According to Kolbus UK sales manager Greg Bird, the Universe is a bespoke machine that can be built to a customers' specifications.

He said: "The Kristec was built to one specification level, the top, it made it a bit too expensive for some people, especially as there were elements they wouldn't have use for.

"The new machine can be built however the customer needs it, it can be semi or fully automatic. We are looking at about 20% cheaper in some situations."

Bird said that Kolbus had seen the demand for short-run, sewn books rise, particularly for cased books, due to digital book printing becoming a viable option for personal publishing, photo books and marketing campaigns.

Although the machine can be sold as a standalone product, Kolbus will also offer it as part of a complete solution for both hard- and soft-cover books.

It can be added to an inline end papering and nipping option and a six-clamp binder to provide soft-cover books or hard-cover book blocks direct from flat sheets.

The Universe can accept flat sheets from a digital press, fold them into four page sections then insert them together to form up to 32-page sections which are then sewn to create the sewn book block.

It can handle an array of paper stocks within the same book and run lengths of one are possible, Bird said.

One of the bespoke alterations that can be altered includes feeding, which can be done through a feeder, directly from a pallet or even by hand.

Bird added: "The Universe will be welcomed by manufacturers who are witnessing a rise in the demand for high quality sewn books in short run lengths as the market for digital books continues to grow."