to do this. For example, we bought the Stitchliner because we could then put B3 work straight on the machine.

"I feel the same way about the AlphaSaddle."

He said the machine's ability to handle A4 landscape work meant the company could now take on jobs that it would previously have had to turn away, and the high automation didn't require any extra staff, despite it being three times more productive on certain types of work.

Duplo managing director Tony Lock said: "We launched the Alpha Saddle to create new market opportunities for our customers."

Misra said he would be promoting the new machine's capabilities to his regional customer base. The company handles general commercial work, often taking on complicated jobs that rivals don't want.