The surge in business followed two successful product launches and sales of one £33,000 Autopunch AP360 machine per day at the show.

UK sales and marketing manager Daniel Pooley said: Customers have new-found confidence to invest.

In past years, customers have been more reluctant to spend, preferring to wait for new products rather than investing heavily in technology already on the market.

We feel that with the launch of our new range, together with renewed confidence in the market, our customers are more than willing to begin investing again.

Renz’s AP360 Block to Block high-speed punching machine and DBW/KL500 cover turner were launched at last month’s show.

Both machines are aimed at the print-on-demand market, offering increased automation and inline systems.

Iain Bullock, Renz UK managing director, said: Ipex 2010 exceeded all of our expectations. It lived up to its potential of being a selling show.

There was a hugely positive air [at Ipex] and less negativity and cautiousness than we have experienced from customers in recent years.

Other positives for Renz at the event were the number of demonstrations and sales of the DTP 340 A benchtop  semi-automatic punching machine and its ECL 360/WP 300 semi-automatic binding machines.

Both were designed to bridge the gap between full automation and traditional foot-pedal punching and binding systems.