The Kettering-headquartered company signed for the machine at this week's London Calling 3D event, which ran from 21-22 September.

Sterling Press's system incorporates a DSF 5000 sheet feeder, slitter/cutter/creaser unit, DBM 500 digital bookletmaker and a DBM 500T trimmer. It also includes barcode integrity cameras at the front and back end.

The company has taken the machine on show at London Calling, which will be shipped back to Duplo's headquarters for checking before being delivered to Sterling; it is expected to be up and running next Friday (30 September).

Steven Pizzey, Sterling Press managing director, said that the investment follows on from two HP5000 presses that were installed in 2007 and 2008, bringing the business into the digital market.

He said: "We liked the automation. We are looking for highly personalised work, it gives a better value and the volume of that work has grown substantially - to do that you need integrity, which this machine gives us."

Pizzey added that the machines would also handle some of Sterling's lower-end litho work.

The £20m company, which employs 175 staff, expects to make further investments this year. Pizzey added: "We tend to average a spend of around £1.5m a year - we are always investing."