Cutting/finishing on a duplo, morgana etc.. when is it economic?

[BigSi]

Has anyone out there

ever done any number crunching to see at what point it makes economic sense to buy a duplo/morgana​

to finish b/cards/dl cards etc..? (rather than on a guillotine). Even with a good secondhand one at about 20k I don't think the numbers​

would add up for me, Not with my volume, At what point does it make sense?. I realize every one is different, (different wage rates, different skill levels with your guillotine operator etc..)

My feeling is that it does not really make sense in little old NZ (volumes to small).​

But I could be wrong ​

ta Simon​

 

[tngcas]

This is the method I use to decide this:
I calculate the value of labor at $30/hr - which is about what an employee would cost me (labor, training, drama etc). My personal time is worth more than that of course but you have to pick some number and that's the number I use.

If I think the machine will pay for itself in a year then it might be worth it, if it takes longer than 1 year to pay for itself - I don't think it's worth it.

For this one the math works out like this:
$20k / 30 = 667/hrs divided by 260 working days a year means the machine would have to save you at least 2.5 hours of cutting time a day every day. Keeping in mind that these machines aren't set and walk away either (there is still some time invested running it) and that with any automated piece of equipment you're going to have more waste than you do handcutting because when the machine messes up you have to reprint a sheet or two.

If you aren't already spending at least that much time a day cutting then it's not worth it.

Lastly,
Since, you are an admittedly smaller shop you may want to factor your time higher because if you're the one personally doing all the cutting then you have an opportunity cost loss here as well. Which is to say that the time you're spending cutting is time you could be spending printing, billing, marketing or doing other things (spending time with family) which changes the value of the time saved.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

Lastly,
Since, you are an admittedly smaller shop you may want to factor your time higher because if you're the one personally doing all the cutting then you have an opportunity cost loss here as well. Which is to say that the time you're spending cutting is time you could be spending printing, billing, marketing or doing other things (spending time with family) which changes the value of the time saved.

Quoted for truth. If you are also a fast turn shop you need to consider that as well.

 

[SoggyWinter]

There are business card cutters for under $10k US that may suite your needs if you don't need perfing or creasing functionality.

 

[tngcas]

There are business card cutters for under $10k US that may suite your needs if you don't need perfing or creasing functionality.

I've had trouble finding decent reviews of these options. We have one of the first Aerocut's they made it works for a lot of things but I hate how it does the business cards. They do not come out consistent, I wish we'd gotten a duplo. If anyone has a strictly full bleed business card cutter that works awesome for them I'd love to know what brand/model.

 

[gsbatch]

If you are just concerned with cutting a programmable cutter is faster.

 

[BigSi]

Thanks guys! all very useful information. Thanks Cassie! yes I agree at 20k purchase price not worth it., but 10K ?.
I would love to know where you can get a quality B/card/DL cutter (with optical registration) for around 10k us. Not Chinese. (Would need parts/support in New Zealand) this rules out most brands.
ta Simon