The machine has the ability to place up to eight cards anywhere on a document, as well as handing a variety of shapes and sizes.

It has been aimed at the credit and debit card sector, as well as loyalty and gift cards. It has been designed for quick changeover so users can operate in all of these sectors.

According to Kern national sales manager Clive Martin, the 12,000-cards-per-hour machine will come into its own this year because businesses are ready to invest in new mailing equipment.

He said: "Second-hand sales have been dominant in recent years so there is a lot of equipment coming to the end of its life. I think the UK is ready to invest in this kind of machinery."

The machine follows Kern's modular design and can be bolted on to any existing Kern mailer, enabling the user to produce an entire product, from card placement through to packaging, in one pass.

Cards from up to eight feeders can be attached using glue or double-sided adhesive, with up to eight items being attached to each document. It can also handle novelty shapes and sizes, with application possible at any angle.

The UK's first K90 will be up and running in late June, either at Kern's facility in Fareham or a showroom elsewhere. The £200,000 machine, which has already had several installations in the US where the gift card market is far more advanced, is available to order now.