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title: Replacing Two Old Printers with One and Output Goes Up? Inside a Swiss Wide-Format Giant's Upgrade
lang: en
source: https://mindsprt.dev/en/knowledge/richnerstutz-wide-format-consolidation/
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# Replacing Two Old Printers with One and Output Goes Up? Inside a Swiss Wide-Format Giant's Upgrade

*Industry Insights · 4 min read · 2026-09-01*

> Swiss printer Richnerstutz scrapped two decade-old wide-format machines for a single new flagship.
This is more than a hardware swap. It is a full line overhaul factoring in power draw, labor hours, and substrate versatility.
How does the math actually work out?

**Quick answer:** The key to swapping two old machines for a single new one lies in using multi-substrate flexibility and low power consumption to offset the risk of line consolidation

## Why Cut Two Machines Down to One?

The wide-format game is no longer about raw machine counts or gang-run surface area. It comes down to whether a single machine can handle the toughest materials with minimal labor.

Swiss giant Richnerstutz, known for large-scale signage and advertising print, recently made an interesting move. They retired two ten-year-old wide-format printers and brought in just one swissQprint Kudu flatbed printer.

From my years troubleshooting production floors, most plant managers would immediately ask: 'What happens with rush orders? What if the machine goes down for annual maintenance and halts the entire line?'

The engineering reality is that decade-old gear eats up profits on small and mid-sized jobs simply through hidden standby and warm-up energy costs.

Richnerstutz calculated that the throughput of the new machine, paired with fast changeovers from Tip Switch vacuum technology, would easily match the output of both old units while slashing operating and power expenses.

Over the past few months, brand clients I work with have become much stricter about supplier carbon footprints. Switching to LED curing and TPO-free eco-inks has become table stakes for winning major international contracts.

## Holding the Line with One Machine: Winning High-Margin Jobs Through Substrate Versatility

When you consolidate the workload of two machines onto one, that single printer needs a wide operating range.

Large-format print clients used to care only about print size. The rules of the game have shifted. Brand clients now demand spot-on color accuracy on specialty substrates.

The new machine handles boards up to 4 meters long in a single pass with no tiling required, saving massive effort on high-end exhibition setups.

Even more important is the integration of specialty finishing.

Press operator Enzo Massaro pointed out that the new unit applies spot varnish (effect varnish) inline. You no longer have to haul printed boards over to a separate screen press or coater.

Fewer steps mean lower scrap rates.

If your facility is facing aging equipment, talk with the [Mai Strategy Knowledge Academy consulting team](https://mindsprt.dev) to audit your current order mix and see if high-margin specialty jobs are being blocked by blind spots in your old setup.

## Stability Is the Real Throughput on the Shop Floor

Spec-sheet speed is not real capacity. Being able to fire up every morning and print accurately without recalibration is what gives small and mid-sized shops the confidence to take on rush jobs.

A senior technician at Richnerstutz noted that what gives them peace of mind with the new unit is that "the quality is identical every single day."

That might sound routine, but anyone who has run a press knows that when weather shifts or a new batch of media arrives, older machines can burn an hour just on head alignment, registration tweaks, and drying checks.

When you cut two lines down to one, your margin for error shrinks. Consistent color performance and equipment uptime directly determine how many rush jobs you can handle.

If you do not have the budget for a new flagship like the Kudu right now, but still want to run variable data or quick-turn jobs, retrofitting an existing line with a digital inkjet printbar offers a budget-friendly alternative.

There is no single formula for plant layout, everything comes down to calculating based on your order profiles. For high-end commercial print outsourcing and proofing, you can also reach out to [MINDS](https://www.mindscmyk.com/) to discuss the best techniques and material pairings.

## Key Takeaways

・Capacity is not about machine count, but rather single-machine substrate versatility and process integration.

・Hidden energy draw and maintenance costs on decade-old machines can often cover the investment in a new flagship unit.

・Printing seamless 4-meter boards with inline spot varnish is the ticket to landing high-end exhibition work.

・Consistent day-to-day output quality protects rush turnaround times far better than rated top print speeds.

## Food for Thought

For small and mid-sized commercial printers, the Richnerstutz case busts a common myth: expanding capacity does not mean buying more machines.

Under the twin pressures of labor shortages and green procurement, a lean-and-mean equipment strategy is the clear way forward.

The next move is to open your job tickets from the past six months and calculate your old machine's standby power, scrap rate, and the jobs turned down due to poor media handling. Use those three numbers to set your replacement timeline.

## Further Reading

・[Richnerstutz Replaces Two Wide-Format Printers with One Machine](https://www.print.de/allgemein/richnerstutz-ersetzt-zwei-grossformatdrucker-durch-eine-maschine/)

## FAQ

### What are the benefits of upgrading a wide-format printer besides speed?

The biggest upside usually comes from substrate versatility and environmental compliance. Newer models feature LED curing and TPO-free eco-friendly inks, which cut power consumption while printing on a much wider range of specialty media.

### Will replacing two older machines with one new unit hurt the ability to handle rush jobs?

Not if changeovers on the new machine are fast (such as with dedicated vacuum zones) and daily startup quality remains steady without lengthy adjustments. In practice, actual shop floor throughput and flexibility improve.

### What if there is no budget for brand-new wide-format equipment?

If the goal is simply adding variable data or localized inkjet capabilities, consider retrofitting an existing line with a digital inkjet printbar. This extends the working life of older gear with much lower capital expense.


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