Inkjet & Digital Printing

Domino Makes It Easier Than Ever for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Friday 25. October 2024 - A South African pharmaceutical manufacturer, and long-term Domino customer, was one of the first to trial the K600G and commented on Dominos willingness to do everything possible to deliver a solution that met their specific needs, within their required timescale.

Domino Printing Sciences (Domino) is pleased to announce a suite of new enhancements for its K600G high-resolution advanced variable data printing solution, designed to make it easier than ever for pharmaceutical manufacturers to embrace the benefits of individual dose serialisation. The newly launched solution is designed to be easier to integrate, use, and maintain.
Initially launched in 2020, the K600G was developed for high-speed serialised coding on pharmaceutical packaging, such as labels, medical-grade papers including Tyvek, and blister foils. Based on Domino’s proven piezo drop-on-demand K600i digital printers, the K600G includes systems to suit different installation types, including off-line, near-line, top-of-line, and sealed-blister-coding variants.
“We believe that individual dose serialisation is the next obvious step in pharmaceutical regulations; it is not a matter of if manufacturers will have to comply; the key question is when. We developed the K600G with these future requirements in mind,” says Ian Chapman, Strategic Manager – Digital Coding, Domino. “We want to make it as seamless as possible for manufacturers to explore more advanced serialisation, and as the first major global coding and marking supplier to offer solutions for individual dose serialisation, we are committed to working with our customers to develop and adapt solutions to suit their needs.”
“During our customer trials, operator ergonomics, usability, and physical machine size were all highlighted as of key importance to our customers when selecting a solution, and we were able to re-engineer the full range of solutions based on this feedback,” continues Chapman.
The new and improved K600G is fully integrated, with all controls incorporated into the frame of the machine resulting in an overall footprint reduction of 35%. The smaller-sized systems are easy to integrate into existing pharmaceutical packaging lines, including space-constrained clean room environments, without necessitating significant line changes or upgrades. The new systems also feature a single touchscreen interface incorporating all previous control panels, making it easier for operators to manage production runs from a single location.
The machine frame features clear maintenance instructions for quick and efficient consumable changes to minimise machine downtime. In addition, the K600G benefits from the automated cleaning and maintenance features within Domino’s industry-leading K600i, further reducing the risk of downtime. Automatic printhead cleaning and capping from i-Tech CleanCap removes the need for regular manual cleaning and maintenance requirements, while i-Tech ActiFlow keeps the ink in the system constantly moving to prevent the formation of air bubbles that can impact nozzle performance.
“We are committed to using our advanced variable data printing expertise to help develop solutions that solve our customer’s needs, but to do this effectively, we also need to work with our customers, to listen, and to act,” says Tony McNulty, Chief Product Officer, Domino. “With the K600G, we developed a solution that would help pharmaceutical manufacturers to futureproof their lines against future regulatory changes; with our customer’s support, we have made the solution more accessible than ever.”