You may think that, once you’ve decided to purchase a flexographic press in principle, that your work is done. However, getting to the point of making a purchase decision – lengthy as this may be – is only part of the process. There are several common errors which can occur, both during and after purchase, that can make your new press more of a challenge to work with than it needs to be. This article will cover four of these commonly-made mistakes.
1) Choosing Surplus Features | Not Choosing The Right Functions
Modern flexo presses have many new technological options to choose from. From automation and colours to efficient drive systems and optional add-ons, you will likely be tempted by many features, but do you really need them? You will need to look at your current budget and needs, as well as into your business’s future growth plans for the answer.
What kinds of jobs do you currently complete for your customers? Do you expect the types of jobs you do to change, and if so, how? Finally, will those changes require a particular drying system, automation level or one or more optional components? It may be that you have some extra capital to invest in a conveyor system, web cleaner or additional drying system, but if it won’t add value to what you offer or provide you with long-term ROI, it could be money wasted.
On the other hand, not having enough of the right features in your press can quickly set you behind the competition. If this is the case, you will need to think about how far this may put you behind, and whether there is a way for you to make the additional investment and obtain those needed elements.
The process of choosing the right press can be frustrating. For many businesses, it can lead to choosing a press that has a lot of advanced features, but that won’t be used to its full potential. In order to choose the best press for you, you should match your features with your plans for growth and expansion over the next five years, and choose a press that can grow with you to maximise your production potential.
2) Not Choosing A Machine That Works With You
Many businesses will purchase a modern flexo press, and then modify their processes according to the capabilities of that press. This is a common error. The press chosen should be the one that’s most suited to your current process. The way to determine suitability is to test the press before you buy. A top priority when purchasing any flexo press should be to ensure that it can print at the level of quality you require for the substrates you will be printing on.
3) Going For A Bargain Press
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save money, especially on an investment as large as a new printing machine. However, where it comes to buying a flexo press, going solely for the lowest possible cost is not advisable. Whether a machine is cheaper because it is used, was made in the Far East, or doesn’t have many features, not considering the long-term benefits of spending more will be to your detriment. As well, a lower-cost press may also not be as easy to set up, be able to complete jobs as quickly or be as energy efficient as a more expensive machine. You need to think in terms of total cost/benefit over the lifetime of the machine, and not simply about your initial investment.
4) Putting It Into Service Too Soon
Today’s flexo presses are impressive pieces of machinery, able to produce high-quality at incredibly high speeds and allow for many functions to be carried out automatically. Even so, they do require some time to master. Placing a press into service before your operators have had the chance to fully understand how it works can have many negative results, including inadvertent damage being done to the machine. Enough time must be given to ensure not only that proper training has taken place, but that what was learned was correctly retained.
In being sure you avoid the above errors, you can greatly reduce the cost of your flexo press without having to worry that you’ll be sacrificing the timeliness or print quality of your jobs. Improve your knowledge of the latest flexo-printing technology – and it’s investment benefits – by reading our new Ultimate Guide To Flexo-Printing. Download your copy for free by clicking here.
