Given the recent increase in patent infringement lawsuits, UTec says its products offer distributors a “peace of mind”.
According to the company, all of its products are covered by a $10 million product liability insurance. The products are tracked throughout their lifecycle to assure they “remain safe and compliant with regional regulations”.
All of UTec’s products come from Print-Rite, which the firm explains is why UTec customers can have “such confidence”. It says that most aftermarket suppliers source their products from several vendors so it is difficult to determine where the products originated and what materials were used in manufacturing.
UTec said: “Often, companies that once manufactured their own third-party consumables, long ago shuttered their plants and now outsource to any number of suppliers.
“These companies have little to no input into product development and lack even the most basic understanding of what goes into the products they are selling. Frequently, these firms are focused exclusively on delivering cheap finished products.”
Ngo said: “Before any UTec product hits the market, we put safeguards in place to make certain our cartridges and other digital imaging supplies will comply with all product safety regulations in the regions where they will be sold as well as provide performance that is second to none.”
Ngo warns that distributors need to be mindful of where they source their cartridges. She added: “Buyers always need to beware. Do their suppliers have internal controls set up to ensure product safety? Do they control the materials they are using? Are the suppliers well versed in regional regulations and can they guarantee their products are compliant? And if the worse does happen, do they provide product liability insurance?
“Rather than just look at price, buyers need to investigate all of these areas. If they get caught violating a hazardous materials regulation, it will cost them dearly. The cost of the suit will be great, not to mention the cost of the product recall.”
In May last year, UTec and Print-Rite reported that Print-Rite became the first printer consumables company in the world to achieve independent third party QC080000 certification.