Thomas Krumm, product manager, EFI
Pursuing higher margins
Many businesses find that there is a distinct advantage to flatbed/rigid
substrate work. On a piece per square metre basis, it usually generates
higher margins for printing companies compared to roll-to-roll work.
In the UV and LED inkjet space, the sheer variety of compatible
materials also really drives profitability and volumes. Indeed,
rigid-substrate work opens the door to any number of materials—such as
wood, glass, acrylic, veneers, and even some metals for premium jobs.
Sometimes this is work that was printed on film and then mounted to a
substrate, and any printing company that is doing that now can see the
immediate time and cost savings that comes with eliminating that
process.
Our main mid-level production device in the hybrid space, the EFI VUTEk
H2000 Pro printer, really fits the profile of a commercial printing
company looking to step up affordably into rigid production. It is a
highly extensible product with an affordable base configuration and a
range of additional options, such as white and clear inks, that
customers can add as their volumes grow and they receive requests for
different types of jobs.
It is a highly extensible product with an affordable base configuration”
For many of our customers, the H2000 Pro is a way to take advantage of
the demand that keeps growing for flatbed work without taking on the
additional expenditures—such as paying to install automated loading and
unloading equipment—that might come with a truly high-volume
flatbed/right inkjet production operation.
Our customers also get a lot of use out of their hybrid roll/flatbed
printers, because they, of course, still provide the ability to print on
roll media without taking a hit in productivity. Businesses that have a
solid base of roll-printed work who want to meet their clients’ unmet
demand for rigid work are not taking a big risk with EFI’s hybrid
printers. The flatbed setup provides excellent results in just about any
standard rigid-substrate application, and set and changeover between
flatbed and roll configurations can happen in a matter of minutes on any
of our printers.
Rigid substrate printing can also lead to unique and even more valuable
speciality app-lications as well. These include roadway/traffic signage
printed on metal and 3D-shaped, thermoformed work that is printed flat
and then shaped using heat and vacuum-forming processes. EFI has pursued
a number of new innovations to drive those types of opportunities, and
our customers are creating new successes replacing old screen-printing,
vinyl decal, or even airbrushing signage applications with EFI inkjet
printers that take a lot of cost, uncertainty, and time out of the
production process.
Undeniable versatility
Mark Elvidge, business development manager, Roland DG
When looking to purchase a new flatbed printer, productivity is
obviously important, however it is also as important to consider
versatility as this could be the differentiator that opens up new
markets and opportunities to your business.
Flatbed printing technology is seen as a feather in the cap for most
companies, and the introduction of UV flatbed technology can provide a
great many benefits to a commercial business. Being able to print
directly onto a wide variety of materials can open doors and return good
margins. When you choose to invest in a more versatile flatbed,
however, you can take this to the next level.
With more height capacity you are maximising the potential media or
objects that can be printed. If you only invest in what the competition
already has, this generally leads to market saturation and price
reductions, squeezing the margins and lengthening the return on
investment.
The versatility and profitability of LED UV flatbed technology is undeniable ”
The Roland DG VersaUV LEJ-640FT is the ideal solution for businesses who
value quality and versatility on a wide variety of media and objects.
The bed size of 1,600 x 2,490mm means it is capable of printing industry
standard sized boards or non-standard items up to 150mm high and 100kg
in weight, such as 1,900 golf balls, 375 smartphone cases, or two large
custom glass desks for a high end client. As such, the versatility and
profitability of LED UV flatbed technology is undeniable.
The VersaUV LEJ-640FT uses long life, cool running LED UV lamps that
mean even heat sensitive media can be used. And to add even more value
to anything being printed, white and gloss inks are included as standard
allowing for amazing special effects and finishes to be added easily.
Room to grow
Ben Woodruff, head of national sales, Inktec
Simply put, the business argument is straight forward; one of lost
revenue and decreased margin opportunities for the commercial printer,
if they do not invest in a system that gives them room to grow.
The realities in the market place are that most commercial printers that
do not have a UV flatbed are highly likely to be outsourcing their work
to a company that has. The result of which is that each party is likely
to be adding their own margin to make some profit from the transaction.
While this approach is in principle a sensible one initially, as demand
increases, so does the loss in potential revenue. So, to determine the
practicalities of the investment, it is important to explore the details
of the outsourced UV flatbed work—looking at the commercial details of
what is involved in purchasing a machine and the potential revenue
generated. From my experience, the arguments for purchasing a flatbed
can be quite compelling once properly evaluated. Indeed, the cost
justification quite often demonstrates an increase in profits that will
comfortably cover the monthly repayment.
The arguments for purchasing a flatbed can be quite compelling”
The question then becomes which mid-productivity level flatbed to invest
in. From our perspective, most of the models from the Jetrix portfolio
would fall within the ‘mid-range’ bracket with prices starting at
£50,000 and moving up to £150,000 for the larger machines. All of which
have white ink and clear ink capabilities, supported by a two-year
warranty.
However, an ideal starting point for a new venture moving into
direct-to-substrate printing would be the entry level Jetrix KX5. At
around £75,000 and with print speeds of up to 30sq m/h, the Jetrix can
also retro-fit a second bank of heads at any stage after purchase at a
competitive fixed price. The results of which would double the
production output and therefore future-proof the investment to ensure
the printer can grow with the increased demands without the need to
reinvest in a brand new machine in two to three years’ time.
Big picture thinking
Stuart Cole, national sales manager for industrial products, Hybrid Services
When it comes to diversifying into flatbed printing, it is of great
importance that commercial printers consider the bigger picture for
their businesses when they make the investment in hardware. Making the
right choices by way of productivity from the outset will save money in
the future and enable more solid business growth over time.
It is natural for a printing company to want to spend the minimum amount
possible if it wants to dip its toe in the flatbed printing water, but
what can appear to some as playing it safe may turn out to be
detrimental in the long run. By investing less on a lower-productivity
machine, capacity will very quickly be reached and printers will be
faced with the choice of either upgrading hardware, or dealing with a
bottleneck of work.
High productivity is a big factor for printers taking this next step.
For this reason, Mimaki has developed a really strong mid-productivity
offering with the JFX series of LED UV flatbed printers, which offer a
sought after combination of quality, speed, and value. The Mimaki
JFX200-2513 offers print speeds of up to 25sq m/h in CMYK in a handy,
industry standard 8 x 4” size at just under £60,000 and has proven
itself as the front runner in this market sector.
For those looking to stretch their flatbed legs, the Mimaki JFX500-2131
achieves print speeds of up to 60sq m/h with a print area of up to 3.1 x
2.1m. The JFX500 has set new performance benchmarks, with outstanding
capability that can print down to two-point text with terrific clarity
and a recently repositioned price of £99,000. It can really pay off to
invest more initially when it comes to flatbed printing—it may involve
spending more at the outset, but the costs can be recovered far quicker
due to the additional capacity, creativity, and productivity at the
printer’s disposal.
Making the right choices by way of productivity from the outset will save money”
What is really important is that commercial printers consider what a
mid-weight flatbed printer can bring to the table. So many different
applications are possible with direct-to-object printing, it is a
process of acquiring the right education and information, and looking at
what return on investment can be achieved. If print providers aim for
the mid-weight flatbed sector from the start, the scope for what they
can become far exceeds the initial investment—whether it is fine art,
photography, bespoke interior décor, or straight forward direct-to-board
signage that cuts out the finishing process.
What Mimaki also bring to the table are the benefits of LED UV
technology, which have a very positive impact on return on investment
for the printing company that utilises it. The ecologically advanced,
long-life ‘cold’ LED UV lamps, that are utilised by Mimaki flatbed
printers like the JFX series, have many benefits over the traditional
metal-halide ‘hot’ lamps such as less downtime due to far fewer lamp
changes, 75 percent less CO² emissions, and a 75 percent reduction in
electricity usage.
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