Time for a revolution

20 November 2006



Sales of inkjet printers in Western Europe have levelled off. It's time for some fresh thinking. The companies that can provide inkjet coders that rarely appear on a production manager's radar are the ones that will continue to thrive in this industry. Rod Abbott reports


The first continuous inkjet printers comprised a box full of wiring, pipes and connectors and resembled something uncomfortably like a rat's nest put together by a DIY enthusiast. Today, they emulate the sophistication of a PC and a few specialists are actively engaged in a battle for mastery of the market.

Head redesign brought about change of flight geometry of fluids. The way the plates sit have also been developed to provide a more robust, better quality printhead. More recently, the fight has been directed towards producing smaller, lighter and yet more robust products at the most competitive price. The buyer, as ever, wants more for less and so continuous inkjet (CIJ) manufacturers have had to take a fresh look at the marketplace.

In today's market for inkjet printers there is a marked shift in customer expectation. No longer can inkjet technology be promoted merely on the basis of high speeds, clear coding and ease of integration. These things are now a “given”, and the market must deliver more - the demand now is for maximum uptime. The emphasis for the future is on delivering absolute reliability, low-cost of ownership and service.

“What the market wants is fewer gimmicky bells and whistles, fewer problems to sort out and increased productivity,” says Videojet sales manager Tom Hawkins. “It's time for revolution not evolution in coding! The companies that can provide inkjet coders that rarely appear on a production manager's radar are the ones that will continue to thrive.

“Although the UK inkjet market is said to be static I don't believe we will see a significant downturn. There will always be a place for inkjet coding and most of the applications that could, or should, migrate to laser have already done so, although as that technology becomes cheaper and smarter some will continue the move across.

“Inkjet is cost-effective and easy to install for small or start-up companies and, for many food, beverage and consumer packaged goods applications, remains the default coding technology.

“Environmental and recycling issues - not to mention cost - mean that, although the amount of unnecessary packaging may be reduced, there is still a consumer and legislative demand for traceability information on goods. The latest advances in 'green' ink technologies are also helping the industry find new markets, which would once have been restricted by the use of solvent-based chemicals.”

UK sales manager for Domino Printing Sciences Nick Horne says retailers and EU legislators have had the greatest influence on recent inkjet technology, pressing hard for the development of track and traceability from field to fork.

“Even so in jet technology is far more reliable, easier to use, easier to integrate, and more economic to buy and run than it was five years ago and this is the avenue that manufacturers will continue to travel down for the foreseeable future.”

Linx senior product manager Charles Randon is also positive about the future of inkjet:

“I am convinced retail demands and EU legislation demanding more traceability data at the primary packaging level will give the market a much needed injection, although the limited amount of space available on the average pack will increase the need for machine readable coding,” he says.

“Other challenges facing the industry will be those associated with high-speed production lines since the print speed is relative to good definition and amount of data when delivering inkjet inks. Indeed, as technology stands at present, lines may be forced to code at slower speeds to print more data.

“High definition multi-jet technologies may provide the solution but, currently these can only be used on porous surfaces unless in association with UV curable inks, and are not as cost-efficient. Laser can get over the increased data problem but is not always suitable for the application.”

The PPMA 2006 show, staged at Birmingham's NEC recently, provided an opportune platform for the sector to bring packaging users up-to-date, demonstrate its current wares and convince the market it still has much to offer.

Videojet has responded to market changes by launching eight new products this year, including the 1310 inkjet coder, specifically designed for an absolute minimum of operator intervention. It features automatic self-cleaning and is said to need no specialist operator training.

In addition, Videojet has just launched a new dual nozzle coder specifically designed for niche markets including high speed bottling lines and pharmaceutical applications. Its dual nozzle design allows it to either print twice as fast as other inkjet coders or print double the amount of information at the same speed.

Domino Printing Sciences rolled out its new C-Series plus range, an extension to the company's outer case coders, ancillaries and software. The C-Series plus range, which includes the C1000+, C3000+ and C6000+ variants, delivers standard alphanumeric coding solutions up to a full case decorating suite for enhanced, complex late stage coding. Customers will also benefit from the recently launched multi-head base - a high-capacity, cost effective ink system for multiple printer applications.

The C-Series plus range offers an open systems approach, allowing manufacturers to integrate the printer into existing IT infrastructures while ensuring data security for the printed information. Based on a combination of OPC servers and Windows drivers, the new integrated software suite enables non-proprietary message creation and downloads.

Furthermore, due to new database connectivity features and message retrieve capabilities, print data can easily be integrated from a single external or central data source, reducing the burden of complicated data management.

Linx decided to focus visitor attention on its established 4900 coder, which operates at up to 6.25metres/sec. Its stainless steel enclosure is IP55-rated and the sealed printhead incorporates a valve system for clearer, cleaner start-ups, even after extended shutdowns. It offers a clear, simple user interface with WYSIWYG message display and ink and solvent refilling is reputed to be mistake-proof and mess-free.

New to Linx is 1075, an alcohol- and chemical-resistant black ink suitable for packaging items that contain alcohol like spirits, perfumes, deodorant, de-icer, and cleaning fluids or electronic components commonly cleaned with alcohol. The ink is said to adhere strongly to a number of packaging materials, including glass and most plastics.

Compatibility with Linx's smallest printhead, the Mk 7 MICRO, is said to enable a high quality finish even where particularly small or discreet codes are required. “Its fast drying properties enable its use on high-speed bottling lines, whilst its strong light-fastness delivers long-term code clarity without fading,” comments ink product executive Kate O'Mahony.

Using “drop on demand” valve technology, Imaje's 4020 inkjet large character printer replaces the Crayon X-tra. It features intuitive icons with local language menus for quick navigation. The wide-screen backlit graphic display and real-time status indicators with printhead detection and low ink level are said to add to the user-friendliness.

The 4020 can control up to four print heads, with individual printing parameters for each. Printing speeds of up to 90m/min can be achieved and, with a variable print height from 8-64mm, together with top, bottom and side positioning, flexibility is further enhanced.

The coder can be connected to a network by two high-speed RS232 ports and an Ethernet port. A selection of inks is available to enable the 4020 to print onto porous, semi-porous and non-porous substrates, while the 30-litre ink barrel ensures maximum operational time.

Meanwhile the Imaje 9040 replaces the S8 range of printers. It is available with one or two printheads, single jet or bi-jet with three different print head resolutions - 71dpi, 115dpi and 178dpi.

Capable of printing up to eight lines of text (dual head, bi-jet), the 9040 can achieve print speeds of up to 5.5m/sec with a character height ranging from 0.7-18.2mm.

There is an IP65 option, a high-speed version (9040S) - developed to meet the specific needs of the beverage industry - and the 9040 Contrast for use with pigmented inks, enabling high quality contrast printing on dark substrates.

According to Markem, conventional inkjet has its drawbacks, particularly in the level of maintenance required. “Its reliance on solvents raises issues of materials storage, waste disposal and the inevitable health and safety concerns,” insists Markem Systems marketing manager Mike Whiteoak. “Consideration has to be given to specialist extraction or a high level of general ventilation in the production area.”

Consequently, Markem continues to opt for thermal plastic ink technology in a jetting format. For real-time coding the drive to digital was inexorable so, when Touch Dry jet technology was introduced, “the coders were snapped up by food packers, attracted by the cleanliness and print quality”.

With Touch Dry jet, the “ink” is a thermoplastic block, solid and clean to handle in its ambient form. It is heated on demand to the viscosity needed for jetting, drying on contact with the substrate. A growing range of inks to meet applications in rigid plastics, flexible films, low temperature applications and food complements the latest Markem 9064 coders.

Touch Dry jet technology has also been scaled up to large character coding of shipping cases. Here, the “ink” feeds up to four separate printheads so that the Markem 5000 series coders can print full product details, barcodes and high quality graphics onto corrugated and other substrates.

So is Touch Dry better than traditional inkjet? “Yes and no,” says Whiteoak. “Inkjet can cope with an unlimited range of applications, whereas with Touch Dry some applications will always be out of reach. Touch Dry jet does offer a real alternative to manufacturers wanting high print quality, non-contact coding, which is mess and hazard-free.”

Already said to be highly successful in the US, the Sure Code 5000 is now being launched in the UK by the Lawtons Group through its Xact Industrial and Xact Prepack packaging and marking divisions.

Manufactured by Graphic Controls LLC, the Sure Code is a high resolution, piezo technology-based, inkjet marking system. The compact unit provides “consistently high quality barcodes which meet the strictest standards of readability and verification”, says the company.

By combining a densely pigmented ink and the 500 individually addressed jets of the Xaar XJ500 print engine with Windows-based software, it is said to deliver “exceptional print quality over a wide range of substrates, especially on uneven, porous surfaces such as recycled corrugated board”.

The system provides 180dpi resolution vertically at speeds of over 33.8metres/min, delivering up to 130m2 of print an hour. Four colours can be printed per printhead, with no discontinuity between colours, while its portability allows it to be easily moved between production lines.

Meanwhile Kelly's Ice Cream has recently installed a Codeology P100 Print and Apply system at its site in Bodmin, Cornwall in the UK. Kelly's criteria for a supplier was that it could provide a high quality, reliable and robust print and apply system which could integrate alongside its current equipment. “In simple terms the customer wanted a fit and forget machine and to have full confidence that its barcodes would meet or exceed industry standards,” says Codeology.

Sally Pope of Kelly's Ice Cream states: "When looking for a second print and apply system for a new line we were installing earlier this year we were impressed by the Codeology P100 primarily on grounds of its stainless steel construction, but also its price and dimensions. The machine was delivered and commissioned on the dates requested. Very comprehensive training was given to our employees. The Barcode printing exceeds current industry standards... I would recommend Codeology and we are looking at the purchase of another P100 later in the year."

The P100 has been designed and built from stainless steel specifically for high volume outer case labelling applications. Incorporating a very small footprint, it can be supplied either on its own stand or incorporated with a Codeology flatbed conveyor to enable installation even in restricted space with only 700mm width required.

The barcode specification is achieved using the Datamax "A"-Class industrial print engine, which is able to print either direct thermal or thermal transfer labels from 50mm x 50mm to 110mm x 300mm, at speeds of up to 35m/min, with both side or side-and-end application.


Domino's C-Series plus multi-head base ink system is designed for ... Domino's C-Series plus multi-head base ink system is designed for ...
The Markem 5000 series coders can print full product details, ... The Markem 5000 series coders can print full product details, ...
Imaje's 4020 inkjet large character can control up to four ... Imaje's 4020 inkjet large character can control up to four ...
Sure Code is a high resolution, piezo technology-based, inkjet marking ... Sure Code is a high resolution, piezo technology-based, inkjet marking ...
The Codeology P100 has been designed and built from stainless ... The Codeology P100 has been designed and built from stainless ...
Examples of inkjet coding using Videojet's 1310 ink jet printer ... Examples of inkjet coding using Videojet's 1310 ink jet printer ...
Linx's 1075 black ink is said to adhere strongly to ... Linx's 1075 black ink is said to adhere strongly to ...


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