Carlsberg’s
experience brings the differences between dot matrix and thermal print
technology to life. The Danish-based brewer switched from dot matrix to thermal
printers when it refreshed the technology for drivers who serve pubs,
restaurants and retailers in Denmark. Because Carlsberg had already automated
its DSD operations and its applications and processes did not change, its
switch emphasizes the importance of print technology. The result: Carlsberg
reported annual savings of $100,000 in media cost and $15,000 in printer
service by switching from full-page dot matrix printers to thermal models that
use 4-inch media.
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| Rugged Mobile Label Printer |
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| Industrial Thermal Transfer Barcode Printer |
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| Thermal Label Printer |
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| Desktop Thermal Transfer Barcode Printer |
Below
are the value thermal print technology offers for DSD operations:
Cost:
Thermal
printers cost less to operate and maintain than dot matrix models, and also
usually cost less to purchase. The TCO advantage comes from lower supply costs
(the ability to use lower-cost paper plus eliminating the ribbon expense) and
because of the superior ruggedness of thermal printers, which enables a longer
service life plus less productivity loss from breakdowns. The five-year TCO for
ruggedized mobile printers is 50.6 percent lower than for consumer/commercial Grade
models according to industry analyst firm VDC Research Group. While there are
some ruggedized dot matrix models, there are more rugged options for thermal
print technology.
Media:
The
media advantages alone make it cost effective for many businesses to switch
from dot matrix to direct thermal printing. Thermal media also provides
convenience benefits, reduces waste and often represents a quality upgrade
because it is long lasting, resists smudges and is not dependent on ribbon
quality to print clearly. Thermal Media is available in a variety of sizes, thicknesses
and quality levels, including paper that will remain readable for years to
satisfy document retention requirements.
Thermal
media helps DSD operations reduce costs in two major ways: it enables
businesses to use less paper, and the paper itself costs less. Thermal printing
also saves money by reducing waste and eliminating the need for ribbons or
toner. These benefit are good for the environment and the bottom line.
Basic
savings on materials can be significant depending on the type of materials that
are printed. For example, businesses that use multi-part forms can reduce their
paper costs by 45 to 50 percent, according to the previously noted independent
analysis. Even if multi-part forms are not used, supply costs for direct
thermal printers are lower than for dot matrix because paper costs are
comparable and there is no ribbon expense (and no labor cost for the time spent
changing ribbons and disposing of used ones).
Thermal Printers also provide an opportunity to use less paper. In Carlsberg’s case,
the company redesigned its A4-size invoices and delivery notes to fit on 4-inch
wide media (since thermal printers use roll-fed paper, the printed form can be
as long or as short as necessary). Carlsberg did not have to exclude any
information from the documents, because the high print quality from the thermal
printers made the text clear and legible. Redesigning the forms enabled
Carlsberg to reduce its DSD printing output by 2 million pages per year.
For more information about Thermal Transfer Ribbons or TTR, please visit: http://capacitysystems.com.au/