The 6600, which is based on the Indigo TurboStream engine, is already in production, although the operations official launch is next week (11 March).

Operations director Steve Williamson said that the companys experience with its existing TurboStream at its Bath site helped it get up and running quickly with the 6600.

"These machines do take a lot of getting used to, but weve had the TurboStream for over three years now and we know it inside and out," he said.

Next week will be "open week" at the new site and customers have been invited to bring in files to test on the new machine.

"As long as it fits on an SRA3 sheet we can do it," said Williamson.

Avonset employs 17 staff at its Bath site, and Bristol will employ nine.

* Hewlett-Packard chairman and chief executive Carly Fiorina has secured the crucial support of the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) for the groups proposed merger with Compaq.

ISS, the USs leading independent proxy advisory company, said in its report that the proposed union, which was first announced last September, was "one of the most exhaustively planned combinations ever".

"Half a million man-hours of work have thus far been devoted to integration planning," the report noted.

Fiorina said she was "pleased that ISS recognised the strategic and economic logic" of the merger.

Story by Lauretta Roberts