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PRINT.IT
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CONSUMABLES
Warren Buffett, the American
entrepreneur, investor and
philanthropist, once declared
‘Price is what you pay. Value is
what you get’. It is fair to assume
that when he uttered these words
he didn’t have thermal transfer
printer ribbons in mind. Yet when
it comes to the purchasing of such
items, his words are apt.
Manufacturers that make
claims about the superiority of
their consumables over cheaper,
compatible products are often met
with the cry of ‘They would say that,
wouldn’t they?’. However, as an
experienced user of ribbons from
a variety of sources, I firmly believe
that Toshiba TEC’s own brand
ribbons offer unrivalled performance,
consistency, quality and value.
The ribbon sector has changed
considerably over the last 15 years.
Ribbons used to be produced in
Europe and, with a few exceptions,
the quality was good. Then, imports
from China and the Far East started
to appear and, while the price was
attractive, the quality left a lot to be
desired. In recent times, the general
standard of compatible products
has improved slightly, but if you’re
thinking about using them in Toshiba
TEC labelling and barcode printers,
take my advice and think again.
False economy
We all like to find a bargain, but
compatible ribbons are a false
economy. They tend to be only
around 10% cheaper than genuine
supplies, which, for an average
product costing £6, equates to
a saving of just 60p. This figure
pales into insignificance when the
additional advantages of a Toshiba
TEC product are factored in.
Toshiba TEC ribbons are made
with a high quality back coating,
something that is often missing
from compatible products. This
coating is there for a good reason, to
prevent a build-up of static charge.
In a thermal transfer printer, a static
build-up can create an electrical
spike, which could easily blow the
pins on the printhead, necessitating a
replacement. With printheads costing
anywhere between £100 and £1,500
to replace, depending on model and
size, this is not something you want
to do more than necessary.
It is worth pointing out that
Toshiba TEC has such confidence
in the quality of its ribbons and
printheads that, while its competitors
have component warranties of
just 25km, the Toshiba TEC B-SX
series of industrial label printers
has a warranty of 100km. Over
the course of a printer’s 10-year
lifespan, a business that changes
the printhead every 25km could end
up spending as
much as £16,000
compared to
£5,600 with
a Toshiba TEC
printer. In fact,
Toshiba TEC’s
printheads often
last a lot longer; we
recently changed
one that had
operated perfectly
for an exceptional
901km.
Zero tolerance
As well as looking after over
1,000 printers in the UK as part of
managed service contracts, at Reflex
Systems we also run our own bureau,
carrying out printing services on
behalf of many organisations, 95% of
which are based in the food industry.
The food sector has no tolerance
for poor quality barcodes. If a
barcode is unreadable then a retailer
can fine the supplier. It’s a risk
that’s simply not worth taking and
a Toshiba TEC ribbon will offer a
level of reliability, reliance and lower
total cost of ownership (TCO) that a
compatible product can’t. It makes
sense for us, too, as any downtime
we experience could contravene our
service level agreements (SLAs).
Expert advice
Many other industries benefit from
Toshiba TEC’s high standards
of innovation. For example, the
company’s new range of near-edge
resin ribbons are specifically designed
for marine use and meet the stringent
requirements of BS 5609, which sets
minimum standards for adhesive
performance, print permanence and
abrasion resistance.
Using the right ribbon is vital. Yet
there is often a lack of knowledge
about this issue. As part of Toshiba
TEC’s technical support, experts will
recommend the right solution for
each application.
Reliable supply
It might come as a surprise to
learn that reliability of supply is an
important consideration, too. A core
component of a printer ribbon is
polyester. Four years ago there was
a worldwide shortage of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) due to increased
demand from manufacturers of solar
photovoltaic (PV) panels. Throughout
this period, Toshiba TEC was able to
supply its full range of sizes, grades
and colours.
Compatible ribbons might look like
a good deal initially, but when it comes
to performance, consistency, TCO and
the ability to protect an investment,
they fall short – unlike Toshiba TEC
ribbons and other consumables that
have been designed to meet the
highest standards using the best
quality materials.
Nigel Wilson, General Manager of Toshiba TEC
value added reseller Reflex Labels Systems,
explains why he will always use Toshiba TEC
ribbons in labelling and barcode printers.
The real deal
Nigel Wilson,
General Manager,
Toshiba TEC
