Basic Principle of A UV Printer
The UV printhead is an indispensable part of the UV printer, and its ink output method is crucial to the printing effect. Under normal circumstances, the UV printhead can be divided into two types: a single printhead outputting one color and a single printhead outputting two colors. When printing, the UV printer usually adopts the four-color printing mode, namely C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black). These four colors of ink are combined with the three primary colors C, M, and Y of the colorant and black ink to form the basis of "full color printing."
If this principle is followed, for a design where a single printhead only produces one color, a UV printer needs to be equipped with four printheads to achieve full coverage of the four colors of C, M, Y, and K.
UV Printhead: One-Color Head vs. Two-Color Head
If a single head can print two colors, only two heads are needed. However, in actual use, in order to achieve embossing effects or highlight the color of patterns on dark materials, a white ink head is often required. Therefore, the standard configuration of the UV printer industry is usually four colors plus one white. Specifically, there are multiple forms, such as double heads (such as Epson heads), three heads (such as Ricoh G5 printheads), and five heads (such as Seiko 508GS printheads).
Advantages of Single-Head Two-Color Configuration
From an economic perspective, single-head two-color is more cost-effective than single-head monochrome. Taking the UV printer equipped with the Ricoh G5 printhead as an example, the cost of the three-head configuration can save at least 35,000 yuan, which is undoubtedly a more suitable choice for users with tight funds or small business volume.
Disadvantages of Single-Head Two-Color Configuration
However, this also has certain disadvantages. UV printer technology has been around for about 10 years since its development. Even though single-head monochrome technology is quite mature, it still faces many failures. Take an industrial UV printer worth about 160,000 as an example. Even with a single-head configuration, the manufacturer needs to come to the door for maintenance at least 4 times a year, not to mention dealing with some minor problems. In contrast, the after-sales cost brought by the failure rate of a single-head two-color configuration is often more than twice that of a single color.
Profitability and Maintenance Cost of UV Printhead
The Efficiency Advantage of the Five-Head Standard Configuration
From the perspective of profitability, the efficiency of a five-head standard configuration, such as Seiko GS508, is two and a half times that of a three-head Ricoh GEN5. Assuming that you can earn 10,000 yuan per day using a five-head configuration, then the three-head GEN5 printhead can only earn 3,500 yuan. Such a gap may cause companies that choose three-head printing to watch orders slip away.
After-Sales Cost Comparison
In terms of after-sales cost, the replacement cost of a three-head configuration may actually be higher than that of a five-head configuration. Some users may mistakenly believe that the replacement cost of three printheads is lower than that of five, but this is not comprehensive. The maintenance cost of the UV printhead includes not only the replacement cost but also the frequency of replacement. In a three-year cycle, all five printheads may need to be replaced, with a one-time cost of 50,000. A single printhead with a two-color configuration may need to be replaced once every 1.5 years, which is equivalent to replacing two times in three years, that is, 6 printheads, and the total cost will reach 90,000.
