Need a batch coding machine for your production line but don’t know where to start? You have come to the right place! It can be overwhelming to understand the host of different batch coding machines available, but as experts in this industry, Industrial printer Services Ltd is here to guide you in the right direction.
Having the best batch coding machine for your product and substrate is important to ensure your products can move efficiently through your production line. But without a lot of research, it can be time-consuming to identify which batch coders are best for your circumstances.
Not only that, but different industries also require batch coding machines that can apply coding and data to a huge variety of products and packaging types. As well as this, the factory environment and production line speeds also need to be taken into consideration, as they will determine the best batch coding machines for your situation.
In this feature, we’ll identify all the printing technology available, and how these can be used within different industries and products. You can then have a better understanding of the technology available and make better-informed decisions when looking to purchase batch coding machines.
Read on to discover more…
From a manufacturing perspective batch coding is the process of marking a product with an identifying code usually made up of letters and numbers. The batch number or batch code is used to identify the product, and for traceability purposes, so you can trace a set of identical products that share certain characteristics. These include the production time, date, production line, and other identification codes.
Batch coding is crucial for traceability and allows the product to be traced from production, processing, distribution and onto the end consumer in the event of a product recall. This is important in protecting end customers, and complying with legal regulations.
If you work in the food industry including the dairy industry, egg industry, confectionery industry, the beverage industry in drink production, pharmaceutical or cosmetics industries, or the chemicals, cables and pipes industries batch coding is a key part of the manufacturing process.
As an example, if you are at the supermarket and buy 3 packets of crisps that are the same brand, same quantity, and the same ingredients, and are manufactured on different days, or have come off different production lines, they will certainly have different batch codes. All this helps with product recalls but remember the bigger the batch the more costly the product recall will be.
If you have used a manual batch coding machine, you’ll know that they are operated by hand and only really suitable for small production runs. These include batch coding solutions such as sticker roller coding machines, hot stamps, and ink pads. They will be used for small range of products, and each code will be manually applied by hand, meaning that it is a slow process.
These coding solutions will apply codes automatically but are called semi-automatic batch coding solutions as they do not integrate with automatic supply lines. So, what does this mean for you? It’ll mean that you must manually feed the product through the coding machine, and then collect it by hand after the batch code is applied.
This is the fastest option as automatic batch coding machines mark each product as they run along the production line, and no operator intervention is required. After the batch coder has been set up on a production line with the required code, product feeding and printing is all done automatically until a new batch code is needed. This solution is ideal for high volume production.
Whether you choose to go manual, semi-automatic, or automatic with your batch coding machines they can be divided into two further options – contact and non-contact. So, what does this mean? Depending on your industry, substrate, and type of product that you are coding will have an impact on which type you choose.
As per the name, contact batch coding machines will come into direct physical contact with the surface of the product or packaging that is being coded. Examples of these batch coding solutions include thermal transfer printers such as the Markem-Imaje SmartDate X45 and traditional rubber or metal stamps.
Moving onto non-contact batch coding machines; they are the opposite of contact coding machines and do not physically touch the product's surface when codes are being applied. They use laser and ink sprays to apply the batch code and are ideal for batch coding products that need the batch code changing often. Examples of non-batch coding machines include thermal inkjet printers such as the Markem-Imaje 1200 series printer and continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers such as the Markem 9330.
Ask us about a 2-week free trial of the Markem 9330 here.
When deciding on a batch coding machine it’s also important to consider how you want to handle your batch code information. There are various options from manual data entry to full coding automation.
At the basic level, there is manual data entry, whereby data can be entered directly onto a batch coding machine for printing onto the product or packaging. For example, a warehouse worker would enter data onto the label design, and the machine would print the inputted details onto the product. It’s easy to see that in this case coding errors due to mistakes with data entry are common.
Another option is to use a semi-automated or full automated data control software, where batch coders can automatically populate a label or code template based on certain information. The software would then translate the data into a final code for printing. A more advanced solution would be to fully integrate the software into your supply system to create batch numbers based on product data and automatically populate the label software.
CoLOS software from Markem-Imaje increases production efficiency while reducing coding- and printing-related waste. It also protects your brand by ensuring coding integrity and making recalls easier to execute.
Live and historical production reports are available to give enhanced visibility and insights into your coding and printing performance, quality and compliance.
You can run CoLOS from your office, shop floor or server room. Connectivity to printers, production devices and company data sources is established over Ethernet. And, a user management system ensures employees access the CoLOS interfaces most appropriate to their role and location, from desktop, tablet and mobile devices. CoLOS works within your cybersecurity environment and has various backup options.
CoLOS is also modular so you can also scale it to fit your exact needs.
The best technology will depend on your own unique circumstances including the working environment, the product and the packaging is printed on.
Here is an overview of each of the technologies we can supply and which industries and environments they are most effective in:
The 9000 Series coders are designed for demanding manufacturing environments, general-purpose as well as very specific applications like high contrast and high performance marking. They are used in numerous industries including food, beverage, cosmetics, toiletries, electrical equipment, electronics, cables, tubes and profiles.
They are designed to print on all types of substrates from standard to specific applications (food grade, sterilization, UV cure, egg coding, etc.); with alcohol-based, water-based, ketone-free and MEK-free inks available, and in a wide range of colours.
Markem-Imaje SmartDate series of thermal transfer printers are designed for medium-duty applications, deliver high-quality printing on flexible packaging films, foils and labels for continuous and intermittent operations, at the fastest print and acceleration/deceleration speeds. They include multiple ribbon saving features. They can be used with a wide range of approved high-quality thermal transfer ribbons for both flat and near edge printheads. They are great at printing onto flexible packagings like flow-wrappers, bags, tray seals, pouches, sachets, vacuum packs or labels. This makes them ideal product coding machines for the food industry.
The Markem-Imaje 1000 Series coders are designed for intermittent or low volume productions. They are also ideal for case coding in dusty, humid and corrosive environments, offering high-resolution codes at high speeds while being easy to use and easy to maintain. They use clean snap-in and -out cartridges and can also use bulk ink delivery modules to maximise uptime. They are ideal for the following industries; food, beverage, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, cosmetics. The 1000 series is perfect for printing onto porous and semi-porous corrugated boxes, trays, kraft bags and also OPP/PP flexible films.
The 7000 series SmartLase printers from Markem-Imaje are well suited for high-speed printing in large coding areas and tough production environments, especially those requiring multi-head scribing. They offer impeccable high contrast codes and are capable of covering coding and scoring applications simultaneously. They are perfect for coding on plastics, glass, foil, film, metal and cardboard. If you are in the food, beverage, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals industries then this could be a good option.
There is a lot to consider when determining the right product coding machine for your business. For more information on specific industries check out the industries we supply here.
If you would like further guidance, please feel free to contact us here and we’d be more than happy to discuss your individual requirements. We are here to guide you through the process of selecting the best solution for your batch coding situation.
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