The market determines the demand, and the demand determines the product. At present, very clear market information shows that: in the financial (bank card) +ID card (ID card, driver's license, passport, senior membership card, etc.) and other markets, desktop instant card issuing equipment have broad application prospects.
From the perspective of application scenarios, the application scenarios of ID card and passport are relatively simple, mainly for business offices. The application scenarios of bank cards can be divided into: factory + card issuing center + counter + self-service terminal. The reason why factories and card issuers need desktop instant card issuers is that it is becoming more common for them to personalize their cards (such as co-issuing cards in small batches and multiple styles), and desktop instant card issuers can adapt to such flexible needs. This is a great challenge for large card issuing equipment, and it is necessary to achieve the "multi-single" function.
For customers, "instant card issuance" will significantly improve the customer's consumption experience. Traditional card issuance process is cumbersome, need to fill in the application form, submit information, waiting for audit business card printing, often take several days or even weeks. Instant card issuance allows customers to get the card in a short time after application, and can be used immediately to meet urgent needs of the card, such as sudden shopping needs or emergency payment scenarios. When you get the card on the spot, you can immediately set a password, etc., and directly consume, instead of waiting for activation after receiving the card as with traditional card issuance. Customers get the card immediately after application, and have a clearer understanding and control of the entire process, unlike the traditional way of waiting for uncertainty, not knowing when to get the card, thus improving customer satisfaction and trust in the service.
In terms of printing technology, DOD (black and white/color) + laser printing has become the mainstream process of desktop instant card issuing equipment, and the letterpress process and other printing processes (thermal transfer, etc.) will be eliminated or marginalized.
In terms of printing efficiency, DOD (on-demand inkjet) only jets ink when it is needed to print, avoiding the ink waste and nozzle blockage problems of continuous inkjet technology, and can achieve higher printing speeds. Laser printing technology has fast imaging speed and can quickly output a large number of cards, especially when processing multiple card printing tasks, which can significantly improve the efficiency of card issuance.
In terms of print quality, DOD technology can precisely control the size and position of ink droplets to achieve high-resolution printing, which can clearly present information such as complex patterns, text and bar codes. Laser printing technology uses laser beam scanning imaging, printed text and image edges are clear, sharp lines, high resolution, whether black and white or color printing, can ensure better visual effects.
In terms of flexibility, DOD+ laser printing can flexibly design and modify the content of the card through computer software, and can quickly adapt to different customer needs, such as personalized card information and changeable pattern design. And the equipment can be compatible with a variety of card materials and sizes, a wide range of applications.
Relatively speaking, the embosser process has high cost, long cycle, and requirements for paper thickness and toughness, and is not suitable for card materials that are too thin or too brittle. At the same time, the convex and concave character process can only achieve a simple three-dimensional effect, can not present rich colors and complex patterns, in the case of the increasing personalized demand, it is difficult to meet the diversified needs of the card.
The thermal transfer process also has the problem of high plate cost, and there may be color deviation and positioning deviation in the transfer process. The pattern after transfer feels hard, has poor permeability, and is prone to crack or fall off after washing or long-term use, and the firmness is poor. In addition, thermal transfer has certain requirements for substrate materials, such as thermal sublimation transfer is usually only applicable to polyester fabrics, limiting its application in different materials of cards.
This will bring about a wide range of equipment additions and replacement needs in the industry, and the demand for instant card issuance and customization (such as small-batch multi-style joint card issuance) will become increasingly strong in the market for a longer period of time.
