Managing director Jonathan Lewis visited Drupa to look at the new book finishing line and was so convinced of its benefits that he ordered one on the spot. "We had looked at case binding before but it was too big and too expensive, so this is a good way to get into it and the quality is still there there's no compromise on that."

At Drupa Kolbus managing director Robert Flather predicted that the BF511 "would change the shape of the market". "We've taken a 60 books a minute machine and made a stripped down version that has the same functionality but is half the speed and half the price.

"It's so much more affordable. Before, the barriers to entry were very high. Now lots of people can consider entering this market," he said.

Gomer Press is the largest publisher in Wales and its print wing recently moved up from B2 to B1 printing with a four-colour plus coater Speedmaster 102 from Heidelberg. The business has also just moved into a new 2,000 square metre factory, and Lewis plans to expand the amount of book work printed by the firm.

Gomer's 600,000 order with Kolbus includes a BF511 casing in machine, DA240 casemaker, PK170 board cutter and Colmatic 55 end papering unit.