For years I have observed the large format flatbed industry evolve. Never for a second did I think that this medium would impact the UV industry as it has. Today, as an OEM, if you haven’t applied UV to your lineup of flatbeds, you are not a player. I say this as an outsider as my company is solely a UV lamp manufacturer. While we were gearing up for the super wide screen printing inline lamps, the digital industry was forging ahead developing answers to higher resolution and lack of floor space. This is not to say that the screen industry is dead, but certainly under fire.

I guess it was about five years ago when we first approached one of the players of super wide flatbed printers. This company was friendly enough and listened to what we had to say but apparently did not entertain the possibility of taking on a second supplier for its UV lamps. I guess what kept us off guard was that they never came out and actually stated that. It is our practice to approach the OEM first before we offer any product to the end users.

About one year ago, a customer of ours asked us to take a look at a lamp that he uses in his flatbed printer. We had helped him in the past with the UV lamps he uses in his dryers and he was tired of paying over $900.00 per lamp for this new digital printer. After initial inspection of the running sample he sent us, I was aghast to learn that the OEM would play “hard liquor bar” with their consumables. Little did I know however, the OEM was getting raped also. I have since confirmed that the machine manufacturer is paying a European company over $400.00 for this UV lamp. Now this is probably the worst case scenario but, in all cases that I have investigated, the prices for these UV lamps was, and continues to be, more than double what it should be. For that reason I have to say, “the digital industry is having a field day with your pocketbooks.”

SGIA recently was held in Atlanta. As usual, we had our 10 x 10 single booth there, table all covered with a cross section of our product line. This was the first year that we displayed replacement UV lamps for flatbed printers. It would be safe to say that we generated a lot of interest. Even the company that we approached five years earlier paid us a visit or two. We informed them that since they were not interested in a second supplier, we are approaching the end users. Their response was, “Knock yourself out.” Their response was no surprise to us.

In closing, I would like to say the following: If you are a UV flatbed manufacturer, there are alternative suppliers for your UV lamps. If you are a user of a UV flatbed printer, and you think you are paying too much for your UV lamps, you are! There are competent UV lamp manufacturers here in America that will leave enough in your budget to pay for those hard liquor drinks at your company’s Christmas party.

Jon Dallons
President/CEO

Western Quartz Products Inc.