会社のニュース How to choose a suitable cardboard printing machine?

Selecting a cardboard printing machine is an important financial choice that necessitates a methodical assessment of your production requirements. To put it simply, you must first define your production type and fundamental needs before matching the right printing technology and model.

1.What are the features of the most popular printing technologies available today?

In a nutshell, the primary printing features and technologies available today fall into the following categories:

2. How to determine your choice step by step?
You can take the following actions to select the right equipment, beginning with assessing your personal circumstances:
Clear production specifications (this is the most crucial basis)
Type of product: Which kind of cardboard boxes are you primarily manufacturing? Is it a standard corrugated cardboard box or a premium color box with demanding printing specifications? The choice of technological path is directly determined by the product positioning.
To choose the appropriate equipment, you can do the following, starting with evaluating your unique situation:
Unambiguous production specifications (the most important foundation)
Product type: What type of cardboard boxes do you make most often? Is it a premium color box with strict printing requirements, or is it just a regular corrugated cardboard box? The positioning of the product directly influences the choice of technological approach.
Scale and Budget: Clearly state the anticipated production scale (e.g., daily/monthly output) and the equipment investment budget. This establishes whether you are thinking about high-speed fully automatic production lines or entry-level semi-automatic equipment.
Pay attention to important technologies and performance metrics.
Once the general direction has been established, particular technical details must be considered:
Printing speed and accuracy: Usually, the two must be in balance. High-end flexographic printers, for instance, can print 150–300 sheets per minute with precision of 175–200 lines/inch.
Configuration and linkage of equipment: A "printing+back-end" linkage manufacturing line is a common type of modern equipment. Depending on your requirements, you must decide whether to link components like slotting, die-cutting, and box glue. Efficiency can be significantly increased by doing this.
Adaptability of material and ink: Verify whether the machine can support the weight of the corrugated and paper types (such A, B, and C tiles) that you frequently use. At the same time, consider if the type of ink (UV or water-based) satisfies customer and environmental standards.
Analyze suppliers and total expenses
Choosing a supplier: Suppliers with established technologies, a solid reputation, and an extensive network of after-sales services should be given preference. Conducting on-site inspections of the main equipment operations of current clients' factories is crucial.
Total cost of lifecycle: Long-term expenses, such as the cost of consumables like printing plates and ink, daily maintenance costs, component replacement prices, and energy usage, should be taken into consideration in addition to the purchase price.

3. Configuration recommendations for various situations
The following are common equipment setup concepts based on various production scenarios:
Scenario 1: A sizable cardboard box manufacturer processing a lot of orders
A high-speed, fully automated flexographic printing slotting and die-cutting linking line is the suggested remedy.
Reason: This is a standard feature in the industry that allows for large-scale, high-efficiency, one-stop production from cardboard to molded cardboard boxes at a reasonable cost per box.
Scenario 2: Medium-sized packaging companies with mixed orders (short and bulk versions)
Combining "flexographic printing machine+digital printing machine" is the suggested solution.
Reason: To maximize market competitiveness, flexographic printing machines are used to guarantee the cost and production efficiency of primary bulk orders, while digital printing machines are used to flexibly handle short editions, sample, and customized urgent orders.
Scenario 3: New businesses or small workshops that specialize on short-term, customized orders
Semi-automatic screen/flexographic printing equipment or an entry-level digital printer are suggested solutions.
Reason: Reasonably easy to operate, low initial investment, quick response to small batch and diverse market demands, and ability to satisfy clients' individualized customization needs.

4. Typical Myths to Steer Clear of
Just concentrating on pricing and speed: "Big horses pulling small cars" or insufficient manufacturing capacity might result from ignoring equipment stability, printing accuracy, consumable costs, and compatibility with one's own requirements.
Pursuing "one-step delivery" mindlessly: Financial strain and idle production capacity may result from overinvesting in expensive equipment that surpasses present business requirements.
Ignoring supplier services: Equipment post-maintenance is essential. Due to production disruptions, suppliers who offer delayed after-sales assistance risk suffering significant losses.

To put it briefly, there is just the "most suitable" machine—not the "best" machine. Before making a choice, it is advised that you undertake sample testing using your particular samples and requirements and have thorough conversations with a number of reputable equipment suppliers. This is the most straightforward and efficient method of confirmation.