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Cost Of Ownership

The initial purchase price of a machine isn’t a reflection on its overall lifetime cost

The cost of ownership (COO) of a coding and marking system includes not only the initial purchase price of the equipment, but the associated costs of keeping it running.

If you want to work out the best value solution, you need to consider the following associated costs as they can vary drastically.

  • Cost of consumables
  • Maintenance/repair costs
  • Downtime costs
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Lifetime costs or lifecycle costs?

In order to work out the true COO you need to compare technologies in their entirety. Prices vary from supplier to supplier, but the components of the technology remain the same, which is what we’ve outlined below.

Costs can be expressed as an annual figure, as an amount over a certain period (e.g. estimated product lifetime) or, more usefully, for comparative purposes, such as the cost per 1000 prints.

Hot foil stamping

  • Hot foil coder (initial investment)
  • Hot foil tape (ongoing consumable)
  • Engraved type (ongoing consumable)

Thermal transfer printing

  • Thermal transfer overprinter (initial investment)
  • Thermal transfer ribbons (ongoing consumable)
  • Spare parts & servicing (ongoing fees in the form of a maintenance contract or ad-hoc)

Thermal inkjet printing

  • Thermal inkjet printer (initial investment)
  • Ink cartridges (ongoing consumable)

Continuous inkjet printing

  • Continuous inkjet printer (initial investment)
  • Ink bottles (ongoing consumable)
  • Make-up/solvent bottles (ongoing consumable)
  • Spare parts & servicing (ongoing fees in the form of a maintenance contract or ad-hoc)

Labelling

  • Print & apply labeller (initial investment)
  • Thermal transfer ribbon (ongoing consumable)
  • Labels (ongoing consumable)
  • Spare parts & servicing (ongoing fees in the form of a maintenance contract or ad-hoc)

Large area printing

  • Large area printer (initial investment)
  • Ink bottles (ongoing consumable)
  • Could require spare parts & servicing (ongoing fees in the form of a maintenance contract or ad-hoc. Fees could be avoided by using a zero moving component technology)
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How we can help

With over 190 years of coding & marking experience under our belts, we know how to match manufacturers to the optimum coding and marking solution for their application.

All of the above printing technologies have their own benefits and drawbacks, but at Rotech we advocate thermal inkjet (TIJ), as it is extremely versatile and usually the most cost-effective method for applying variable data to packaging.

TIJ printers are completely maintenance-free, as every time you change the cartridge, you’re also changing the printhead itself. Each cartridge can also up to 600,000+ prints and only takes seconds to change, allowing you to print virtually 24/7 – minimalising downtime and maximising business profit.

We also provide a free samples & testing service whereby we find the most suitable and economical TIJ ink grade for your printers.

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Related services

 RF Auto printing onto luxury cartons with thermal inkjet printer
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Explore our solutions

Our solutions cover an impressive range of industries and applications. Which solution best suits your individual requirements?