Cost-cutting hampering profitability in print industry

- Now is time invest, not scale back improvements

 

- Potential for improvement by choosing right blanket per application is ‘enormous’

 

More needs to be done to improve quality control and minimize downtime in printing operations in order to maximize long-term profitability, according to a recent study by Trelleborg Printing Solutions.

 

The Printing Insight Report, which was conducted with approximately 100 senior industry stakeholders in the printing industry across the UK and US, revealed that over 80 percent of respondents believe the issue of downtime is either vital or significantly important in respect of their printing operations.

 

But 20 percent of respondents took no steps to try and reduce consumable downtime over the last year. The same number also took no preventative action to improve consumable related downtime.

 

The report used quantitative data to outline existing perceptions on a range of issues in the industry. Interviews were conducted with print professionals, including owners/managing directors, production directors and pressroom managers, involved in a range of different sectors, from sheet-fed commercial litho and digital, to newspapers and packaging.

 

Thomas Linkenheil, managing director at Trelleborg Printing Solutions, said: ‘It was encouraging to see that both quality control and productivity were ranked more important than cost, which would indicate that the industry claims to be convinced by the merits of lifetime performance over cost.

 

‘However, by not pro-actively investing in improving their printing operations, a large portion of the industry is still missing a trick.’

 

Linkenheil said investment in facilities and technology to maximise productivity and efficiency is essential for growth. This includes equipment and consumables, training of staff or the implementation of MIS/automated workflows.

 

Those printers unable to commit to this principle are missing important improvement possibilities, he added.

 

‘It’s perfectly understandable that in difficult times, companies look to cut costs, but this mindset can prevent them from improving profitability over the longer term.

 

‘In times of hardship, those companies making the necessary changes to processes and operations by investing time and money to maximise productivity will ultimately prevail.

 

‘This certainly isn’t the time to stop investment, if anything it’s the time to increase it, particularly in relation to reducing downtime and maintaining quality, as these areas can have such an adverse affect on profit.’

 

Nearly a quarter of all respondents claimed that unplanned downtime was related to consumables. However, when it came to printing blankets specification, an area which can have a significant impact on the overall efficiency of a print run, over two thirds of respondents admitted that they only specified one printing blanket for all print applications.

 

Linkenheil said: ‘It was disappointing for us that only 11 percent of survey respondents specify different printing blankets for different print jobs.

 

‘In the specification of printing blankets, it is clear that better information/more evidence needs to be provided to demonstrate to the market that a “one-size-fits-all” approach doesn’t always work.

 

‘The potential for improvement by choosing the right blanket for the application is enormous.

 

‘Printing blankets have an important role in the quality and efficiency of printing and the blanket composition, compressibility and surface characteristics directly affect the printing process.

 

‘Ensuring the highest quality results, along with reduced operating costs, can only be achieved by using the right blanket for the job and the press.

 

‘Developing new versions of printing blankets involves significant research and development investment and time, but as a leading manufacturer we produce a large range because we understand it is only by matching a specifically designed solution to a particular requirement that a printer can achieve maximum efficiency.’

 

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