Diagraph's Blog

Increase contract packaging productivity by minimizing equipment interventions

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:49:14 GMT

Marking and coding equipment should help contract packagers improve productivity. Diagraph accomplishes this by keeping equipment intervention requirements for our product identification equipment to a minimum.

We design and manufacture coding and labeling equipment to last longer
We are focused on operator and maintenance team product training
We partner with customers to develop a proactive game plan that keeps their coding and labeling equipment well utilized and appropriately upgrade

Designing Coding and Labeling Equipment to Last

Diagraph’s coding and labeling equipment runs cleaner for longer between required interventions and withstands wear and tear, increasing its useful life. This leads to greater equipment uptime and a stronger return on investment over the life of Diagraph equipment.

The number of steps required for routine interventions as well as the length of time between those interventions is minimized. Product capabilities like automatic printhead cleanings help keep inkjet coders operating with optimal print quality for longer. Examining consumable replenishment practices and centralizing ink refills or providing a quick turn label stock webbing approach makes required interventions quicker and hassle-free.

Finally, quality materials and thoughtful engineering matter when it comes to the longevity of your equipment. Diagraph’s focus on impact resistant designs – whether it be an inkjet coder or a labeler – ensures long-term product reliability.

Setting People Up for Success

After making sure your product coding equipment is properly matched to your application and contract packaging environment, it is essential to make sure your line operators and maintenance staff know how to properly handle and maintain your equipment.

Diagraph’s equipment is designed to have fewer touchpoints to enable hassle-free installation, training and maintenance. These easy access touchpoints minimize the amount of time required and eliminate the need to access the entire system to perform maintenance or changeovers.

Because contract packagers regularly deal with worker turnover challenges, routine training to keep workers knowledgeable and able to be good stewards of your equipment is critical. We offer refresher-level training opportunities with each scheduled service visit from a Diagraph field service engineer. In addition, in-depth training is offered on location or at the Diagraph training facility in St. Charles, Missouri.

Partnering to Develop a Game Plan

Our most successful customers partner with us to regularly evaluate and maintain their coding and labeling equipment. We perform routine equipment assessments, provide regularly scheduled service and develop long-term equipment upgrade plans.

Equipment is kept running longer and the need for unplanned interventions is reduced by staying ahead of wear-caused failures and by properly maintaining equipment. As with all things electro-mechanical, equipment performance will eventually impact production throughputs. We help you navigate the useful life of your equipment to determine when to repair and maintain a system and when to upgrade and benefit from performance and feature enhancements.

By working closely together, our account teams can help you develop a multi-year plan that provides measurable cost savings opportunities due to system efficiency gains and consumable usage optimization. These strategic audits also help customers strategically sequence system upgrades of their older technologies to avoid the sticker shock created if your product identification equipment fails at the same time.

Our goal is to always to make it easy for our customers to make the perfect mark. Find the right product for your application by completing this short assessment.

Call us today at 800.722.1125 to learn more about how Diagraph partners with manufacturers to achieve product identification and packaging compliance success.

How to Pick the Best Product Identification Solution

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 16:31:12 GMT

Step one of a manufacturer’s game plan for packaging compliance is to understand your manufacturing code and print application requirements, in order to pick the product identification solution that is best for your needs.

Print Message Requirements

What kind of information needs to be included in your print message? In many cases, especially in food and beverage, consumer-readable information must be included for buyers to determine freshness. In other instances, government and global regulatory agencies have set the requirements for manufacturers to adhere to. In order to meet packaging compliance, manufacturers may need specific product information, manufacturing codes, and barcode information, including:

Product Information
- Product Name
- Product Description
- Quantity/Counts
- Ingredients
- Nutrition Facts Panel
Manufacturing codes
- Batch Code
- Lot Code
- Line Code
- Operator Code
- Date Code – Manufactured On or Expiration Date
Barcode requirements
- EAN/UPC
- 1D
- 2D
- GS1-128
- GTIN-14
- ITF-14
- Other available barcode formats

Once specific print requirements and message placement are determined, manufacturers should also consider their application specifications. What type of packaging substrate does a manufacturer’s product or products use? What other processes in your material handling are occurring to take into consideration? And what kind of line speeds are they trying to achieve?

Application Requirements

It will be important to understand which criteria your application falls under for a marking and coding partner to best match you with a solution that will deliver your desired results.

Packaging Level
- Primary Packaging
- Secondary Retail Ready Packaging
- Case Level Packaging
- Pallet Level Labeling
Product Packaging Substrate
- Glass
- Metal
- Plastic
- Paperboard
- Cardboard
- Shrink wrap
- Other
Integration
- Form fill and seal machines
- Traversing equipment
- Case sealing
- Case gluing
Line Speed and Product Throughput
- How many feet per minute or products per minute do you hope to achieve?
- Under 500 fpm or over 1,000 fpm?
Environment
- Cold or refrigerated facilities
- Hot, humid processing plant
- Dusty environment with debris and other small particles around the conveyor line

After determining the print requirements and application specifications, manufacturers can look at the available product identification solutions and select a technology that is right-sized for their material handling set-up.

Available Product Identification Solutions

A full portfolio range of product identification solutions are available to manufacturers including:

The tables below show how each type of product coding technology is suited to fill specific manufacturer print and application requirements.

In order to achieve packaging compliance, it’s necessary to pick the best marking and coding technology for the product in question. By taking the time to understand print message and application requirements, manufacturers can begin to compare compatible product identification methods and equipment.

Picking the best product identification solution is one step in a multi-step process to achieve packaging compliance. After the information has been applied to your product, message validation is the next step.

Message Validation

Ensuring manufacturing codes are printed on products is not enough by itself to achieve packaging compliance. The codes need to be validated to make sure they are present, accurate, and scannable.

There have been many advancements in product identification and machine visioning technology that have enabled manufacturers to automate the monitoring of real-time print quality. Scanners and vision systems are common components added to the production line postprint to inspect and report any illegible codes or incorrect stock.

Levels of Message Validation

Level 1: Present - Confirm a print occurred on the product without any indication of accuracy
Level 2: Accurate - Confirm a print occurred and it correctly matches the data requested by the printer
Level 3: Scannable - Confirmation that a print occurred, it correctly matches the data requested by the printer and is a scannable, readable mark

Manufacturers know their requirements best, and working with a partner that offers a portfolio of all types of product coding technology will give you a fair assessment of the best solution for your needs. It’s also wise to choose someone who can provide support beyond installation for maintenance and servicing as age and wear and tear occur on your equipment. A reliable partner will also provide training for your maintenance staff should you choose to be as self-sufficient as possible.

However, there are still more steps to ensure manufacturers achieve packaging compliance.

Learn more about the other key considerations Diagraph recommends for guaranteeing packaging compliance:

Discover which Diagraph solution is right for your application by completing our short technology assessment. Click here to complete the assessment.

Key Considerations for Assessing Coding Equipment Uptime

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 01:46:25 GMT

System uptime is the average length of time a piece of equipment runs between interventions are required to keep it operating smoothly. When comparing system uptime when assessing coding equipment, it is important to look at several factors including:

How long a coder can run between consumable replenishment
How long it takes to refresh or restock the coder’s consumable
How long a coder can run between preventive maintenance service intervals

To understand system uptime better, let’s take a closer look at each of these key areas:

Length of time between consumable replenishment

Consumable replenishment is the most common and necessary interaction with any given piece of coding equipment. The amount of time a system can go between consumable replenishment, like adding more ink to an inkjet coder, replacing ribbon stock in a thermal transfer printer, or replacing labeling stock on a labeler largely depends on the capacity of the individual piece of coding equipment. There are additional factors to consider when assessing consumable replenishment.

For inkjet coders, it is important to understand how long a printer can run after the bottle or cartridge of ink has run out of fluids. Does the system provide an advanced notice warning giving a countdown to when the coder will be truly empty? Does it provide enough of a warning that allows for fluids to be replenished at ideal production times like before and after shift changes? Can the fluids be replaced while the system is actively coding?

For thermal transfer printers, ribbon capacity as well as total ribbon usage are important to maximizing the length of time between replacing ribbon stock. For ribbon capacity, look at the maximum size of the ribbon roll for your chosen ribbon type. To maximize ribbon usage, look for thermal transfer printers that offer ribbon saving features that utilize as much surface area of the ribbon before advancing it for ribbon waste collection.

Streamlining consumable replenishment

Although replenish consumables is unavoidable for the most common types of coding equipment, the very act of replacing or replenishing a bottle of ink or solvent, a roll of ribbon, or a roll of label stock can be made easier and less time consuming for system operators.

Inkjet coders tend to be the easiest type of coding equipment when it comes to consumable replenishment since most inkjet coders can keep running while being refilled. Look for inkjet coders that offer mess free, mistake free refill options like needle and septum systems that prevent leakage and dripping when swapping fluid bottles. This is ideal compared to inkjet coders that require fluid bottles to be manually poured into the system. Another factor to consider is how many touches or actions are required to complete the fluid refill process. Look for systems that provide one-touch fluid refill options as well as variations in shapes and sizes between ink and solvent bottles to simplify the process as much as possible while preventing the wrong fluids from going in the wrong compartments.

Due to the nature of thermal transfer printing, the printer will become temporarily unavailable for coding while ribbon stock needs to be replaced. Look for thermal transfer printers that have an easy-to-web design as well as easy to remove and replace ribbon cassettes. Investing in an additional ribbon cassette that can be loaded and ready to go when ribbon is low minimizes downtime on thermal transfer printers as much as possible.

Like thermal transfer printers, automated labelers also become temporarily available for use when label stock needs to be replaced. Look for an automated labeling system that has an easy label webbing design to make it easy to unload spent stock and load a fresh roll. Manufacturers with high production commands benefit from having alternate labeling machines available. When one machine signals that its label stock is low, the other starts applying labels so that the low system can be replaced. This virtually eliminates downtime with automated labelers.

Preventive Maintenance Service Intervals

Although consumable replenishment is required more frequently than maintenance, preventive maintenance procedures take more time to complete and often require the coding equipment to be completely unavailable for printing while being serviced. Not all coding systems are created equal. Service intervals are usually stated in the amount of system hours that can pass before preventive maintenance is required. Things like ink type, manufacturing environment, and overall wear and tear caused by the application can impact recommended system intervals.

For inkjet coders, look for systems that can run as long as a year or more before maintenance is required. Better yet, look for systems that provide advanced warnings about upcoming maintenance so that you can schedule interventions around your production schedule. Another factor to consider is how easy or complicated it is to perform maintenance. Look for systems that have self-contained service modules that can be easily swapped out without the need for a service engineer. Systems that have screen-guided instructions for service interventions tend to be the easiest to use.

For thermal transfer printers, take a look at preventive maintenance requirements that are recommended by the manufacturer. How many parts require replacement? How long does the manufacturer state it will take to perform maintenance? How easy is it to access parts that need to be replaced? These are all important questions to ask when evaluating thermal transfer printers.

When it comes to automated labeling systems, all-electric systems allow you to replace wear parts while relying on pre-programmed settings to get the labeler operating as quickly as possible. Pneumatically operated labeling systems require extensive adjustments after replacing wear parts, making maintenance interventions anything but fast. Also look for labeling systems that offer screen-guided instructions for quick and simple service interventions. Another advantage of all-electric labeling systems over pneumatic is that electric options allow for a gentler application of the label to the substrate. This cuts down on overall wear and tear, allowing the system to go for longer between maintenance intervals.

If you have any questions about how to calculate the uptime of your current coding equipment compared to new coding equipment technology, we are here to help. Contact a Diagraph product identification expert today by calling 1.800.722.1125 or contacting us through our website.

How to Reduce Marking Mistakes and Ensure Proper Code Adhesion

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:09:21 GMT

What does your company do when products are marked with the wrong product identification codes? Scrap? Rework? Mismarked and mislabeled products can create big hits to the bottom line. When encountering marking mistakes with regularity, companies can find it difficult to keep profit margins under control. What’s worse is if mismarked or mislabeled products make it out to market, manufacturers can face penalties from retailers and the risk of product recalls.

There are several factors to consider when trying to reduce marking mistakes:

Coding Technology

The first step to reducing marking mistakes is picking the right coding technology for both your application and your manufacturing environment. When choosing a technology, some factors to consider include:

Packaging design and material
Code contrast requirements
Content of print message or label format
Proficiency of available labor
Production throughput and cost requirements

Available coding technologies include inkjet coders, labelers,thermal transfer printers, and laser coders. Each of these technologies have their merits and should be considered carefully with the help of experts familiar with the advantages and disadvantages. Success will be realized when the best technology is chosen for your unique situation.

Ink, Label, Ribbon Match

Choosing the right technology often comes down to identifying the best possible combination of cost-per-mark and mark adhesion quality. There are numerous inks, label stock types, and ribbon formulations that can help you achieve a durable, lasting code on your product.

If you are marking onto a particularly tricky surface or operating your equipment in a hotter or cooler than average environment, you will want to run code adhesion tests and even demo the full solution for a period of time to ensure that code adhesion is strong once a mark is applied to your product packaging. A quality supplier will be able to run print samples and set you up with trials of their equipment.

Material Handling Before Product Coding

Although choosing the right equipment and matching it with the right ink, label or ribbon is important, an often-overlooked aspect of achieving code compliance is material handling. Heavy vibrations in your production line and skewed products that are not presenting well to the coding technology can impact the overall quality of your mark.

Reviewing your material handling practices and making recommendations for the best use of your equipment is vital to achieving high quality marks on your products.

Verification and Validation

You can take your coding and labeling operation a step closer to guaranteed compliance by adopting a product verification or validation step after the mark has been applied to your product. There are several levels of verification that ensure that a mark:

has been successfully applied to the product
matches the mark that you requested be printed
is completely readable

Verification and validation require the use of scanners or vision systems as well as connectivity to your coding equipment and product databases.

Material Handling After Verification

When incorporating a verification or validation step into your coding and labeling operation, you will need some form of reactive material handling after verification takes place if a printed mark is considered to be illegible. When manufacturers encounter poor code quality, a signal can be triggered to stop the production line altogether to correct what is causing the poor print or a reject and redirect action can take place to separate the questionable product from the rest of production. If too many poor quality codes are encountered, production can be stopped to allow for a remedy.

Having issues with achieving packaging compliance and encountering too many marking mistakes? At Diagraph, we can help you quantify the true cost hitting your bottom line and will work with you to develop a game plan to minimize errors and ensure proper code adhesion.

Call us today at 800.722.1125 to learn more about how Diagraph partners with manufacturers to achieve product identification and packaging compliance success.

Is a Product Identification Site Audit Right for Your Facility?

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:03:22 GMT

If you haven’t had a top-to-bottom review of your coding and labeling operations within the past 5 to 10 years, you are probably overdue for a comprehensive product identification site audit. Technological advancements have allowed for manufacturers to achieve greater efficiencies and accuracy with their product coding efforts for all levels of packaging – from primary products all the way to pallet level labeling.

Diagraph can take the guess work out of coding and labeling operational best practices by offering free comprehensive site audits. We make a series of recommendations that span anywhere from making modifications to current equipment or practices for enhanced productivity to the complete retooling of your product identification operation to help you achieve your production and packaging compliance goals.

Our site audits include a close review of the following key areas:

Productivity and condition of existing equipment
- Is your equipment performing to its fullest capacity?
- Is your equipment a proper match for your product coding application/goals?
- Are there any modifications or maintenance actions that can be taken to achieve full-productivity?
- How much remaining useful life is estimated for each piece of equipment?
Proficiency of machine operators
- Are there any bottlenecks or workarounds regularly encountered by your team?
- Are there system features that are not being utilized that could improve efficiencies?
- Could your production team benefit from higher-level user training?
Maintenance team strategy
- Are your preventive maintenance intervals ideal for your manufacturing environment?
- Do you have everything you need to quickly overcome unexpected downtime?
- Could your maintenance team benefit from higher-level equipment maintenance training?

After reviewing these key areas and other aspects of your packaging compliance requirements, we provide a site audit report with simple recommendations that you can implement immediately as well as bigger picture recommendations that can be implemented overtime with planning and support. At Diagraph, our goal is to make it easy for our customers to achieve the perfect mark on their products. Regular site audits and account reviews are just one of the ways we work in partnership with our customers.

Call us today at 800.722.1125 to learn more about how Diagraph partners with manufacturers to achieve product identification and packaging compliance success.

Marking 125 Years in Business with Special Customer Savings at PACK EXPO International

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 15:23:26 GMT

2018 marks Diagraph’s 125^th anniversary in business and we’re inviting the industry to celebrate this momentous occasion with us at PACK EXPO International in Chicago. Diagraph is exhibiting at booth N-5721 with our full line-up of product solutions including small character inkjet, high-resolution inkjet case coders, all-electric labelers and thermal transfer overprinters. Come visit us and discover our new initiatives designed to make product identification easy for our customers. The show begins in Chicago on Sunday, October 14 and runs through Wednesday, October 17.

Visitors to have their badges scanned in the Diagraph booth will be eligible to take advantage of our exclusive show specials that run through the duration of 2018. Don't miss out on our best promotions of the year!

Linx 8900 Series Bundle Package

Buy a Linx 8900 Series small character continuous inkjet printer at more than 30% off and receive a free photocell and trolley stand. Over $4,000 in savings!

Why the Linx 8900 Series small character inkjet?

The hermetically sealed stainless steel printhead runs clean for up to 100 starts and stops
Self-service design with an all-in-one service module and guided on-screen instructions
Perfect for building a spare printer inventory with the longest extended shutdown interval in the industry

Double Your Print Area Deal

Get an Diagraph IJ768E ACS high resolution inkjet printhead for the price of the Diagraph IJ384E 2” printhead and double your available print height to accommodate larger, more complex case coding messages. Plus, when you purchase one day of installation and training, you’ll receive an extra day of installation and training at no charge.

Why the IJ768E high-resolution inkjet printheads?

Rugged design, stainless steel orifice plate protects electronics and printheads from shock, vibration and chemical contaminants
Repairable printheads last up to 10 years in the field
Double the available print area to accommodate larger, more complex messages

“All In” Labeling Deal

Buy any standard fullprint and apply labeler or tamp label applicator system and get all recommended accessories, installation and training for free.

Why the PA6000 print and apply labeler or LA4750 label applicator?

Auto-retract sensors recognize any variations in product height
Gentle tamp labeling onto each product limits the wear and tear of the actuator arm
Label present sensors tell the actuator arm to tamp gently onto each product only when label is fed from the roll, meaning no rework from missing labels
Comes with 3 recommended sensors, warning tower, adjustable T-base stand, discrete I/O

TTO Combo Deal

Buy one thermal transfer printer (excluding the MLi) and get a spare printhead and ribbon starter pack for free.

Why take advantage of this deal for your NGT Series or Allen XL5000 purchase?

Spare printhead for peace of mind
Complimentary ribbon to substrate matching service to build the starter ribbon pack for each system (6 rolls, must be formula we stock so a compatible match to all substrates is not guaranteed)

These offers are exclusive to visitors to the Diagraph booth N-5721 in PACK EXPO Chicago that have their badges scanned! Whether you are in need of an upgrade to your coding and labeling operations or looking to begin automating, this is a great opportunity to level-up your operational efficiencies for a great value.

Haven't registered to attend Pack Expo International yet? You can follow this link and use the 32K59 comp code to get free registration on Diagraph.

What is the Diagraph Uptime Advantage?

Thu, 24 May 2018 21:28:49 GMT

As a key component in our Diagraph Solution Center model, the Diagraph Uptime Advantage focuses on delivering more uptime through our products with minimal intervention requirements. We believe that our coding and labeling solutions should be the least of your worries. This is why our equipment solutions are built to withstand the toughest of manufacturing environments and consistently produce high quality marks – print after print after print.

Our product solution portfolio is built around the principles of reliability and ease of use:

Inkjet Coding

Whether you need entry-level thermal inkjet, high speed continuous inkjet, or high resolution, large format printing, we have a wide variety of inkjet coding solutions that are designed to be low maintenance, user friendly, and offer superior longevity.

Labeling

Because the most common cause of issues with pressure sensitive automated labeling technology is linked back to pneumatic plant air, we have fully embraced an all-electric automated labeling platform that is designed with servo-controlled label dispensing technology and smart sensing controls to achieve precise label placement at high speeds. You get all of the performance without any of the hassle.

Thermal Transfer Printing

Diagraph’s thermal transfer printing solutions offer not only the highest resolution mark on web- and foil-based product packaging, but also the widest print area range, offering ideal solutions for printing simple product codes all the way to complex messages like ingredient panels and ingredient lists.

Laser Coding

Using CO₂ and fiber lasers, we can offer an eco-friendly and consumable free option to create permanent traceability codes on packaged goods. Laser coding is an excellent low maintenance option for manufacturers that are implementing anti-counterfeit measures or need a discrete code.

At Diagraph, we will help you formulate the ideal coding and labeling solution for your unique manufacturing environment, code durability requirements, and staff capabilities. This is just one of the many ways we partner with customers to deliver tangible value throughout a long-term relationship. How much time and money can you save by taking a new approach to your coding and labeling operations? Let’s find out together.

Learn more about the other three components of the Diagraph Solution Center:

Are You Ready to Automate Date Coding on Your Ready-to-Eat Products?

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:18:24 GMT

Fast-paced lifestyles of the working class and a growing number of Millennials demanding on-the-go options are two contributing factors to the rise in the ready-to-eat (RTE) prepared foods market with a projected CAGR of 7.2% between 2016-2026. (Source: Ready-to-Eat Food Market: Meat/Poultry Segment Expected to Dominate Market from 2016 to 2026: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026)

What exactly classifies a product as RTE? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a ready-to-eat product is defined as “animal or plant derived food that is cooked, frozen, washed, cooked for hot holding, cooled, and processed to be consumed directly or after heating.”

Packaging for RTE food products can come in many forms or in a variety of materials including aluminum foils, extruded polyethylene, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and cellophane. These types of materials offer versatility for keeping food shelf-stable, while utilizing less shelf space and materials than traditional tin cans and many allow for cooking food directly within the package for eating or serving. A common RTE package used for microwaveable soups, sauces, rice and pasta dishes are stand-up pouches. This flexible packaging format is also commonly seen in prepared baby foods, juices, yogurts and wet pet foods.

These newly designed packages raise questions on how to properly make required expiration and identification marks. Consider the following factors:

Packaging substrate – Most common RTE meal packaging is made up of non-porous plastics or foils, meaning your mark either requires ink or ribbon that will adhere to non-porous surfaces for a permanent mark solution
Branding – Consumers value freshness, portion control, and perceived health benefits of these RTE products meaning new creative packaging innovations are necessary to stand out on the shelves. This requires finesse from the manufacturer or packager in strategically placing freshness dates in locations on the product that are easily visible by consumers and maintain permanency without compromising the integrity of the brand packaging
Integration – If your product is packaged via a vertical or horizontal form fill and seal machine, consider marking and coding printers that will most easily integrate into that process to still achieve demanding throughput goals

If you’re a food manufacturer focused on the ready-to-eat meal or snack market, it is critical to have the right partner in place to assist with marking and coding solutions that won’t disrupt your operation. According to the study Ready-to-Eat Food Market, the North American RTE market is forecasted to be valued at $78.73 billion. (Source: Ready-to-Eat Food Market: Meat/Poultry Segment Expected to Dominate Market from 2016 to 2026: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026)

Our experts are ready to speak with you about how our thermal transfer overprinters or continuous inkjet systems can meet your product identification needs.

Sneak Peek at Diagraph's PACK EXPO Las Vegas Show Specials

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 13:25:46 GMT

Packaging and processing professionals from across the country will be in Las Vegas in September for PACK EXPO 2017 – and we hope that you’ll be one of them! Diagraph’s team will be at the show in Booth C-4010 showcasing our line-up of coding and labeling systems from continuous inkjet to all-electric labeling to thermal transfer overprinters and more. Stop by and we’ll show you why you can rely on the superior uptime performance of our printers so you can focus on what matters most to you – your product.

As an added value, those who visit Diagraph's PACK EXPO Booth C-4010 and have their badges scanned will be eligible to take advantage of our exclusive show specials that will run through the duration of 2017.

CIJ Linx 8900 | Best In Uptime Reliability

BUY ONE, GET ONE HALF OFF: Buy any Linx 8900 Series printer and get the second for half off!

The hermetically sealed stainless steel printhead runs clean for up to 100 starts and stops
Perfect for building a spare printer inventory with the longest extended shutdown interval in the industry

High-Resolution Large Character Inkjet | Industry's Longest-Lasting Printhead

DOUBLE YOUR PRINT AREA: Get an IJ768E 4" printhead for the price of the IJ384E 2" printhead.

Rugged design, stainless steel orifice plate protects electronics and printheads from shock, vibration and chemical contaminants
Repairable printheads last up to 10 years in the field
Double the available print area to accommodate larger, more complex messages

All-Electric Labeling | Most Intelligent Labelers

"ALL-IN" LABELING DEAL: Buy any standard full printer/applicator or standard tamp label/applicator system and get all recommended accessories and training for free.

Auto-retract sensors recognize any variations in product height
Gentle tamp labeling onto each product limits the wear and tear of the actuator arm
Label present sensors tell the actuator arm to tamp gently onto each product only when label is fed from the roll, meaning no rework from missing labels
Comes with 3 recommended sensors, warning tower, adjustable T-base stand, discrete I/O

Thermal Transfer Overprinters | Simplest Multi-Lane Integration

TTO COMBO DEAL: Buy one thermal transfer system (excluding the MLi) and get a spare printhead and ribbon starter pack for FREE.

Spare printhead for peace of mind
Complimentary ribbon to substrate matching service to build the starter ribbon pack for each system (6 rolls, must be formula we stock so a compatible match to all substrates is not guaranteed)

These offers are exclusive to visitors to the Diagraph booth C-4010 in PACK EXPO Las Vegas that have their badges scanned! You don’t want to miss out on these deals to upgrade your coding and labeling operations to more reliable, durable systems. Or, if you’re just starting out, this is a great opportunity to begin automating your coding operations.

We’ll see you in Vegas September 25-27!

How Traversing CIJ and TTO Technology Solutions are Impacting Your Bottom Line

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 13:34:03 GMT

If you’re a manufacturer integrating traversing CIJ and thermal transfer overprinters in your form, fill and seal machines, consumables contribute to your total cost of ownership in a major way. You may identify with some of the following common pain points related to coding onto flow packs, plastic sleeves and sachets, and it is crucial to your profitability to find a solution for overcoming these issues:

Wasted ink or ribbon - Often multiple inkjet heads or TTO machines are used in traversing technology to achieve multiple lanes of print. Without close monitoring of the ink or ribbon marking agent across the multiple machines, you run the risk of product with missing prints when a single head runs out. As a workaround to printheads running out of ink or ribbon at different times, line operators often replace every machine’s ink or ribbon at the same time – wasting a significant amount of ink or ribbon in the process.
Frequent wear and tear on printheads in traversing technology - Printheads are a commonly overlooked expense. In traversing technologies, the back and forth movement wears down the printheads and connecting parts and require high frequencies of replacing – exponentially adding to the total cost of the machine over its lifetime.
Mess from inks and solvents - Traversing single CIJ printers require special chemical training due to the use of inks and solvents – creating opportunities for ink and solvent exposure to production environment when it comes time to replace the fluids.

There are alternatives available to you to avoid these common pitfalls in multi-lane coding operations. Look for these two features in your system to minimize parts, fluids and ribbon costs in the long run:

1) A single consumable – To avoid the mess and additional training, specifically evaluate options using a single roll of ribbon for all of the print heads.

2) Ribbon saving mechanisms – Once you have evaluated a multi-lane coder with ribbon instead of ink, ask about ribbon saving mechanisms. Industry-leading applications ensure minimum gaps between prints and can result in up to a 50% reduction in ribbon waste.

Are you in the process of evaluating multi-lane printing and coding technologies to meet your unique form fill and seal machine requirements? Download our free Hidden Costs of Multi-Lane Printing guide.

The Hidden Costs of Multi-Lane Printing Whitepaper

Choosing Stick Pack or Sachet Equipment to Integrate with Your Multi-Lane Printer

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 19:13:00 GMT

For sachet or stick pack packaging, the Allen MLi-TE multi-lane thermal transfer printer is a top solution for coding individual expiration dates or lot codes upstream. Multiple lanes can print quickly and simultaneously, utilizing one ribbon to avoid multiple consumables running out at various, unsynchronized times. The Allen MLi’s configurable design requires only one controller and one consumable for up to 12-lanes of print, greatly simplifying packaging machine maintenance and reducing downtime.

Once your packet is coded, sachet or stick pack packaging requires a specialized system to form the packaging receptacle, fill the product into the packet, and seal the ends to secure the product for transport. These systems are known as FFS - form, fill, and seal machines - and they come in two different varieties: (1) Vertical (VFFS) and (2) Horizontal (HFFS). Vertical uses gravity to aide in the filling process, where horizontal is generally high speed by using mechanical methods for filling.

Today we’re doing a Q&A with an expert stick pack OEM, Viking Masek, to cover the key points to evaluate when selecting stick pack equipment to integrate with a marking and coding solution like the Allen MLi-TE.

What are some popular industries for stick packaging?

Stick pack machines are perfect for packaging a wide variety of powder, granular, and liquid products. Powder products can be dense, fine, loose, and particulate materials. Liquids can be substances of differing viscosities including water-like fluids, gels, and pastes.

Stick packaging is very popular in many industries, especially with powdered drink mixes, liquid and powder pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, and granular ingredients like sugar. Contract packagers in the medical and dietary supplement industries also highly favor stick packaging equipment.

How can stick packaging increase my bottom line?

Single serve and controlled dosage packaging is very popular with todays’ consumers, spanning across many generational demographic groups. Millennials and young professionals love stick packs because they are portable, convenient, and fit unobtrusively into their busy lives. The aging population uses stick packs because they are lightweight and often feature easy-open options like tear notches, making it easier for those with limited dexterity to handle and use the product. Moms and dads are attracted to stick packs because they can easily feed their children with a single, easy to open, controlled serving size package that requires little clean up and virtually no utensils.

Which multi-lane stick packaging equipment is best for my application?

When it comes to selecting the proper stick packaging equipment for your unique product, there are experts available to guide you every step of the way. However, there are a few major considerations they will take into account when recommending machinery. These include:

Desired stick width and length (usually expressed in mm)
Product description and properties
Desired packaging speeds (bags per minute, hour, shift, etc.)
Desired convenience options (tear notches, pour spouts, etc.)
Packaging equipment budget (entry level or top of the line)

What are some of the available customizations for stick packaging machines?

All stick pack machines can utilize the following product fillers:

Liquid Fillers (for liquid, gel, and paste type products)
Auger Fillers (must be used for powders and dusty products)
Volumetric Fillers (for free-flowing non-dusty powders like sugar)
Tablet and Pill Counters (for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries)

Stick pack machines can be built to accommodate different stick widths (most popular are 23 mm and 35 mm), convenient designs including pour spouts and specialty die-cut shapes, and can also feature easy-open options like tear notches and micro-perforations. Available with IQ/OQ pharma construction, stick packaging machinery is a great solution for pharmaceutical packaging.

Often stick pack clients desire to print expiration dates or lot codes on their stick packaging. There are many multi-lane printing options available, including Diagraph’s new Allen MLi-TE multi-lane thermal transfer printer.

How do I get started with multi-lane stick packaging equipment?

First, do your research. This can be done via the internet, on the phone, or in person through your professional and personal networks. Attend industry trade shows and strive to see available equipment in person. When you’ve narrowed down your packaging OEM choices and are looking for more details in the form of a proposal, prepare by defining key points the equipment manufacturer will need so to provide the most accurate configuration for your specific needs. The key items that must be defined differ from powder to liquid products.

Remember that with most capital purchases, and especially when it comes to a piece of equipment you will rely on for a vital part of your production process, you often get what you pay for. Consider not only the initial purchase price of the piece of machinery, but total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO will include costs for things like training, maintenance and parts, installation, and tax implications.

About Viking Masek

Located in Southeast Wisconsin, Viking Masek manufactures, sells, and services flexible packaging machinery for food and non-food industries worldwide. Our focus on packaging innovation and investments in both technology and people makes us uniquely poised to take on unique packaging equipment projects, both large and small. Have questions about flexible packaging? Contact us today for a free Packaging Equipment Consultation.

How do you Print on a Sachet or Stickpack?

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 20:46:35 GMT

How do you Print on a Sachet or Stickpack?

By Steve Dods, Automated Labeling Products (ALP) & Thermal Transfer Overprinter (TTO) Products Manager

Sachets are packets or sealed pouches that contain liquids, gels, or powders and typically sealed on four (4) sides. Stickpacks are tube-like packaging that is sealed on two ends with a continuous seam side. These convenient packaging methods are highly utilized in the food and beverage additive markets, but can be seen in pharmaceutical as well as cosmetic industries.

This packaging type requires a specialized system to form the packaging receptacle, fill the product into the packet, and seal the ends to secure the product for transport. These systems are known as FFS, Form, Fill, and Seal machines, and they come in two different varieties. Once is Vertical, or VFFS, and the other is Horizontal, or HFFS. Vertical uses gravity to aide in the filling process, where horizontal is generally high speed by using mechanical methods for filling.

Since sachets and stick packs can be sold individually, there can be the need to print information about expiration date and lot code onto the individual products. Since it is far less accurate to accomplish this task once they are filled, due to irregularities in shape and placement control, it is done "upstream". Upstream of the fill process is where the film or web is unwound from a large roll. This is the best location to mark and code the product - before it is individualized in the process. There are many ways to accomplish this type of date / lot / id coding, but there is one that stands out amongst the rest.

In marking the products in the web matrix, there are several "lanes" of product on the master web. That means higher fill rates by handling multiple products in each indexing move through the process. A typical number of adjacent products is 5 or 6, but some are as few as 4 or as high as 12. In rare instances, lanes numbers exceeding 12 have been realized. Due to these high number of prints required at each indexing interval, traditional methods of marking are usually ruled out.

Of the possible marking methods, there are a few that have been used in practice. One is to brute force out the marking process by using multiple ink jet print heads. This is somewhat difficult to manage, as there is a requirement for non-porous ink to mark the web, which tends to have issues with the short decap time and fast dry times that can clog or require higher maintenance. Most objections from OEM FFS manufacturers and end users is the mess and chemicals in close proximity to dispensing foods and powders.

Another method is to use TTO (Thermal Transfer Overprinting) to traverse across the web to mark an indelible print using a clean ribbon method. This works, but the throughput rates suffer due to the time it takes to sweep laterally across the web each time. On the same idea, there are traversing ink jet solutions as well. They again suffer from the points above, and additionally add the time component for the sweep across the web.

The best method that eliminates the weaknesses of the aforementioned methods is the multi-lane intermittent (MLi) TTO system. The MLi incorporates a plurality of print heads to match the number of lanes requiring print. It utilizes one ribbon, to avoid multiple consumables running out at various, unsynchronized times. It is able to print very quickly, since each head can print simultaneously, each covering an area up 100 mm (across the web) x 52 mm (in the direction of web movement). Systems like these may have a slightly higher upfront price, but more than make up for it in much higher uptime and ease of use. Maintenance is fair less, and it requires little skill to perform daily operation functions, since loading a ribbon is straight forward.

Diagraph, An ITW Company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of marking, coding and labeling systems and supplies, and has been in the product identification industry for over 120 years. Diagraph’s products include all-electric printer applicator labeling systems, LINX continuous ink jet and laser coders, large character ink jet printing systems and thermal transfer overprinting systems. For more information, call 800-722-1125, send emails to info@diagraph.com or visit diagraph.com.

Analog Hot Stamp Printing vs. Digital Thermal Transfer Printing

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 21:50:29 GMT

Many marking and coding equipment sellers espouse the virtues of thermal transfer overprinters (TTO) over the capabilities of hot stamp coders. As a manufacturer of both thermal transfer and hot stamp technologies, we are here to tell you that there is room for both. The truth is that each technology excels for very different reasons.

Hot stamp printers consistently provide quality prints at very high speeds. These machines are nearly all mechanical, making service and maintenance easy and straightforward. It is very hard to break a hot stamp machine and even harder to run out of options when it comes to fixing it. Because hot stamp printers require manual adjustments in order to change print codes, they are more ideal for applications with only occasional changes to the print message. These machines tend to be low cost and more durable than TTO.

Don’t be fooled by sellers who try to tell you that hot stamps have drastically lower ribbon capacities. We have seen hot stamp ribbon capacities reported as low as 300’, yet our bestselling hot stamp – the Norwood K Series – accommodates rolls as large as 1500’. Unlike TTO technology, hot stamps perform well in both hard and flexible materials. Many of our hot stamp customers specifically choose hot stamp technology for the indelible, engraved mark it leaves behind on rigid and semi-rigid products and materials which serves as a second quality check. TTO isn’t compatible with rigid and semi-rigid substrates.

When it comes to printing graphics, linear and 2D barcodes and a variety of fonts onto flexible plastic, foil and paper labels, it is hard to beat the versatility of thermal transfer printers (TTO). These digitally driven print message machines can accommodate even the most complex of print messages. Our TTO technology features ribbon feed control capabilities and can accommodate both continuous and intermittent printing applications. TTO also provides more versatility in terms of the scalability of its print area. Our NGT TTO line up offers print areas as large as 8”x3.9” when used in intermittent mode or 8”x39” when operating in continuous mode.

Although TTO offers greater flexibility in terms of print areas and message creation, it does have its draw backs. Having fewer mechanical parts and more electronic components means that you will be replacing more parts over time rather than repairing them. Of course you have to weigh the bad aspects with the good. If you have a lot of short runs with frequent product and message changes, TTO is likely the best technology for you.

If you have any questions regarding hot stamp or TTO, feel free to reach out to one of our marking and coding experts here at Diagraph. We are happy to walk you through the best options to meet your specific application needs. Call 1-800-722-1125 to speak with an expert today!

Print directly onto flexible packaging

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 14:40:37 GMT

Print directly onto flexible packaging

The Norwood XL Series thermal transfer printers are ideal for emerging markets and manufacturers just getting started with variable printing. Design simplicity and robust construction help meet the requirements of industrial coding applications, different control unit options allow you to specify a use friendly handset or control the printer from your office via your PC and whether you need to print barcodes, text, or graphics the XL Series can meet those requirements.

Ease of use

· LCD User Interface: Interface offers the operator an intuitive user interface for simple message selection and variable field prompts with USB file transfer at the handset.

· Robust Ribbon Cassette: The removable ribbon cassette makes replenishment of consumables fast and simple. The ribbon path is illustrated for the operator and the system automatically adjusts tension. Features a unique Quick Release ribbon spindle for easy removal of ribbon regardless of the rewind tension.

Flexibility

· Operating Modes: The 53XL is capable of printing in intermittent applications with print areas up to 52mm (2.05") x 80mm (3.15").

· Print Performance: Proven engineering allows the 53XL80 to reach up to 250 prints per minute.

· Substrate Options: Capabilities of printing on stationary, indexing or continuous web or film products.

Contact us to learn more about the 53XL80. We will put you in touch with a Diagraph marking and coding expert located in your area.

Diagraph's Blog

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What are some popular industries for stick packaging?

How can stick packaging increase my bottom line?

Which multi-lane stick packaging equipment is best for my application?

What are some of the available customizations for stick packaging machines?

How do I get started with multi-lane stick packaging equipment?

About Viking Masek

How do you Print on a Sachet or Stickpack?

Analog Hot Stamp Printing vs. Digital Thermal Transfer Printing

Print directly onto flexible packaging