Consumables
Sticky ink gives Linx the edge in wet bottle coding
Tuesday 12. May 2009 - Coding and marking specialist Linx Printing Technologies has launched a total bottle coding solution designed to cope with a range of environments, specifically those that are particularly wet and humid. The Linx 4900BC comprises a robust Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printer with a specially developed sticky ink for permanent coding and a unique air knife drying system, ensuring reliable 24/7 operation at the high speeds required.
The system has been developed with the specific concerns of bottlers in mind. To ensure permanence of codes once printed, the Linx 4900BC is supplied with Linx Black versatile beverage ink 1058, a new ink whose superior adherence makes it ideal for bottling applications. The ink – ideal for glass, PET and PLA – penetrates condensation to provide good print quality and excellent permanence right up to the point of its removal in caustic bottle washers (if required).
Condensation forming on cold fill bottles usually presents a challenge for coders. The Linx 4900BC includes a unique integrated printhead and air knife system to ensure that the print area on the bottle is dried immediately before to printing. This controlled process ensures that printing always occurs on the dried area for consistent code quality, even between production changeovers and daily line adjustments.
These benefits are matched by the durability, ease of use and low cost of ownership for which Linx engineering is renowned, making the Linx 4900BC the most reliable CIJ printer available for bottling applications. The coder incorporates all of the benefits of the regular Linx 4900, offering 2-line printing of text and logos at production line speeds of up to 6.25m/s. With its unique curved stainless steel case and its IP55 washdown rating, the coder provides safe and clean operation in all production environments where cleanliness is important. The self cleaning printhead and automatic power down give mess-free, trouble-free starts and stops. Coder operation is easy thanks to the simple menu-driven interface with message preview for error-free code creation, with a 50 message memory store and automatic date creation to minimise the need for editing.
The launch of the Linx 4900BC is based on extensive communication with the bottling industry, which revealed that the key drivers behind coder purchases are downtime and code quality. “Bottling is a highly competitive industry, so manufacturers need to get the most out of their equipment, in terms of speed and performance,” comments Dr Nick Scott, Linx Product Manager, Inks and Accessories. “Any downtime reduces competitiveness, so the unique features of the Linx 4900BC have been developed to keep things moving.
“As a result, this total bottle coding solution ensures that bottles are coded using inks that stick, printed exactly where you want and delivered by the most reliable ink jet printer for challenging environments,” adds Dr Scott.