Hidden Costs of Ink Jet Printers

The hidden costs of consumables are often overlooked by users, and can have a direct impact on operating costs.By analyzing the regularity of the consumption of key consumables such as ink, solvents, and filters, the company provides practical methods for calculating costs and techniques for reducing costs, helping companies to precisely control the costs of using inkjet printers and to avoid overspending.

Why do the costs of consumables always exceed the budget?

Many of our friends, when they buy a coding machine, only look at the price of the machine itself. They don't realize that the consumables are the real money-eaters.Don't think that buying the machine is all there is to it. Things like ink and solvents, which are used up every day, can cost more than the machine itself if you don't calculate the usage correctly.

Have you figured out all the hidden costs?

Ink: The amount you need is larger than you think.

The ink usage figures that vendors quote are mostly laboratory data, and are not necessarily accurate in actual production. In fact, the amount of ink used can be 20 % higher than the figure quoted, depending on the complexity of the image and the temperature of the environment.For example, in summer, the solvent evaporates quickly, so the number of sprays required increases, and so naturally the materials used increase.

Solvents: The "Supporting Actors" That Are Often Overlooked

Cleaning the nozzles and diluting the ink both require solvents, and especially when the machines are stopped frequently for changing shifts, a half bottle can be used up just for cleaning.Some models can only use the original solvent, which is 30 % more expensive than the common kind.

The silent cost of replacing filters.

The small parts which filter out the impurities and protect the spray heads are changed every three months, which is actually a long time.In a workshop with a lot of dust, you may have to replace it every month. The price is from tens to hundreds of dollars apiece, and it adds up.

Three steps to calculate real costs.

Record actual use for three months.

Take a little notebook and record how much ink is used each day. Don't rely on the system to tell you how much ink is being used, because some systems will "discount" the amount of ink used to make the system look like it is using less.The most reliable method is to actually measure the amount of oil lost.

Calculating the cost of downtime for maintenance.

When the nozzles get clogged, the machine has to be stopped for cleaning, which not only wastes production time but also solvent.Record the number of times it breaks down each month, and calculate the cost of labor and electricity per hour that the machine is down. This will give you a new appreciation of the cost of cheap supplies.

In contrast, the terms of the supplier are hidden.

Some of them say that you have to buy the manufacturer's brand of consumables to get warranty service, forcing you to buy consumables at high prices.Find out about the warranty limitations in advance, and calculate whether it's more cost-effective to buy compatible consumables and pay for repairs yourself. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of by the bundling of sales.

The core technique of saving costs.

Use a mixed purchasing strategy.

We use original parts for key components to ensure quality, but we buy third-party brands for consumables like cleaning agents. We've tested them and found we can save 30 % on costs.Be sure to test a small batch first to avoid compatibility problems.

Set a warning line for consumables.

When the ink level hits 20 %, the system alerts the purchasing department, which can then replenish the ink supply without disrupting production and take advantage of e-commerce promotions to stock up.Some people buy supplies on November 11. One person even saved enough for an electric vehicle.

Training employees to follow the rules.

By teaching employees to close the bottles promptly to reduce evaporation, and to clean the spray nozzles according to standard procedures, the company was able to extend the life of its materials by 15 %.The cost control achieved by inviting the operators to a cup of milk tea at the end of the month is much more economical than replacing the equipment.