Preface
As the saying goes: “Neither money can be paid for foreknowledge, nor you can’t help but don’t know.” I have heard many clients say helplessly: “If I knew xxx earlier, I would change the original decision”. Our company has been dedicated involved in the post-press packaging equipment industry for 54 years (Die cutting, Folder gluer, Hot foil stamper), and we have seen too many enterprise cases, or has helped many customers solve the problems of other companies in the production of post-press equipment. Many of these problems can be avoided or reduced by doing more research or preparation in the early stage of purchase.
The editor decides to share the 4 things that customers most likely to regret when purchasing “Die Cutting Machine” because they did not consider and evaluate clearly. First, to help everyone choose a die cutting machine that is more suitable for their own needs, and second, to help you avoid falling into traps or myths when purchasing die cutting machines. I firmly believe that if you have referred to the following 4 things before purchasing, you can greatly reduce the chance of going the wrong way.
1. Maximum punching speed
If we mention the most crucial technical specification item, it must be the “maximum punching(cutting) speed “. Let’s start with this subsection, briefly explain the meaning of this technical specification, and discuss the importance of this specification. Therefore, everyone can take the right decisions with “speed” when it comes to making correct decisions.
1-1. Specification item description
“Max. punching speed”, (or call Max. cutting speed)
This specification is usually in the unit of hours,
When this value raises to the limit,
The total number of sheets cut by the die cutting is the “Max. punching speed”.
For example, if the technical specification value is 6000 sheets,
That is, the speed of rolling and cutting 6000 sheets of paper per hour,
Converted to a speed of about 100 sheets of paper in 1 minute.
Of course, the die cutting machine is usually the same as the car,
Client operation will not and is not recommended,
Excessive ratios continue to operate at top speed for extended periods of time,
It will damage the mechanism of the machine itself and reduce the life of parts and consumables.
1-2. Cutting speed range of each manufacturer
At present, the manufacturers of die cutting machines in the world,
From the lower technical level 4000 sheets/ h~5000 sheets/h,
Manufacturers can produce up to 9000 sheets/h of the highest technical level.
Converted at the highest technical level of 9000 sheets/h,
That is about cutting 2.5 sheets per second,
It is the physical limit that can be reached under the operating principle of this type of mechanism using paper as the working object.
Nowadays, the die cutting manufacturers in the world who can reach 9000 sheets/h,
The number of this kind of manufacturers can be counted with only one hand.
e.g., Bobst, Heidelberg, SBL…etc.
1-3. The meaning behind the cutting speed
Most manufacturers have the same pricing mindset.
Faster models usually cost more.
And the editor wants to put forward an important concept: “The level of cutting speed also symbolizes the technical level of the manufacturer.”
Because the high-speed model needs motor speed to match the high-speed operation,
Other related mechanisms such as belts, chains, gripper bar, knives and other linkage mechanisms,
At the same time, also need to cooperate with this high-speed operation mode.
How to keep running at such a high speed,
And also taking into account the accuracy, product yield and mechanism durability is a very difficult test.
This is in response to what I said earlier,
The level of this specification also tests the technical level of the manufacturer.
1-4. Selection of cutting speed
At the beginning, due to budget considerations,
Many customers use the product price and the cutting speed as the basis for calculation,
Finally, choose a model or manufacturer with a lower cutting and cutting speed,
e.g., Purchasing 3 set with slower cutting speed and lower total budget also higher total number of sheets than purchasing 2 machines with faster speed.
But in fact, such an evaluation method will fall into a myth or be inaccurate for the following reasons:
1-4-1. Ignore other potential costs
The electricity cost and the operating hours cost of technicians for “multiple low-speed die cutting machines”, is much higher than
The “less number high-speed die cutting machine”.
The real total cost can only be reflected by considering and calculating the costs such as “electricity bill”, “man-hours”, and “consumable parts”.
1-4-2. Factory space
When the company in the early stage of development,
There may be enough space for planning or idling the machine.
But in the later stage of accelerated expansion,
The available space of many customer workshops is quite tight.
At this time, it was believed that purchasing multiple slower machines may not have higher benefits.
First, you should consider whether your own factory space is a limited resource, (unless the company has multiple idle factories or bases)
It is an important factor that allows customers to avoid making regrettable decisions.
1-4-3. Urgent order needs
The needs of clients are actually changing rapidly.
If clients suddenly receive urgent orders from upstream to have mass production,
However, because most of the models in the workshop are low-speed models,
It is impossible to complete a large number of orders with urgent delivery in a short period of time.
This kind of regret about messing up the sure thing,
It can be said that it is not uncommon on the client side.
Summarizing the above 4 points,
It is recommended that when customers choose a die cutting machine,
Also while the item corresponding to the maximum punching speed is selected,
Try to choose the model that the manufacturer can produce with the highest speed,
Or try to increase the budget as much as possible and choose the fastest model within the budget,
In order to greatly reduce the probability of regret after purchasing.
2. Model considerations (size and functionality)
The models of various die cutting machine manufacturers are so dazzling and make you confused? In fact, the naming rules of the model code of each die cutting machine are quite close. The editor uses the description of the SBL die cutting machine to let everyone understand that the size or function of the die cutting machine can be seen from the model, and teach you how to choose the suitable die cutting machine model.
2-1. Size and functionality
No matter which manufacturer you buy,
There will be different sizes and models to choose from,
Its model name code is usually a combination of “numbers + English words”.
The front 3 to 4 yards range 【number】 to represent 【size】, (Note: 3 yards are cm, 4 yards are mm)
The following【English word】stands for【functionality】.
Taking SBL as an example,
There are 5 options for the size of the die cutting machine: (The number represents the maximum width of the paper that can be rolled/mm)
- 820
- 1050
- 1060
- 1150
- 1300
There are 5 options for the functionality of the die cutting
- E (Standard machine)
- SE (With stripping function)
- SCB (Die cutting and Creasing Platen with Stripping & Blanking)
- SEB (Die cutting and Creasing Platen with Blanking)
2-2. Principles of Model Evaluation
The composition of the “model”,
It is composed of the two aspects of “size” and “function” mentioned in 2-1.
After the cross combination, there will be many different models to choose from.
As for how customers should choose and evaluate before they can buy a model that suits their needs?
Or not buy a model that will regret in the future?
The editor provides the following model evaluation methods:
2-2-1. Confirm your own environmental conditions
Model selection,
Some customers will rely on previous purchase experience,
Some customers will rely on budget or functional considerations.
But there is a very important pre-work,
That is, to confirm the “space size” of the pre-installation plant for the “installation machine position approach line” of the plant.
There have been several cases of customers because the “factory space” or “entry line” is very narrow,
It takes a lot of extra work to install the machine,
If necessary, it may even need to have lead time to customize to solve the problem.
It’s like before buying a car,
Instead of spending a lot of time collecting information on various car models of various brands,
You should first confirm the size and restrictions of the parking space or garage where you plan to park your vehicle.
This is the correct step to improve the timeliness of follow-up communication with manufacturers and efficient procurement.
2-2-2. Confirm your own needs
The order types customers often receive (small and diverse) or because of limited space,
They choose a smaller size machine (e.g.,820SE);
However, some customers will have sufficient space and need to produce quickly in large quantities,
Choose a larger size machine (e.g.,1060SEB).
“Size” or “Function”,
I don’t have any guidelines to recommend.
However, it is recommended to prepare the following information before purchasing:
E.g., Type of paper in operation, special needs of the client, order type, restrictions, etc.,
Preparing the above information is definitely a bonus option for any die cutting manufacturer to purchase.
2-2-3. "Model" needs to be considered together with "Fitting"
Some functions are not available in all sizes of models.
And just some unique models can be equipped with some unique fittings,
For example, the function of SBL mechanical single-sheet feeding, (single-sheet feeding is convenient for customers to install additional visual inspection equipment)
This fitting is only available for 1050 or 1060 inch models.
The two factors of “model” and “fittings” are related to each other.
You don’t fully understand at the moment of purchase,
When you want to install it in the future, only to find that the wrong model was selected and cannot be installed.
It’s just a matter of regret.
2-2-4. Fully communicate and discuss with the business
Take my favorite example, seeing a doctor.
When we go to the doctor,
If you explain your condition to the doctor in more detail, (e.g., current physical or psychological problems, duration of the disease, frequency of pain, recent changes in daily routine or diet, genetic history, etc.)
When doctors have more information,
Isn’t it easier to make the correct diagnosis, treatment and prescribe the medicine?
Die cutting is the same concept,
You must fully discuss with the original business,
E.g., Current customer types (customer size, order volume), type of paper that is often cut, problems often encountered before…etc.)
Provide information on your own needs and environmental conditions as much as possible,
As a result, you can purchase a die cutting machine that is more in line with your own needs,
Second, it can greatly reduce the possibility of regret in the future.
3. Optional accessories (size and functionality)
Taking SBL as an example, there are about 20 accessories for die cutting machines.I will write another article to explain in detail later.
But the editor wants to emphasize that the key point is whether to purchase a die cutting machine with SBL,please do take some time to prepare,
Or ask the salesperson about the ” applicable timing”, “functionality” and “restrictions” of these accessories.
Some people will hold the opposite view,i don’t think the accessories are too important.We can also install or purchase the accessories according to our own needs after purchasing it.The editor wants to clarify that this is a common myth of die cutting customers. The reasons are as follows:
3-1. Optional accessory related to model
Optional accessory is usually used to solve a problem, or to achieve an additional special need or function,
But as mentioned earlier,
If the company may require an optional accessory in the future to achieve special functional requirements,
However, because the original purchase model cannot be equipped with this optional accessory,
At this time, you may face the problem of not being able to install or need to spend high customization costs.
Before purchasing, you should find out the compatibility of these optional accessories and models.
So as not to cause regret in the future.
3-2. High cost of installation after leaving the factory
Some customers did not realize the importance of the optional accessories when purchasing the machine.
If added these accessories when the machine is installed at the factory or after a period of use.
It will be far better than purchasing these optional accessories before the machine leaves the factory.
The reasons for the cost that will increase to 50% or several times are as follows:
- Expensive international shipping for parts
- Need to bear the additional installation time and travel expenses of the technician
- Customized fees
4. Second-hand prices
Maybe there are many questions in your mind ? Is the most important thing in purchasing machinery nothing more than the comprehensive selection of the price and function of each brand of machinery ? What is the relationship between “the second-hand market price of die cutting machines” and “the 4 most common regrets”?In fact, in the previous blog article “10 Selection Indicators That Machinery Manufacturers Won’t Disclose (Part 2)“,we mentioned the price comparison and the consideration can apply to the issue of avoiding the pitfalls when purchasing a die cutting.
4-1. Reasons for evaluating second-hand prices
The process of business operation is likely to have the need to resell die cutting machines for the following reasons:
- Because of capacity expansion, the company purchases new models, and sell old models
- Merger with other businesses
- Strategic consideration to convert the original business type
- The original production output will be reduced due to market considerations
The process of the above changes is likely to involve the demand for second-hand machine buying and selling.
At the same time, this is also the reason why the second-hand price of the die cutting machine needs to be included in the evaluation mentioned by the editor.
4-2 Importance of used price
The editor once again explained the last example to let you understand the importance of second-hand prices:
Based on the premise of similar machine performance,
Company A’s machine sells for $300,000, and Company B’s machine sells for $200,000.
But after 5 years of normal use,
Because A machine may have the high market share and brand awareness,
It can also be sold for $200,000 on the market,
The second-hand machine of the B machine has a low market share and poor machine durability.
Even the resale price of the market is $100,000, the B machine will go begging.
In such a situation, is there a higher chance of regretting buying machine A or machine B in the future?
The answer is very obvious.
Simultaneously, this example also echoes a key point emphasized by the editor,
Be sure to evaluate the second-hand price of the machine before purchasing.
Because no one can surely guarantee the next 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years,
There will be no possibility of resale or replacement of the machine,
Including the second-hand price factor can greatly reduce the chance of regret.