Flexography, lithography and digital are the three basic printing technologies used to apply graphics to corrugated boxes. The purpose of this research is to identify the primary cost drivers of selection of a particular process to print corrugated boxes. Flexo post-sheet, flexo pre-print, litho-lamination, and litho-labeling are the four processes traditionally used to print corrugated boxes. Digital printing processes have been recently introduced to the industry.This research explores the estimated cost of producing a printed corrugated box using the traditional processes with special emphasis on the relative cost of low volume printing. It compares the direct and indirect cost in a cost structure, process drivers in adoption of a printing process and the closest competitor to digital printing. Cost estimation results reveal that volume is one of the primary drivers in the selection of a printing process, if the primary criterion for selection is the unit cost of production. Quality and speed are the other process drivers. For all the traditional processes, fixed direct cost is a big part of total cost as opposed to variable direct cost for short volume of up to 1500 units. Due to this reason digital printing is very cost effective in low volume up to 500 units. When cost, quality, and speed are taken into consideration, the process that is most similar to digital printing is litho-labeling. Additionally, digital printing offers other benefits such as customized printing or variable data printing.
Read
