Applications to investigate
- best-before and use-by dates
- batch and lot codes
- barcodes and variable data
- primary and secondary packs
Customer equipment selection guide
Coding and marking machines
Variable batch, date, barcode and traceability marking matched to substrate, contrast, speed and permanence.
Where this equipment or process fits
Variable batch, date, barcode and traceability marking matched to substrate, contrast, speed and permanence. The product name alone is not enough to select machinery: viscosity, particles, foam, temperature, aeration, chemical compatibility and pack tolerance can change the correct solution.
Issues to challenge in a trial
- substrate colour and surface energy
- print distance
- consumables
- verification and reject handling
Configurations to compare
| Configuration | Selection note |
|---|---|
| thermal inkjet printer | Confirm the final specification using the real product, pack, output and cleaning method. |
| continuous inkjet coder | Confirm the final specification using the real product, pack, output and cleaning method. |
| thermal transfer overprinter | Confirm the final specification using the real product, pack, output and cleaning method. |
| laser marking system | Confirm the final specification using the real product, pack, output and cleaning method. |
Build the specification around sustained production
Record the complete dose range, product condition at the point of filling, container and closure drawings, real samples, intended labels, target output and every planned recipe or pack change. State whether output is a maximum instantaneous speed or a sustained sellable rate after refilling, minor stops, rejects and operator intervention.
Review the full process rather than the filler in isolation. Container preparation, feeding, dosing, filling, capping or sealing, labelling, coding, inspection, reject handling, conveying, accumulation and secondary packaging can each become the bottleneck. The layout also needs guards, maintenance access, cleaning access, utilities, raw-material movement and finished-goods movement.
Use representative samples and measurable acceptance criteria
A useful machinery trial challenges the difficult edges of the requirement: minimum and maximum dose, warmest and coldest product, largest expected particles, highest foam risk and packs from more than one supplier batch. Record settings, output, accuracy or presentation results, cleaning observations and open points. Those results should feed into a written factory acceptance test.
Common questions
What applications should be considered for coding and marking machines?
The strongest starting applications include best-before and use-by dates, batch and lot codes, barcodes and variable data and primary and secondary packs. The final choice still depends on a representative product and pack trial.
What information is needed to specify coding and marking machines?
Provide product behaviour at the real filling temperature, minimum and maximum dose, target sustained output, container and closure samples, cleaning method, utilities and available space.
What should be tested before equipment is ordered?
Test substrate colour and surface energy, print distance, consumables and verification and reject handling, together with achievable output, repeatability, changeover and cleaning.
Should the complete packaging line be reviewed?
Yes. Container preparation, filling, closing, labelling, coding, inspection, reject handling and accumulation need to work as one balanced process.
Can the equipment be expanded later?
Often it can, but future container formats, nozzle pitch, conveyor height, controls, guarding and upstream or downstream automation should be considered during the first specification.