The machine has been installed as part of a £126,000 investment which also included screen washing equipment from Ecotex Cleaning Systems.

Alchemy managing director Nigel Anderson said: "The machine will obviously give us more capacity and enable us to do a lot more same-day short-notice work. It also laminates both sides in one pass and can run SRA4 size sheets, which we previously couldn't do."

The laminator accounted for £91,000 of the spend, while the remaining £35,000 was spent on automating the company's screen-washing equipment.

According to Anderson the Ecotex investment will streamline its screen making and save the company around £15,000 a year in labour and £4,000 a year in chemicals.

He added: "All in all, things are good at Alchemy Coatings. We continue to grow and are profitable. In the long term I plan on opening a couple of smaller scale factories offering a laminating and UV varnishing service, probably in Leeds and either the Midlands or the south."

These changes will be preceded by the installation of a foil-blocking facility at the company's existing Manchester site.

Alchemy has also launched Silver UV; an alternative to silver foil that Anderson claims is more cost-effective on smaller runs and can be turned around in 24 hours.

The company has a turnover of £1.6m and currently employs 13 staff.