There is no uniform scale for all coating equipment. Hardware acquisition costs (CAPEX) are only part of the total cost of ownership; 3–5 year OPEX may also include power, compressed air, spare parts, consumables, planned maintenance, breakdown repairs, labor, downtime losses, cleaning, color change, waste disposal and software services. For equipment with low energy consumption, low maintenance, and single-shift operation, CAPEX may be relatively high; for systems with high gas consumption, high load, three-shift continuous operation, expensive spare parts, or high downtime loss, the OPEX in 3–5 years may approach or even exceed the initial procurement cost. Formal comparisons should use the same capacity, the same workpiece, and the same 3- or 5-year total cost of ownership (TCO) under the same quality objectives, rather than just comparing equipment quotations.
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