If you are looking for a industrial date code or batch code printer, . you may have a hard time deciding which printing technology is best for your product. By choosing the right printer, you can ensure that date and batch codes are seamlessly integrat into your production process. Here, you can learn more about the different options PrintSafe offers.
Continuous Inkjet Printing (CIJ)
Print samples
Continuous inkjet (CIJ) is a versatile technology suitable for printing date and batch codes in food, FMCG and other manufacturing industries. CIJ offers high print speeds, excellent print adhesion and long-term operational reliability. The wide range of standard, color and specialty inks allows printing on virtually any substrate and in demanding production environments. In addition to standard black and color inks, you can also print with thermochromic (color-changing) inks, sterilization-resistant inks, low-VOC inks, and even food-safe inks that come into direct contact with the product.
The date codes “message” and “label” can be easily set with pre-programme formats, customizable layouts, and automatic calculation of use by and best before dates. In addition, a flexible password protection system allows you to control user access and prevent unauthorize date code changes.
When coding in refrigerate environments, the alphabets continuous inkjet printer’s heat printhead minimizes the effect of temperature on ink and maintains consistent print quality. In addition, the IP65 rating ensures safe use in humid and dusty environments.
Thermal inkjet printers (TIJ)
Cartons print with βJET thermal inkjet
Thermal inkjet (TIJ) is a cartridge-base alternative to CIJ that enables high-resolution coding on food packaging, FMCG packaging and some manufacture goods. The wider range of inks allows printing on a variety of materials, including plastics, foils, films and metals.
The betaJET verso TIJ’s touchscreen menu system is similar to the alphaJET CIJ printer, offering flexibility in creating and storing date code information. Typically only one printhead is require to print date codes, but additional printheads can be use to print bar codes, QR codes and more detail product information.
Thermal inkjet printers
can be install on packaging machines such as conveyors. They are also the most popular printers for sleeve and carton coders, allowing accurate printing of dates, batches and bar codes on flat packages.
Thermal Transfer Overprint (TTO)
Thermal transfer printers are ideal for printing on flexible packaging and labels and are often integrate into flow wrappers. Printing with ribbon allows high resolution codes to be render in a bold way. The advantage of a thermal transfer printer is the large print area, which allows for more information to be print. In addition to error-free date codes, you can print bar codes, graphics and ingredient details.
A variety of ribbons are available to print different colors and adhere to difficult materials.
Our sleeve and carton supply machines are equipp with thermal transfer printers to print date codes, linear barcodes and QR codes on flat packages (sleeves, cartons and pouches).
Sleeve and carton coding
Sleeve and carton feeders (which can also feed flat packages such as pouches) can print date codes quickly and accurately away from the main production line. A major UK food manufacturer uses our carton feeder to print accurate date codes on cardboard sleeves for ready-to-eat foods and other products. The carton feeder can also be use to automate date coding, which is not yet automate.
Throughput depends on the size of the package, but can code approximately 150-200 packages per minute, ensuring reliable and accurate printing.
The udaFORMAXX sleeve/carton feeder is designe to accommodate multiple printers, printer and vision systems, and label applicators. Some manufacturers use separate machines in order to print date codes and apply labels in a single operation.
