"We may be the best-kept secret in the industry," said worldwide strategic adviser Jean-Philippe Martinez.

The firm's printers are designed and manufactured in Italy, using components sourced entirely within Europe – including Xaar printheads. They feature an innovative material transport system that uses a 100mm-wide flatbed table and suction mechanism, rather than transfer belts or a moving bed.

"There's not a single Far Eastern screw in the machine," added Martinez, who explained that the high quality components used are the reason the firm is able to offer a three-year warranty on the printers, with the option to extend to five.

The price point is midway between that of Chinese-made machines and those from the major suppliers. The Aster-Jet range is available in 1.65m-2.2m print widths and costs from €50,000-€90,000, while the X-Jet uses the higher resolution Xaar 1001 printhead and can be up to 3.2m wide. It costs from €115,000-€200,000.