CODING/MARKING this month's product focus

Food & Drug Packaging, Dec, 2000

Line of laser coders marks up to 30 characters per second

Footprint: 14 x 20 x 45 inches

Line of Xymark multi-line dot matrix laser coders are high-speed, non-contact coders that can mark up to 430 characters per second on product packaging. The codes marked are permanent and cannot be rubbed off because they are indelibly etched into the packaging surface. With no inks and no solvents, the units eliminate the need for waste disposal and provide an economical solution for marking a range of materials, including glass, plastic or printed surfaces. The Xymark inscribes permanent, legible codes with consistency and reliability and can mark up to four lines of text of graphics onto either moving or stationary products.

Diagraph Corp. (314) 739-1221 www.diagraph.com

Item #321

New bar code reader gathers data for use with date/lot code verification

Cost: $2,995

The new SmartReader bar code reader has built-in communication capabilities like Ethernet and Modbus support to gather data for use with date/lot code verification, documentation and part tracking. Profibus and DeviceNet also are available with SmartReader when it is used with the company's SmartLink communications box. The SmartReader unit includes a lens, built-in illumination, software, free upgrades and free training.

DVT Corp. (800) 387-3724 www.dvtsensors.com

Item #322

Ink jet coder reaches speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute

The high-speed LegiJet[R] Model ML32 ink jet coders can keep pace with production lines reaching speeds up to 1,000 feet per minute, while delivering higher resolution codes up to 128 dots per inch. With several font selections available, the ML32 prints small and larger characters, plus upper and lower case characters and bold type. With its versatile slanting printhead array, the system prints text, expiration dates, sequential numbers, date/time codes, graphics and logos in sizes ranging from 0.06 to 1.0 inches high. Up to 96 messages can be stored in the coder's database, with an optional software upgrade further expanding its storage capacity.

Weber Marking Systems Inc. (800) 225-0883 www.webermarking.com

Item #323

New ink jet coder enhancement reduces message selection errors

New EasySelect enhancement for line of Jet-A-Mark[R] series of ink jet coders--the 3000 and 5000 series of Drop-on-Demand printers--allows users to scan a product or pre-printed bar code reference sheet on-the-fly to provide remote message selection within any production line. This reduces message selection errors while minimizing product changeover time. The EasySelect feature will work with almost any bar code language including: UPC, Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39, 128, EAN and others.

Matthews International Corp. (412) 665-2488 www.matthewsmarking.com

Item #324

Thermal transfer printers increase production line uptime and reduce ribbon usage

Two new SmartDate thermal transfer printers--the SmartDate 3c and SmartDate 3i--further increase production line uptime, increase maximum print speed and reduce ribbon usage. The SmartDate 3c increases print speed by 50% from 1 meter per second to 1.5 meters per second. The feature reduces the amount of thermal ribbon used per print. The SmartDate 3i, which features an increased thermal transfer ribbon length, offers customers 50% more thermal transfer ribbon on each roll.

Markem Corp. (800) 421-9698 www.markem.com

Item #325

Digital case printer prints all major bar codes and custom graphics

The G-7000 high-resolution digital case printer has 500 individually controlled print channels, providing a high-resolution print band up to 2.75 inches high. Ideal for porous outer case coding applications, the unit offers users an inline, real-time bar coding capability with high readability, eliminating the need for the user to maintain an inventory of custom pre-printed cartons. The G-7000 can be integrated with electronic checkweighers, part counters or other data sources to provide discrete bar codes and human readable alphanumeric codes on each individual carton.

Domino Amjet Inc. (847) 244-2501 www.dominoamjet.com

Item #326

Laser printer provides high-quality marks at high speeds

The Lasetec laser printer provides crisp, clean letters and offers the ability to choose font style and print size from 1 to 50 millimeters high for each application with no requirement for change parts. The Lasetec will permanently mark HDPE, PET, PVC, paper, glass laminates, plus many other materials. Easy to install on existing production lines, the Lasetec system features low operating costs and its laser requires recharging only every few years.

Industrial Dynamics Int'l (310) 325-5633 www.filtec.com

Item #327

New thermal printer enables product information to be changed quickly and easily

The new TT107IM intermittent-motion thermal printer is designed to operate with a larger print area than other models. Offering a print area of 4 1/4 x 3 inches, the unit has a large magazine capable of holding 1,500 feet of ribbon. Designed for high-speed application of price information, dates, product and batch codes, bar codes, graphics and logos to display packs and cartons, the TT107M is automatic and capable of changing text and graphics at a moment's notice.