Cost of Ownership
29,02,2024 07:45
October 2019
You have transfer customers, you're buying 100s, 1000s or 10s of thousands of transfers yearly that are costly and time consuming.
A digital transfer machine like the Color Drop DTF is just the answer - your cost per print is a fraction of what you are buying them for, the colors are limitless and you can make them in hours versus waiting days.
Let's take a look at what owning your own equipment costs you.
MAINTENANCE
Proper maintenance is essential - especially taking care of your print heads. A few drops of cleaning solution in the cap stands each night adds up, but better a few $100 dollars yearly on proper maintenance than failing print heads.
Machines that sit around and do not work regularly typically cost more to own due to more maintenance when you do need to operate it. This really drives up the Total Cost of Ownership.
Take for example the expensive DTG machines I used to sell. The cost of owning ofe of these can be split into three categories: Labor, Operations and Depreciation
For labor, its not just the person running the machine, you must include time allotted for handling the shirts pre and post printing. To understand the total sum of this cost, one must understand how much it costs per hour to pay an operator, how long each part spends on the machine, how long it takes to set up the machine, and how much time the operator spends actually attending the machine. Each of these elements will probably be different for every application and every facility.
Operational costs include electrical (gas if a dryer is needed), maintenance and repairs, consumables, and the like. These costs are incurred only when the machine is in operation.
Depreciation costs take into account the machine’s estimated value at the end of the payment cycle, regardless of whether it was a monthly lease or a purchase over time. These costs occur whether the machine is in operation or not.
DTG units can cost as little as $25,000 anc can run up to $800,000+
The Color Drop DTF is $19,995.
Factor a yearly maintenance cost of about 3-4% of the purchase price.
Maintenance typically increases as the machine ages - over 10 years, that can add up.
Buy quality machines from reputable sales teams and keep the maintenance schedule that is recommended; if you do this, your investment will pay off for you.