Domino has completed the first UK installation of an A320i service free continuous ink jet printer, the latest addition to its A-series range, at Croda in Hull.
Croda – a leading global manufacturer of natural based ingredients for markets including personal care, health care, polymer additives and lubricants – installed the A320i as part of its ongoing transition to operating fully automated packaging lines.
Incorporating Domino’s new i-Tech ‘intelligent Technology’, the A320i is capable of printing up to four lines of code, text, automatic serial and batch numbering, and real-time clocks using 90% less system ink and 50% less solvent than previous models.
With its range of smart technologies, Croda says the A320i offered everything the company required in terms of delivering tangible OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and environmental benefits, while fulfilling its need to deliver reliable and variable coding within its existing packaging line.
“The installation went extremely smoothly and the A320i is already proving to be the perfect solution to our needs,” says Ian Savill, technical engineering manager at Croda’s Hull site.
“It is so easy to use – there are no complicated shutdown sequences to follow and it also has the added benefit of self cleaning, which is every operator’s dream.
“In addition, thanks to the capabilities of the A320i to change batch codes simply and quickly, we now have two production lines feeding into the one packaging line, which has further increased our processing efficiency.”
Croda’s decision to invest in the A320i follows a longer term relationship with Domino and its global-leading A-Series printers which dates back to 2006, when Croda began to move towards fully automated packaging processes.
Reliability, quality of output, ease of use and seamless integration of Croda’s first A-Series printer were said to be instrumental in the decision to invest in an A320i.
“A key element of our evaluation and selection process was the feedback we had from our packaging line operators and technicians, all of whom highlighted the quality output, ease of use and reliability of Domino’s A-Series coder,” says Savill.
“Domino’s A320i not only saves us a considerable amount of time, it has also delivered cost savings without any compromise on quality and reliability.”
Founded in 1978, Domino has a global reputation for the development and manufacture of coding, marking and printing technologies. The Domino Group (Domino Printing Sciences plc) has manufacturing facilities situated in China, Germany, India, Sweden, UK and USA, and in 2010/11 achieved a turnover of £314.1 million.
Domino's A320i printer at Croda, Hull
