Through the agreement, Ashgate will be able to supply machines such as the nearline Digital System 2000 Bookletmaker-Trimmer with DSF-2000 automatic sheet feeder, as well as the KAS range of offline bookletmakers and Fastbind range of casemakers it currently supplies.

According to Ashgate managing director John Price, the agreement was crucial for his company due to the diversification of its current customer-base.

He said: "We are now working with larger printers, who want that little bit more automation than our current machines can provide.

"This doesn't change anything regarding our existing products. But our clients may want something that takes pre-collated sheets or a higher level of sophistication and we can now offer that."

The agreement will begin on 1 June 2012.