The machine will be supplied by Engelmann & Buckham, Sitma’s exclusive sales agent in the UK and Ireland, to Abstrakt’s Birmingham premises.

The W1005-PK is a hybrid model that can handle both poly and paper wrapping. It is also said to be the first machine in the country to offer a ‘half wrap’ option, where paper is wrapped around just the bottom half of newsstand copies of magazines, leaving the title clear, but offering protection and advertising opportunities on the paper wrap surface.

The machine is fully automated with a touchscreen panel and operates at a speed of 15,000pieces/hr.

Its environmental focus also made it a natural choice for Abstrakt, a family-owned business in the pick, pack and dispatch market with a commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

Not only does the half wrap option cut the amount of material needed for wrapping, the Sitma model allows Abstrakt to wrap using a recyclable poly material and is energy efficient.

Abstrakt head of strategic and commercial planning Adam Qazi said: “This is a very exciting time for Abstrakt. We have worked hard to find a machine that is able to provide an alternative to polywrapping.

“Our customers ultimately want choice. There are now so many more environmental alternatives for wrapping and the Sitma W1005-PK means that we can offer a traditional polywrap solution, a compostable/recyclable poly solution, or our customers can use paper wrap.”