Key Buying Decisions for Digital DTS Decoration

We talked to Velox’s Product Line Manager, David Oesterreicher, to better understand what drives our customers’ buying decisions around industrial digital printing solutions.

Among our customers are converters – the companies that specialize in printing on plastic tubes and aluminum aerosol cans and turning them into decorated containers to be filled with product. What Velox offers them is an industrial system – a direct-to-shape digital decorator that prints directly onto tubes and cans using a proprietary technology with specially formulated inks and a robust system architecture. Our solution provides extremely high-speed and high-quality printing along with agile, economical and sustainable operation.

Velox’s technology and what we offer is in direct response to what converters want and need. They hold us to high standards, and we listen.

For converters, digital printing technology is no different than any other decoration technology, and as such it is examined on similar parameters. First, digital technology should deliver the same (or more) decoration features as analog decoration technology, including solid colors, sharp text, photorealistic images, gradients, a wide variety of Pantones, and accurate color registration. The proof is in the output: when deciding to invest in digital printing, converters ask us to print several of their customers’ products, enabling a side-by-comparison with products printed with analog technologies.

Converters also want to make sure digital machines can handle industrial demands. That means:

• Consistency – All printed containers should look the same in regards to colors, start and end position, and orientation.
• Reliability – The machine should work 24/7, with maximum uptime.
• Speed – The system speed should meet the production line speed, to avoid slowing down all of production at the decoration station.
• Printing properties must meet packaging safety regulations and functional properties.

Key buying decisions are also made on cost and on the additional benefits of digital direct-to-shape decoration. The cost per copy should be compatible with analog, after taking into account operating expenses, ink costs, operational efficiency, utilities, and so forth. After these are met, converters focus on return on investment (ROI) – what digital direct-to-shape has to offer above and beyond analog. With all this in mind, we offer converters:

• Operational efficiency – Less process time (no setup, no plates preparation, no ink kitchen), ink savings (our own Variable Viscosity Ink™ (VVI) technology), increased capacity.
• Agility – Any quantity, a real sample proof on demand, short time-to-market.
• No color limitation – Any number of colors per design.
• Seamless 360° decoration, no gap or overlap, and printing on the cap and shoulder.
• Variable Data Print – The ability to print different design and text elements for easy and cost-effective localization and customization.
• Enhanced sustainability – No setup waste, no ink mixing, reduced energy consumption, and less equipment needed.
• High-quality printing – Photorealistic images, smooth gradients and halftones, wide color matching with more than 95% of the Pantone Plus color book, digital gloss and matte embellishments.
• One decoration solution for all of the above, plus sharp text, tactile, and solid finishes – Instead of using several analog decoration technologies (such as offset, silk, flexo).
• Lower total cost-of-ownership!

Every company looks at trends and business analysis to identify prospective customers, but nothing beats asking them how they make their buying decisions and delivering on or exceeding their expectations. If you’re interested in mass production direct-to-shape digital decoration we invite you to talk to us to learn more.