According to UK agent Press & Bindery Systems, the kit with feeding, strapping, tensioning and sealing modules can shave 80% off makeready times.

St Ives group technical director John Charnock said the ST was already working "hand in hand" with presses at its Peterborough and Roche sites and was a "critical" buy.

"The ST 8000 is reliable, easy to use and produces beautifully presented logs to help bindery performance," he said. "Service and support were big deciding factors."

An automatic endboard feeder handles thicknesses of up to 25mm, with grips instead of suckers. A touch-screen consul more accurately controls log rates.

Press & Bindery Systems said the bundle stacker was the 10th model to go into a major web printer since its launch at Drupa 2004.