Electron Beam Reducing Operating Costs
Electron Beam: Reducing Operating Costs
There is no doubt that the world of printing has become increasingly competitive. Every printer is looking for new ways to reduce costs, increase profit margins and differentiate itself from the pack. Incorporating Electron Beam technology into your process can be just the way to achieve these goals.
In addition to being an environmentally friendly solution, that delivers high-quality print materials and offers great flexibility, Electron Beam technology can also offer advantages from a cost perspective. The ways in which EB can help reduce your operating costs throughout the production process are numerous. Let's have a look at just a few of them.
Slashing Work-In-Process Inventory
The traditional process of curing coating manufacturing that requires intermediate drying stages can be converted into a single step inline process with ebeam curable coating. That means less of your inventory will be tied up in the “in-process” stage at any given time.
Die Cut, Stack, and Ship As Soon As It Comes Off the Press
The use of EB curable materials eliminates the need for spray powders, which are traditionally used to prevent the wet ink from offsetting while the printed stock is stacked and waiting to be fabricated. When you replace spray powder with an EB curable coating on the last station of the printing press, your printed stock can be immediately fabricated as it comes off the press. This effectively and significantly improves productivity by eliminating the need to wait for conventional ink to dry.
Utility Operating Costs Are a Fraction of Typical Thermal Drying
The utility costs of conventional gas-powered dryers can be a significant annual operating expense. It is estimated that the combined gas and electric cost of running one of these systems is approximately $160 per hour. By comparison, an EB system, which does not consume gas but instead requires electricity and nitrogen, can carry an operating cost as low as $20 per hour. The utility operating costs of an EB system can range from 1/4 to 1/10 of that of a traditional thermal drying system
Less Waste
Thanks to the extended shelf life of 100% solid chemistries, you will experience less ink waste as well as less waste of solvents and cleaning agents, since it will no longer be necessary to remove the inking system at the end of each day.
When you factor in the operational savings in the reduction of wasted ink and solvents, the lower associated utility costs, and the improved overall productivity that Electron Beam technology can offer, it’s easy to see how such a system will be a valuable tool to improve the performance and profitability of any printing process. If you’re ready to bring these and other cost savings to your business, feel free to contact us.