ARTJET UV Printer Market research 1 _ K Print 2024 Korea printing exhibition
I. UV Printer Market Trend Until 2019
1. Not just anyone ^^
I looked at 2024 K print and saw how the UV printer market is progressing.
Before sharing my thoughts, I would like to briefly tell you about my career, as there are concerns that this is “talking from someone who doesn’t even know the market.”
2003~2005: Worked at a UV printer development manufacturer, 2.5x 1.2 meter flat UV printer.
2005~2007: Worked at a UV Printer development manufacturer, 2.6 meter conveyor belt UV Printer. 1.6 meter conveyor belt UV Printer.
2008~2019: Worked at a listed company developing and manufacturing ink & UV Printer, Spectra Q class print head UV Printer (2.5 x 1.2 & 3 x 1.5meter), KM1024 print head (1.2 x 1.2, 2.5 x 1.2, 2.0 x 3.1meter), Label printer.
Since 2019: Small ARTJET UV Printer (0.6 x 0.9 meter) sold
2. Data compiled in 2019
UV printers started in Korea in 2003, and at that time, there were 4 to 5 UV printer manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe.
In China, solvent printers were the main product, and UV printers were produced by the largest manufacturer in China, but there were too many problems.
It was in 2013 that Chinese UV printers, which had many problems, implemented Korean product technology, after seeing the software masking technique of Chinese products at an exhibition in China.
* Technology is at the same level as ours,
* The reputation of Chinese products is not good, so I think Chinese products will dominate the market in the next 2-3 years, i.e. by 2015.
If you first understand how Chinese printer manufacturers came to dominate the market,
I think you can better understand my thoughts on K Print.
Please refer to YouTube in Part 3 below.
1st part
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73PWZeHISAA
2nd part
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFOMjEYc56s
3th part
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGog6tCFyg
3. Even now in the UV printer market,,,
I am organizing troubleshooting and applications for the products I sell, and I am working hard in the market.
ARTJET UV Printer has been sold in Korea for 4 years, and we are organizing the printer problems we have encountered so far, their causes, and their solutions.
We have compiled 10 different print head problems and 17 ink supply problems, and you can find detailed information at the site below.
ARTJET UV Printer troubleshooting sum up
From last time, we are explaining not only UV printer problems and solutions, but also what products are produced with UV printers.
In the first session, we explained how to print high-value Braille using the ARTJET UV Printer. For more details, please refer to the site below.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 1 braille printing
In the second session, we explained how to align the images on the front and back when flipping the material over and printing a different image on the back after printing on the front. See below for details.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 2 Flip the material and align it
In the third session, we explained how to print a three-dimensional elephant rather than simply printing it in color.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 3 2.5D UV print
In the fourth session, I explained how to implement colors that are not expressed in colors created with an ICC profile using the Sai rip [Color Adjustment] tab.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 4 Sai rip color graph
In the fifth session, I explained how to accurately match the print size using Sai rip.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 5 Sai rip print size compensation
In the sixth session, we talked about the acrylic bonding equipment that those who have UV printers and laser cutting equipment are looking for.
Hereuner is only Korean since only Korea is hot on this machine. ARTJET UV Printer Application 6 _아크릴 본딩 장비
In the seventh session “How much ink is consumed in total for the printouts we produce?” and “How much does ink cost?” I explained the Sai rip option where you can see.
ARTJET UV Printer Application 7 _ Ink Consumption Calculation
In the Eighth session, I explained why it is not easy to print cell phone cases because of the height of the iPhone 14 camera, which is a question asked so many times.
II. K print 2024 full review
1. Korean UV Printer Manufacturer
Most companies that developed and manufactured small UV printers domestically source and sell printers from China.
At first, we sold both the self-developed model and the Chinese sourcing model.
Domestic development and manufacturing cannot keep up with the unit cost and technology of Chinese products, so the number of self-developed models is decreasing and more Chinese products are being imported.
Some companies have so far stuck to their own development model, but sales have decreased significantly.
Most of the models shown at this exhibition were small Chinese products..
2. A large distributor that consistently sells Chinese products
In early 2010, the company actively sold large-scale UV printers in China, but suffered from the instability of Chinese products and problems with its own after-sales service technology, and then took a step back.
Since 2015, as Chinese products have stabilized, these companies have steadily supplied large-sized UV printers to Korea.
At first, we focused on a 2.5 x 1.3 meter UV flatbed printer, or a 3.2 meter Roll To Roll printer.
Since then, these companies have grown a lot by diversifying their sales models.
One peculiarity is that, rather than large UV printers or large RTR printers, more cutting or finishing equipment was introduced, and there was a greater focus on this area.
3. Significant increase in exhibition participation by Chinese manufacturers
“There are many Chinese manufacturers that have come out directly.”
This is something that most people who came to the exhibition said in common. Me too,,,
There were several Chinese equipment manufacturers directly introducing label equipment or cold foil equipment.
In particular, numerous Chinese companies introducing parts or materials participated in this exhibition.
A Korean manufacturer that developed a UV printer also introduced a Chinese product,
Large distributors are also introducing Chinese products, which is what they used to do.
Chinese companies also showcase their products directly,
Of course, several Korean companies displayed Korean products, and Japanese dealers displayed Japanese products.
By the way, one of the small models that Roland brought was a Chinese product.
III. Market flow
1. Large UV Printer Market
The cost of printing 1 x 1 meter with a UV flatbed printer has dropped significantly.
There may be a reason why printing prices have fallen due to competition due to the recession, but this competition is also evidence that large-scale printing companies own large UV printers.
In other words, the large-sized UV printer market is saturated, and the reasons for new companies that were considering purchasing have significantly decreased due to the decline in UV printer printing prices.
2. Finishing equipment
Laser cutting machines, CNC, and general cutting machines that process printed materials after printing are called finishing equipment.
It is easy to guess why large distributors focus on finishing equipment.
Usually, companies requesting printed materials not only request UV printing, but also request finished products that have even been cut.
Let’s take two different companies as an example.
A company that only has UV printers,
* The printing price can be offered at a low price, but
* After printing, the logistics cost of sending printed materials to a cutting machine company for processing
* Margin taken by cutting machine company
A company that has both UV printer and finishing equipment,
* Affordable printing price.
* Saved logistics costs.
* Plus cutting margin through direct cutting
Companies that introduced large-sized UV printers a long time ago are equipped with appropriate finishing equipment and are leading the market with competitive prices.
Companies that only have UV printers, which are losing out in price competition, have no choice but to introduce finishing equipment not to make more money, but to survive.
This is why large distributors are focusing on finishing equipment that has a viable market.
IV. Small UV Printerv
1. Small UV Printer specialist company
The CEO, who installed ARTJET 3 weeks ago and is currently learning ARTJET diligently, told me after the K Print show,,,
“Team Leader, I really enjoyed purchasing the ARTJET. I saw other small UV printers at K print, but none of them are as good as ours, and the price is also right.”
All of the small UV printer companies participating in the exhibition wanted to be ahead of ARTJET, and the company size was also larger. To sum up in one word,
“One model that works”
In the case of Mimki and Roland, they maintain the same format for over 10 to 15 years, and it takes a considerable amount of time to launch a new model.
On the other hand, Chinese manufacturers launch new models every time a new print head comes onto the market.
After seeing all the advantages of the new print head, they brought the product back and sold it in Korea, only to find out that it was not that good.
After playing for as little as 6 months or as long as 1-2 years, we discontinue the product and launch another new product.
In the case of Chinese manufacturers, this is why they need to verify and test equipment directly at each time, rather than assuming that just because the previous model was good, the new model will also be good.
In the end, you need to look at the products the company has rather than the size or experience of the seller.
2. Large distributor
Another CEO said he would decide to purchase a UV printer after the K print show.
“There was banding in another company’s UV printer sample, so I asked the reason for the banding, but the salesperson in charge couldn’t explain it, so I even had a meeting with the technical team leader, and he didn’t know much either. “
The reason why a large distribution company with a lot of money, experience, and after-sales service personnel prints samples with banding during an exhibition and cannot provide an appropriate response is,
This is because they are dealing with too many items, and they invest time and staff mainly in the items with the highest profits.
They sell large equipment that is more difficult than small equipment, so small equipment can be done better!
Instead of thinking, you should look at who knows more about the equipment they sell and who sells it.
V. Complaint
I’ve talked about this and that, but in the back of my mind, as a first-generation UV printer, I feel bitter after seeing this exhibition.
At one time, when I had high aspirations and started working, my goal was,
‘Let’s become a major company like Mimaki and Roland with our products within the next 5 years! ‘ It was,,,,
Korean manufacturers have disappeared or are becoming increasingly difficult.
Many Chinese manufacturers have grown as big as Japanese companies,,,,
That’s it for today.