The £180,000 machine replaces a 25-year-old spot UV machine and ensures that the St Albans-based company no longer needs to outsource such work, from which 40% of its £2.2m turnover is gained.

Managing director David Malvern said: "We used to run with a one-spot UV machine; that isn't fun. One week we would have nothing and the next we are saying no to work.

"We have three machines at the moment, but the oldest machine wasn't even a reliable back-up. We found ourselves in the same position again, we have enough work to fill two machines, but the third couldn't handle extra work. Now we can take on extra work without having to worry."

The Sakurai follows the installation of a Steinemann Lotus laminating machine, a Polar guillotine and an MIS system – all in the past 12 months. It was installed in late December and was commissioned at the end of last month.

Malvern added: "The problem is, it is a very slow process so you only have around 2,000 an hour at best. When you are busy, you fill up very quickly.

"We still feel we have to keep our speed up. We can't get prices up so we need an edge, we want to be quicker."

Mirror Finish was formed in 2002 and, in 2007, the company bought the St Albans branch of Celloglas, merging the two businesses into Celloglas's site. It currently employs 20 staff.