The Videojet 46s machine prints “best before” date codes on to plastic bags just before filling and sealing, at approximately 80 bags per minute.
The Heinz Watties factory operates in a low temperature (12ºC) environment with moist air, and was having problems with ink which was taking too long to dry and wasn’t sticking well.
Heinz Watties – frozen engineering coordinator, Paul Bullivant says
Videojet agent Tronics demonstrated the printer with a special ink that dries in under a second and the machine has subsequently reduced print downtime, drastically cut ink costs and improved print quality.
Bullivant says the machine has since been run at Heinz Watties over two 8-hour shifts a day for seven months virtually without a hitch. The company also moves the machine around to different parts of the factory where its high performance is most needed at any time.
“We trialed the printer for a month and were so impressed we just kept it”.
The 46s runs in a controlled environment to protect its electronics from the cool air. It heats the ink to 35ºC just before printing. The printer provides a further cost saving in its ability to condense fluid vapor back into the operating system for reuse.
