The London-based, Ricoh-owned business has invested £90,000 in a Digital System 5000 Pro, which consists of a DSF-5000 sheet feeder, an SCC slit/cut/creaser and an SBM-500/T bookletmaker and trimmer. The Digital System 5000 was also installed with optional cover feeders and barcode readers.

Previously, the production team used a hand-fed Duplo bookletmaker, but one of Ikon's longest standing customers, market research firm Ipsos Mori, required a particularly difficult contract that necessitated greater automation.

This involved producing 150,000 surveys per week, 51 weeks a year, for Mori client Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) - a company that monitors national radio audiences.

Steve Loftin, professional services MS/DS operations manager, said: "With the RAJAR project there was no room for error. There is little room for production downtime and, of course, every booklet must have correct sheets for that particular recipient."

Operations manager Ian Duxbury added: "We are now setting our sights on bigger things with the service that we can now offer."