Why Inkjet Coding Machines Are Essential for Modern Manufacturing

 

The modern manufacturing sector is rapidly changing, with efficiency, accuracy and product traceability remaining paramount qualities of the production process. In addition, businesses in any industry, from food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and electronics to all aspects of packaging, have turned to modern marking and coding technologies as a means of complying with regulatory requirements while still meeting production volume demands.

One of the most efficient methods of achieving these goals is to use an inkjet coding machine on a manufacturing line, as this type of equipment is crucial to combined efficiency in today’s factories. Inkjet coding technology offers a combination of speed and reliability that provides high-quality printing solutions for identifying products, batch coding, providing expiry dates, and printing barcodes and other important information on manufactured products and packaging. Not only do the features provided by inkjet coding machinery offer businesses superior capability, they also can greatly enhance overall productivity and enhance businesses’ ability to comply with government regulations.

What Are Inkjet Coding Machines?

Inkjet coding machines create ink, text, numbers, symbols and logos directly onto the product or packaging surface with an industrial-grade ink. The inkjet coding machine works by precisely spraying small droplets of ink onto the material as it moves through the manufacturing process. By using this method of printing, the printing process is efficient at high speeds and does not have to stop the flow of goods during manufacturing.

Inkjet coding printers can print on a variety of different materials, such as:

• Plastic

• Glass

• Metal

• Cardboard

• Paper

• Flexible Packaging

• Labels

With this type of flexibility, these machines are suitable for most manufacturing environments.

Why Manufacturers Use Inkjet Coding Machines

Due to the increasing need for product traceability by consumers and effective means for packaging products, inkjet marking machines have become an important asset in your company.

Inkjet marking machines offer significant advantages over traditional coding methods, such as:

Printing Speed

Manufacturers typically operate their production lines at very high speeds. Any delay in getting the product coded or marked creates a reduction in productivity and increased production costs.

Inkjet marking machines are designed to print at high speeds without affecting the rate of production on your production line.

They are able to keep up with the speed of your production lines and continue to deliver consistent production and workflow.

Print Quality

Print quality (meaning the quality of the print must be clear and readable) is an important factor for both consumer readability and compliance with regulatory agencies.

Inkjet print systems produce clean, clear prints that are easy to read, regardless of how small their print surface is, making it easier for you to print such things as:

Expiration Dates

- Lot Numbers

- Serial Numbers

- QR Codes

- Bar Codes

The reliability of your prints assists in preventing errors from occurring and provides assurance that the products produced by your company meet established industry standards.

Wide Range of Surfaces

Each manufacturing industry uses a different type of packaging material to package their products.

In addition, there are not enough different coding systems that would be effective for marking different varieties/packages of substrates.

However, one of the many strengths of inkjet marking machines is that they can mark on many different substrates.

Inkjet marking machines are capable of marking on all types of substrates, whether they are plastic bottles, metal cans, cardboard boxes, or flexible film packaging.

The Role of Inkjet Coding Machines in Product Traceability

Today, traceability is an essential aspect of manufacturing. It has become essential that consumers and regulating organisations expect companies to provide detailed information on their products to ensure not only the safety of a product but also the quality of a product and give the manufacturer the ability to manage recall processes. Inkjet coding equipment assists the manufacturer in achieving this goal by printing the required traceability information directly onto the product. Traceability information includes the following:

• Date of manufacture

• Date of expiration

• Batch number

• Production line number

• Tracking number

In the event of a product recall, traceability information enables the manufacturer to quickly determine the product's status and provide a reaction in a timely manner. The overall protection of manufacturers and consumers creates a better environment for all parties.

Regulatory Compliance Support

Regulations regarding labelling and coding requirements apply to many industries.

Food producers must include a use-by date and lot number on their products. Pharmaceutical manufacturers have to have an accurate tracking number for every batch they produce. Failure to comply with these types of regulations can result in fines, product recalls and damage to your company's reputation.

Inkjet coding equipment provides a reliable and accurate method of coding products for compliance with industry regulations. Using inkjet coding technology means there is less chance that products will not include or contain inaccurate information about them.

Less Expensive Solutions For Manufacturing

Manufacturers are very concerned with efficiency and controlling costs.

Inkjet coding offers a very cost-effective solution for manufacturers with less waste, reduced downtime, and more productivity. Modern inkjet coding equipment has been engineered for low-cost maintenance and reduced ink consumption, providing a means of decreasing a company's operating costs over a long period.

Automated inkjet coding reduces the need to manually mark items, which can be time-consuming and more susceptible to error, increasing the speed and reliability of production processes.

Quick and Simple Integration into Manufacturing Processes

A further attraction of inkjet coders for many manufacturers is the ease with which they can be integrated into existing manufacturing process flow. Thus, once installed, the impact on manufacturing operations will be minimal. Due to their compact size, they can be accommodated on virtually every type of manufacturing configuration (both large and small).

In addition, most systems provide user-friendly programming interfaces that allow for straightforward and rapid adjustment of print settings.

This will provide manufacturers with maximum flexibility of production processes as their production demands change.

Determining Which Ink-Jet System Works Best for You

The best ink-jet coding system for your facility will be determined by a variety of criteria as outlined below:

Manufacturing Production Speed

Select a system that will operate at your manufacturing process speed.

Printing Type Required

Evaluate what type of print you will need, i.e., text, barcodes, graphics, and/or variable data.

Packaging Surface is an Important Factor.

Determine if a specific ink-jet system will print successfully on your packaging.

Maintenance Requirements

Select a system that has demonstrated performance reliability and ease of serviceability.

Regulatory Compliance

Ensure the ink-jet coder you use provides accurate and compliant ink-jet coding.

Evaluating all the above will ensure that your coding system is a soundly made investment for long-term success.

The Outlook for Inkjet Coding Machines

As production technology develops, the inkjet coding machine industry has also kept up with technological advancements.

The following eight innovations have enhanced the productivity, efficiency, and performance of inkjet printing:

- Increased automation

- Smart connectivity

- Real-time monitoring

- Better print precision

- More environmentally friendly ink solutions

The innovations listed above are allowing manufacturers to increase productivity while decreasing their environmental footprint.

Conclusion

In today’s competitive manufacturing marketplace, manufacturers must provide accuracy in their coding and traceability in their products. Inkjet coding machines will provide the speed, accuracy, flexibility, and reliability required by modern manufacturers.

Whether improving compliance and reducing waste or enhancing product tracking, these machines have an important place in nearly every industry. Manufacturers looking for a dependable coding solution should consider investing in advanced technology that will help improve production and long-term profitability.