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• Your Guide To Automating Your Pallet Labeling Process

  

  Download the full whitepaper, “Pallet Labeling: The Final Step In Your Production Tracking Process”

  The final step in your production process can often easily be overlooked. After rigorously completing all the upstream processing, packaging and coding processes, the final palletized product seems to be a small step before crossing the finish line. However, labeling at the pallet level is a crucial process for identifying palletized products being shipped to retailers.

  Imagine this: You’re completing a custom job for products specific to one regional retail chain. To differentiate the pallets for the custom job from your standard products, you plan on printing the identifying batch information on the license plate label and applying it to the outside of the shrink-wrapped pallet. When the time comes, your shipment is sent to the retailer only to discover that the products sent are not the custom printed containers they ordered. Now not only is your relationship with this retailer tarnished, but you are on the hook for reprinting all of their products at your own cost.

  This scenario might sound familiar if you’re still in the business of manually applying labels. Some level of human error is always a risk and it can be a costly one. Ensuring a consistent, accurate label on every pallet that leaves your facility doesn’t have to be a trying task. It is possible to guarantee proper label placement while also avoiding common safety issues often occurring from the entanglement of the labeler in the pallet shrink wrap.

  Our pallet labeling experts at Diagraph have complied a helpful guide for assessing automated pallet labelers for your production line. This guide steps through the main questions you should ask when evaluating your pallet labeling automation process and reviews the top areas of consideration you should work through before you make any kind of investment.

  Download the full whitepaper, “Pallet Labeling: The Final Step In Your Production Tracking Process”, here to learn more.

• Diagraph Marking and Coding is very pleased to announce the release of the latest generation Integrated Valve printhead, the IV9 Dot

  October 19, 2006

   

  Dear Valued Customer:

   

  Diagraph Marking and Coding is very pleased to announce the release of the latest generation Integrated Valve printhead, the IV9 Dot.  This product will be a direct replacement for several of Diagraph’s current Integrated Valve printheads.  The following table lists the direct replacements:

   

  New Printhead	Replaces….
  5770002P500 - ASSY,IV9DOT PRNT HD,1/2",POR	5700406 - PH,IV 1/2",POR
  	5701201 - PH,IV,1/2" POR,ENVIRONMENTAL
  5770002N500 - ASSY,IV9DOT PRNT HD,1/2",NP	5700407 - PH,IV 1/2",NP
  	5701202 - PH,IV,1/2" NP,ENVIRONMENTAL
  5770002P875 - ASSY,IV9DOT PRNT HD,7/8",POR	5700404 - PH,IV,7/8" POR
  	5700475 - PH ASSY,7/8" 9-DOT POR SP
  5770002N875 - ASSY,IV9DOT PRNT HD,7/8",NP	5700405 - PH,IV,7/8" NP
  	5700476 - PH,7/8" 9-DOT,NP,SP

  The improved printhead assembly now has an industrial design that has a one piece, die-cast aluminum housing.  It is now environmentally sealed for harsh environments, has automatic dot correction, overdrive protection, and photocell bracket mounting holes. The new design also includes a built-in LED display and membrane switch that allows for channel purging, adjusting the pulse and width, and changing the pressure directly from the printhead.

   

  Certain configurations of bracketry, which are older than five years and round in shape, used with older style Diagraph Integrated Valve products may require an adaptor plate (part # 5770-219) to install the new printheads.  Documentation and information regarding the installation of these new print heads is available on the Diagraph website, www.diagraph.com.  If you have additional questions, please contact our technical support group at 1-800-526-2531.

   

  We appreciate your past business and look forward to being your Marking & Coding supplier in the future.  We expect that you will find this new generation of printhead to exceed your expectations for industrial ink jet and be a cost effective tool for your marking & coding needs.

   

  Sincerely, 

   

  Eric Janes Customer Service Manager Diagraph Marking and Coding

• When is it time to trade in your continuous inkjet printer?

  When is it time to trade in your continuous inkjet printer?

  The expected life of industrial inkjet printers is typically between five and seven years, depending on the production environment. However, harsh environments may further reduce the usable life.

  Consider the following questions when evaluating whether to replace your continuous inkjet printer (CIJ):

  • Is there high dust?
  • Does the temperature in the plant reach high or low extremes?
  • Is there heavy humidity?

  The impact of these factors can result in a decrease of your CIJ printer’s uptime.

  

  Repair or replace? The risk is downtime.

  If your printer has required a repair outside of regularly scheduled maintenance, you should consider this a red flag. It may be in your best interest to replace rather than repair since unplanned downtime can have a significant impact on your profits for the following reasons:

  • Lost production time: When a manufacturing plant experiences unscheduled downtime, production comes to a halt. This lost production time can lead to a decrease in output, resulting in lower revenue and profits.

  

  • Increased labor costs: If workers are unable to perform their duties during unscheduled downtime, they may need to be paid for idle time. This can increase labor costs, which further impacts profits.
  • Delayed shipments: If unscheduled downtime occurs during a critical production period, it may delay the shipment of finished products. This can lead to dissatisfied customers, lost sales and ultimately, lower profits.
  • Increased maintenance costs: If unscheduled downtime occurs frequently, it can lead to increased maintenance costs from repair costs and more frequent preventative maintenance visits to reduce the risk of future downtime.
  • Limited parts availability: As equipment gets older, parts for that equipment may become more difficult to find. Manufacturers may discontinue production of parts for older equipment, or parts may become obsolete, making it difficult to find replacement parts resulting in lost production time. Supply chain challenges have even further impacted the manufacturers’ ability to find replacement parts and repair older machines.
  • Higher pricing for parts and service: When parts become scarce, the cost of those parts may increase if suppliers charge a premium for parts that are in high demand and have a limited supply. In addition, manufacturers may need to pay higher prices for custom-made parts or parts that need to be specially manufactured.

  In short, if you are using older CIJ printers in your production, there is a higher risk of major downtime.

  

  Learn how Diagraph can increase your uptime by trading out your old CIJ for a new Linx 8900 Series CIJ.

• How to Increase CIJ Coder Reliability and Uptime

  Do your inkjet printheads need to be cleaned more than once a month? How often do you find yourself waiting on a service visit for routine maintenance? Do you throw away partially full fluid containers, or worse yet, do empty ink cartridges interrupt your production? These are all common issues that eat away at your production time and your bottom line.
  
  Now you can say goodbye to unplanned downtime and hello to interference-free uptime. The all new Linx 8900 is the simplest, smartest, most reliable small character continuous inkjet printer on the market today.

  
  

  	Up to 3 Months Between Printhead Cleanings Allowing up to 100 starts/stops, our industry-leading printheads allow you to spend more time coding and less time cleaning.The sealed design allows you to clean the printhead more quickly without the risk of damaging exposed parts which means no adjustments are necessary.
  	Up to 18 Months Between Machine Service Intervals Providing all critical service parts in one self-service module paired with advanced alerts starting one month before service is due allows you to schedule machine maintenance around your production schedule. Follow 7 easy steps prompted by on-screen instructions to accomplish engineer-free maintenance in 30 minutes or less. No service visit necessary.
  	Increased Fluid Capacity Doubling solvent capacity combined with an 8 hour low to empty warning means you can run an entire shift without having to refill fluids. The new one-touch design allows you to replace cartridges with one easy step while the printer is running. No ink messes. No unplanned downtime.

  At Diagraph, we don't just sell and service marking and coding equipment. We provide reliable and predictable solutions that allow you to spend more time running your production line and less time servicing your coding equipment. Durability, ease of use and overall value are important to us. Many customers turn to us after their low-cost solutions end up costing them more money in production line downtime, maintenance and service. We will help you look at the big picture and choose the right solution that will help you control costs throughout the life of the equipment. Want to increase reliability and uptime? Invest in solutions that are built to last.

   

  Learn more about the all new Linx 8900.

• How can IIoT and centralized printer management software improve your operation?

  

  The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is transforming manufacturing and a whole host of other industries. IIoT connects industrial devices that can monitor, collect, exchange, and analyze data, and leverage that data and connectivity to help you make smarter, faster and more effective business decisions.

  Chances are, you’re already automating parts of your business -- but IIoT takes automation to a whole new level. Two major IIoT trends to watch for in 2020, according to Mobidev, are wireless connectivity and predictive analytics. If you aren’t leveraging IIoT as part of your marking and coding process, it’s a wasted opportunity.

  How can IIoT innovate the product identification process?

  Centralized printer management software connects wirelessly to your printing and coding equipment, creating a central database so that operators can review printing status and start jobs remotely using their mobile devices – among other capabilities. Centralized printer management software can also track prints and analyze operational history, to deliver valuable insights about your processes.

  The robust interconnectedness of IIoT technology such as a centralized printer management system, can innovate the product identification process in a number of ways. For example, imagine being able to run your production processes without having to constantly keep an eye on your coding and labeling equipment.

  Some other benefits of centralized printer management software include:

  • Eliminating Coding Errors: With centralized printer management software, you can directly populate print messages with your ERP’s product and job information. By centralizing print message selection, you virtually eliminate product identification errors.
  • Streamlining Processes: The software's robust API enables connectivity to automate communication between your coding operations, and your enterprise and factory automation systems. You can batch print message changes and deploy them across your printers with one click, greatly simplifying the coding side of your production changeover process.
  • Continuous Oversight: Centralized printer management software offers constant visibility through a simple-to-use interface on your laptop, tablet, smartphone, or other device. You're able to oversee your product identification process in real-time with direct access to your operational history.

   

  Is my operation ready for printer management software?

  Here’s a checklist of common complexities and pains that manufacturers experience with production. If any of these experiences sound familiar, you could benefit from deploying printer management software in your facility:

  • Three or more production lines in operation with dedicated coding equipment on each line
  • Apply product identification codes on your primary products and cases while managing 20 or more product SKUs
  • Manually entering production run and message information
  • Production changeover process is automated with the exception of the print message selection step
  • Coding errors come at a great expense to your operation, causing product scrappage or rework and significant organizational risk in the event of a recall

   

  Are you ready to take your operation to the next level?

  Improving manufacturing processes is an ongoing challenge, and IIoT can help. For your marking and coding process, centralized printer management software offers many benefits and seamlessly automates a complex operation.

  Take the next step to automating your coding and labeling operations. Try NEXTConnect™ printer management software for free for 90 days. Contact a Diagraph representative today at nextconnect@diagraph.com for a trial license.

   

  Or, take the Connectivity Readiness Assessment to find out if your operation can benefit from printer management software.

  

• Is a Product Identification Site Audit Right for Your Facility?

  

  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:

  1. 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?

  2. 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?

  3. 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.