Has technology helped you survive the economic crisis?

[Guest 82818-824]

Has technology helped you survive the economic crisis or was it financial suicide? Looking around there seem to be a lot of companies that spent a lot of money on state of the art presses that went under while the old dogs kept running by quality pressmen are still doing business.

 

[steveo]

Well it certainly hasnt hurt me , I can walk into any shop and be proficent on most consoles , everyone is running CIP files and Im all for new technology but if I didnt have the background I do , learning as an apprentice on the old Harris , ATFs , Omsca , Royal Zenith , etc I dont think my options would be as many cause now if I need to I can go back and run any older press , with no console , blanket/auto wash or auto anything...new is nice but for guys that were brought up on newer automated press' I think there chances of being employed in an economy like we have currently....its gonna be tough...

Steve

Has technology helped you survive the economic crisis or was it financial suicide? Looking around there seem to be a lot of companies that spent a lot of money on state of the art presses that went under while the old dogs kept running by quality pressmen are still doing business.

 

[Guest 82818-824]

But............the point I´m trying to get to is, lets take sheetfeds for example.........an older press that has been paid off many years ago verses a new press with finance to the tune of 750 000€. The older press (15/20 years old) may take 30 or 45 mins and 50+ sheets to do a full make ready as opposed to a new press doing a makeready in 15 minutes and 5 sheets. Is half an hour and around 50 sheets really worth paying a huge sum and being strapped to finance or am I just stuck in the late 80's early 90's?
The nice shiney press may impress your customers but when the customers are thin on the ground does it realy matter?

 

[RichardK]

My opinion FWIW. Had we not replaced our ageing L428 2 yrs ago we be up sh*t creek not just without a paddle but without a canoe either

Although we had paid off the old girl we were having more and more issues on a daily basis. Eyekom cost us a lot of blankets, yes we could have changed it but I decided not to keep throwing £££ at it.

We traded it in for our L626 and the upshot is that even in these margin strapped times we can take a 20 sheet job and still make money on it. In fact the makeready and auto plateup allowed us to take on a series of overprint jobs that on the old press would have taken us a fortnight and we completed in just 3 days (70 x four col, 14 x 2 & 3 spot col jobs coupled with runs of anything from 360 to 3600).

I have to say our CTP system is also a tool that had we not invested in it then we couldn't possibly compete with the stupid turnround times demanded by unthinking and uncaring clients. Typical quote "we have an exhibition tomorrow can you produce 10,000 brochures for us?"

But then the world and technology has moved on to the point where this can now be accommodated albeit at the expense of new kit and higher stress levels for both managers and pressmen.

Bottom line...if your kit is in good condition and reasonably up to date (our CTP is 6 yrs old and our L626 is 8yrs) then you will survive if your sales and margins allow.