A leading printing industry market research company has projected a strong year for total large-format printer sales in the South African market, despite the continued pressure on the economy from higher inflation figures, weaker exchange rates and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The actual final figures for the 2021 year large-format printer market will only be published in the middle of the first quarter of 2022, however, the projections give a reasonably accurate overview of the market standing and how the year will plot. For the sake of clarity, large-format encompasses all sizes of printer over 64-inches or 150cm in width.
There are currently 24 companies active in the supply of large-format printers in the South African marketplace and the projections look at the volumes of sales from all of these companies based on the actual installation of models on a monthly basis and then extrapolates those figures until the end of the year.
One company stands clear of all other suppliers with an expected lead of more than 25 units over its nearest competitor. Local large-format printer brand AM.CO.ZA is expected to lead the race with a total of 153 printers installed in the local market by the end of the year, out of the total expected installed base of 683.
As is to be expected, many of the printers have been supplied and installed by the large international printer manufacturers. However, when looking at the overall number of sales, it is apparent that an increasing number of companies are looking for suppliers who fall outside the big five manufacturers. The main reason for this is cost. Availability is another big factor resulting directly from erratic supply chains as a result of the global restriction on travel and transport. However, customers also demand industrial level productivity, operational ease-of-use and affordability.
While cost and availability are obviously important factors, they are not the only things which local customers base their purchasing decisions on. Other factors include readily available technical support and assistance, a steady supply of consumables and added-value after sales support. These are areas where AM.CO.ZA excels. Operational training of staff is a standard in the industry, however, very often additional training is required as this is usually a billable items with most suppliers. AM.CO.ZA offers all its clients access to simple, easy-to-use and access training videos which expand on the initial training and extend through to tips and tricks on how to maximise the use of the machine once operators have achieved a higher level of expertise.
As an added-value extra, customers who buy the printers are given one year of free access to a complete library of designs which they can use to start generating income while they are gaining in experience and expertise in the use of the printers they have purchased.
Another service provided by AM.CO.ZA is access to free upgrades for both software and hardware as they become available. This ensures that clients constantly achieve the highest levels of productivity and therefore, profitability when using the devices they buy from the company.
Once such example of this came in the form of an upgrade which was released this year allowing the printers to be switched from standard inks to premium UV hybrid inks which were developed and manufactured in the local market with a leading ink manufacturer. This offers customers the ability to expand their product offering using a single set of inks which can be used for both flexible substrates and rigid substrates.
The inks are designed to offer the best of both worlds, flexibility with wear-resistance on flexible substrates as well as durability and increased adhesion on rigid substrates. In addition, the new range of inks do not require any pre-treatment or primer on most substrates, thereby offering the customer production cost-savings which can be used to increase the profitability of every job or to reduce the price making these inks more cost-effective and attractive to end customers.
These inks are an example of how AM.CO.ZA enhances the capabilities of its customers to ensure that they become and remain profitable using the printers they have purchased from the company. It is this unique approach to assisting customers which has been so instrumental in AM.CO.ZA becoming the leading brand in the large-format print market with the result that many customers have purchased their second or even third units.
Eric Yin, managing director and founder of Advanced Machinery, the company for AM.CO.ZA brand said he is encouraged by the reputation the printers have achieved in the local market. He added, ‘Our philosophy of supporting our customers and giving them additional services has helped them to become profitable companies employing many people and this has ensured that they come back to us when they need to increase their production capabilities.’
About FastCOLOUR Large Format Printer:
AM.CO.ZA brand has been in the large format printer market since 2015. The New FastCOLOUR ONE printer has been in the SA market from October, 2019. The FastCOLOUR One printer is a hybrid printer that has multiple functions. It does both roll to roll printing and flatbed printing. For more information about FastCOLOUR Large Format printers, visit http://LargeFormatPrinter.co.za/.
About Advanced Machinery (Pty) Ltd:
The core company of the AM.CO.ZA brand, which is a leading supplier of CNC cutting and large-format printing solutions aimed primarily at industrial applications with a view to maximising our customer’s productivity, efficiency and profitability. Our products are designed to provide the highest levels of production capability to meet the needs of a range of customers from the small office home office market right through to industrial applications which require large-scale continuous production. We believe in providing complete solutions. This means that all ancillary equipment is supplied as part of a comprehensive solution ensuring that our customers know what they are getting and how much they will be paying. Please visit https://am.co.za/ for more products we sell.
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