Printers have been making the most of their existing equipment throughout the economic downturn. While the high visitor numbers at Ipex hinted that firms may be ready to spend again, for the meantime they are keen to push their existing machines to the limit.
As a result, printers are calling on service engineers far more frequently. James Wells, managing director at Sonar Technologies, confirms that there has been a steady flow of business but the downside is that when companies go bust, engineers are usually one of the last names on the creditors’ list.
We never really bother with the smaller commercial type customers, who are a one-man or two-man outfit, because it’s just too risky, he adds.
For Wells, it’s important that the printer considers the costs and reaches an agreement on price for a job before any engineer visits.
Service demands
Printers are also demanding more from their service engineers, according to Steve Nyland, managing director at Nyland Graphics. We do a lot of site surveys and refurbishment, he says. We take machines out, rebuild them and then re-install them. While most will offer on-site repairs, which is a lot of down-time for the customer, what we do is offer a replacement machine while the press is being fixed.
Engineers can provide monthly service check-ups on your machine providing regular oiling and greasing every three months, site surveys and machine refurbishments. In addition, they can clean and check ink ducts, remove and reset rubber rollers and, annually, check electrical motors and compressors.
Due to the ailing print trade in the UK, there has been a sharp downturn in output from printers, says Michael Stevenson, managing director at AMS Graphic Machinery. In the B3 market in particular, a lot of printers were selling off kit and not replacing it with new purchases.
This has left many printers sweating their assets and needing the service and support of engineers, which should, in theory, be good news for print engineers. However, manufacturers are becoming increasingly competitive on pricing for support they offer making the market tougher for independent engineers.
Engineers rates have decreased severely, so you shouldn’t be paying more than £35 per hour for an ex-Heidelberg engineer to have a look at your press, says Stevenson.
For companies with large-format presses, these are heavy and highly priced pieces of kit so it’s always worth getting the manufacturer to look at it first.
TOP TIPS: Service Engineers
• Talk to the main manufacturers, they often have a list of sub-contract or approved third-party service engineers. Steve Nyland, managing director at Nyland Graphics
•Make sure you agree a price bracket before an engineer comes out. James Wells, managing director at Sonar Technologies
•If an engineer says he’s a named ex-factory engineer, make sure
his credentials ring true. A few engineers work with ex-factory named engineers, rather than being one themselves. Michael Stevenson, managing director at AMS Graphic Machinery
•Do your homework on the company first. Pick up the phone and call another printer that has had work done by them and find out how they rated their service. AMS’ Stevenson
•For the engineers themselves, it’s just a matter of getting paid, so they really need to check out potential customers and make sure they are a stable company. Sonar Technologies’ Wells
