We can supply a wide range of coding and marking consumables for your industrial equipment, including:
- Thermal inkjet cartridges
- Piezo bottled ink
- Thermal transfer ribbons
- Thermal labels
- Thermal printheads
- Hot foil tape
- Engraving type
Frequently asked questions
With over 200 years of combined industry experience Rotech has the answers to even the most difficult queries. Discover our most frequently asked questions below.
Consumables
Thermal Transfer Ribbon
Yes. Most thermal printers have only one ‘printing head’. If you need a colour imprint, you can remove the black ribbon and replace it with a colour ribbon. There are a few printers (known as ‘process colour’ printers) that can print multiple colours and a black bar code simultaneously, but they are more expensive than the traditional desktop unit.
If you’re printing barcodes on labels, use a black ribbon (or dark colour) to ensure that the barcode will be readable.
There is a limited variety of coloured ribbons readily available for most thermal printers. We can help you choose the right ribbon for your label material and application – just ask us.
There are several things you need to consider:
Ribbon width: the ribbon should extend past the edge of the label material to prevent the printhead being damaged from abrasion by the label material (e.g., a 70mm wide label requires a 80mm wide ribbon)
Ribbon type: the three types are wax, wax/resin and resin:
- Wax ribbons cost less than the other types and are usually used when long-term durability is not required. They are best for printing on porous substrates such as uncoated paper tags and labels. Typical uses include shipping labels, pricing labels and other indoor applications.
- Wax/resin ribbons are more expensive, but the imprint is more resistant to scratching, smearing and mild chemicals. They are best for printing on coated paper, coated tags and films and are suitable for short-term outdoor uses.
- Resin ribbons are the most expensive, but the imprint is very durable and resistant to most chemicals. They are best for printing on synthetics materials such as polyester and polymide.
Wind configuration: when you buy ribbon you need to specify the brand of printer to ensure that the ribbons are wound in the correct configuration – ink side wound ‘in’ or ink side wound ‘out’.
Printer core diameter: you need to ensure that the ribbon is designed for the inside core diameter of your printer brand, because some cores have special slots that fit in the ribbon feed mechanism.
Roll length: This equates to maximum roll diameter. All printers have a maximum roll diameter, anything larger will be too heavy or physically too big to fit in your printer.
The price of thermal transfer ribbons are determined by various factors, including the ribbon type, size, core, volume and colour:
Type: this is determined by your application requirements
- wax: most common, lowest cost, used on uncoated paper labels and tags
- wax/resin: more expensive, usually used on coated paper and coated tags
- resin: highest cost, used on synthetics such as polyester labels and tags for maximum durability
Size: ribbon rolls with more square metres of material (width x length) cost proportionally more than ribbons with fewer square metres of material.
Core: if the ribbon is required to be wound on a plastic core, the price will be more than a plastic core
Volume: price can depend on the volume being bought
Colour: black is always the lowest price because they are most common, and colours are more expensive.
Thermal Inkjet Inks
Yes. But the ink used in your thermal inkjet printer is partly determined by your application’s requirements – such as dry time, durability and colour. Some of Rotech’s inks are more cost-effective, but aren’t suitable for all applications, which is why we supply a range of cartridges to cover the widest range of price points, application requirements and colours.
For most thermal inkjet printers, you can use any TIJ cartridge with any TIJ printer. However, some thermal inkjet printers require certain data from the thermal inkjet cartridge, and if this specific data is not available, then the cartridge may not work.
To replace the ink in your thermal inkjet printer, all you need to do is replace your ink cartridge, with steps included here. This simple click-in-click-out system makes it easy to change your cartridge in seconds, including if you want to change the ink formula or colour you’re printing with.
The thermal inkjet printer requires no preparation such as powering down, or system status changes, and you do not ever need to flush the printer.
We offer so-called ‘plug-and-play inks’ that correspond 100% to the inks supplied by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).
As a consumer you have the right to use the most cost-effective consumables and spare parts for your inkjet printers (so long as the functionality of your printers is not compromised).
By using compatible fluids, the OEM cannot void your warranty; this is a statutory right.
We have access to a specialist technical team with significant experience in the servicing of ink jet printers.
In partnership with APS, Rotech offers well over 100 different fluids (inks, additives, cleaners, etc.) For all major industrial small and large character ink jet printers used for product marking. This makes us one of the suppliers with the largest selection of jet printing inks on the market today.
Our consumables are used in a wide variety of applications in many industries, including packaging, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, plastics and cables, electronics, addressing and personalisation.
Labels
Self-adhesive labels consist of three layers – the face paper, the adhesive, and the backing – making the total stationery weight about 170 gsm. You should check that your printer can handle this weight.
If your printer used to cope well but isn’t doing so any longer, this might simply be the effects of wear.
Try keeping labels sizes generic. Also, if we can run labels of the same size together, while inks and/or plates may need changing, the fact the material and the cutter do not change will reduce costs.
Finally, a few mm that can be ‘stolen’ here and there off the label size to keep labels sizes common will also reduce costs.
Getting started is easy. Rotech can provide all the hardware, software and technical support necessary, whether you need a light-duty desktop printer or a heavy-duty industrial printer. Whatever the application, the basic components are the same. Here’s what you need:
- A thermal printer
- A PC-compatible computer
- Label creation software
- Cables to connect the printer to the
- Labels
- Thermal transfer ribbons
If you are just getting started and want to purchase a complete package, give us a call to see what we can offer.
The lowest-cost approach is to use blank white labels in stock sizes. Any size label can be created, but the most affordable option is to use stock sizes. Labels are available for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Another option is to use a custom pre-printed label. Pre-printed labels allow you to use one or more colours on your labels (e.g., you could have your company logo and other company information appear on each label printed in one or more a specific colours).
Using your thermal inkjet printer, you would then print any variable information you needed on the labels.
Some applications require tags instead of labels. Tags can be printed, just like labels, to carry your logo, pricing and barcode information.
You can also have labels made in any size you need, and you can choose to the label material characteristics (e.g., chemical resistant, sunlight resistant, security labels, etc.).
Ribbon creasing is more common when the ribbon being used is much wider than the label it is printing i.e. 134mm width ribbon printing a 55mm wide label.
The ribbon needs to be tight when moving across the label otherwise the creasing will cause printing errors such as specs on the label. It also more cost effective to use a narrower ribbon when there are smaller widths in the range.
Thermal printing allows for ‘printing on demand’. Some of the benefits include:
- Labels can be customised with variable information (e.g, they can include your customer information, and place or date of manufacture.)
- Reduces the stock of different labels needed; there is no need to stock numerous specific labels when they can be printed on demand
- Reduces waste; the same labels can be used for each product version, with changes only to the variable information.
Thermal Printheads
There are some simple steps you can take to prolong the life of thermal label printer printhead.
- Clean the printhead regularly. Dirty printheads produce less than optimal output and residue from the printing process can cause uneven heating or dissipation of heat by the dots.
- Use the right type and good quality paper type and thermal transfer ribbon. Using the wrong type causes additional mechanical and thermal wear on the printhead.
- Use the lowest print speed setting that produces acceptable results. This helps reduce mechanical wear on the printhead.
- Try to run prints at room temperature where possible. Lower ambient temperatures require more energy to be sent to the dots to produce the print. Excessive heating and cooling of the printhead dots will shorten the printhead’s life.
- Use the lowest contrast setting you can. Higher contrast means more heat to the printhead. Higher heat translates to a shorter life span.
- If your printer has a printhead pressure adjustment, use the lowest setting possible. This will reduce the amount of friction the printhead sustains during printing.
- Make sure you are not printing off of the thermal transfer ribbon. Thermal printers are designed to use the transfer of heat from the printhead to the print TTR as the primary cooling method. If the dots on the printhead are not printing on TTR, they are not cooling properly.
Most printers have a release that allows the printhead to open. Once the head is open, the easiest way to clean it is with a recommended printhead wipe, just wipe the printhead clean. It is also wise to wipe the platen roller also. Reload all the label material and ribbon and away you go.
Do
- Take great care not to scratch the surface and to get the entire residue off with alcohol wipes
- Wipe down the platen roller
- Keep print head cleaner kits on hand to perform regular printhead maintenance and ensure optimum printer performance.
Don’t
- Use a sharp instrument to scrape either the head or the platen roller that the head rests on. It can destroy the roller or print head surface requiring it to be replaced.
The rule of thumb is to clean the printhead every time you change the ribbon on the printer and with a direct thermal setup, every time you change a roll of labels.
Be aware that pre printed labels may have been printed with inks that contain abrasive particles. A main component in white ink is titanium dioxide, which is used as a grinding agent in some industries.
Also, labels printed with non-standard topcoats or varnishes will impact printhead performance in a number of ways. Possibly requiring higher heat setting or leaving trace residue on the printhead. Most manufactures will also produce custom preprinted labels. This is the best option when buying preprinted labels, as you know that the materials used are compatible with your printers.
If you require replacement thermal printheads, thermal transfer ribbon or labels contact us for a competitive quote.
Heat, cooling and pressure are the main reasons thermal printheads fail. As thermal transfer ribbon (TTR) is fed past the printhead, small resistor elements, known as dots are heated by applying an electric current to them. The heat from the dots is then transferred to either the direct thermal paper (media) or thermal transfer ribbon. This dot pattern produces the text, barcode or image on the label.
Because the dots must be heated and cooled very rapidly, and there is friction as the ribbon or paper passes against the printhead, the printhead will eventually wear out. As the printhead ages, the output will become lighter or sections of dots may stop heating and cause voids in the print.
Feeding Systems
Minimum and maximum speeds are determined by a number of variables:
- The first place we start is printing technology e.g. TT we usually base the speed on a maximum of 20m/minute (approx. 350mm/sec) whereas thermal inkjet does not limit the speed.
- Product orientation. This, in part, depends on the print technology used. For example, if you use a thermal inkjet with a single printhead height of 12.7mm, you may consider feeding the product a particular way.
- The conveyor belt is normally set to run at 30m/minute though it can run at twice this. Example: based on the 30m/minute, feeding cartons wide edge leading, using thermal inkjet the throughput working is as follows:
- Maximum carton width 8.5cm
- Allow a minimum gap of half a carton width giving approx. 13cm
- A 13cm product going down a 30m/min fast belt will feed at the rate of approx. 230/min (30 divided by 0.13). Even using twice the maximum product width gives 176/min or approx. 10,500/hour.
- The printer generally determines minimum speed as the conveyor will run down to stop.
As can be seen there are variables to consider when working out throughput. We run customer samples and videos for review. This has the advantage of seeing the samples running or a system before any commitment is made.
Most certainly.
We can provide the necessary brackets and take care of all the integration so that you take delivery of a complete system. Ready to run. We can also integrate cameras onto our compliance systems, subject to them meeting the necessary specifications.
Yes.
We start by trying to feed the product in a position that means the photocell only sees the front and back edge with nothing in between. If this is not possible, we can use a “mask” which disables the photocell for a set distance back from the front edge until any voids or cut-outs have passed.
The shingling conveyor is an alternative collection device to the catcher. This means whilst the feeder runs continuously, the speed of the shingling conveyor adjusts to allow products to overlap with each other. Once they reach the ramp they pack together and are ready to be lifted by the operator. This ensures maximum throughput of the system.
When running at high speed, products come off the end of the conveyor at a high rate. There is the facility to pause feeding when the catcher is full, which gives the operator time to empty it.
We call this the stack counter, and it can be set to the number of products that fit comfortably into the catcher. When this number is reached the feed is interrupted and the run button flashes. To resume feeding all you must do is press this same button.
Certainly.
The conveyor is 750mm in length so there is enough space to fit both an inkjet printer and a labeller. If you wanted to fit a Thermal (TTO) printer, an extension to the conveyor might be required. A common example of this application is to add a date to a food sleeve followed by a promotional label such as “New Recipe” or “Meal Deal.”
The quick answer:
Note – ‘marked’ covers both printing directly on the product and labelling.
- Sizes, style and material of the product range to be fed and marked (a picture would be useful).
- What are your throughput requirements?
- Is the product currently marked, if so with what?
- Details of the marking requirement – print area, and type of information to be printed.
- Preferred technology or manufacturer for the marking e.g. other manufacturers used on site.
A more detailed answer:
- Sizes, style and material of the product range to be fed and marked (a picture would be useful). .
- Throughput requirements, annual throughput and average batch size.
- Is the product currently marked, if so with what and why is an automatic feeding system being considered?
- Details, including positioning of the marking requirement – print area, and type of information to be marked e.g. logos, barcodes and details of any variable information.
- a) Is there any interfacing required between the marking system and external database?
- b) Details of any inline scanning requirements.
- c) Details of any inline reject requirements.
- Preferred technology or manufacturer for the marking e.g. other manufacturers used on site.
- Project timescale.
RF Lite
No, the components of the RF Lite are manufactured from stainless steel, anodised aluminium and engineered plastics. As such, they just need a wipe over with a duster.
However, care should be taken when setting up the printer position. If the inkjet printer is not set correctly, ink may be printed onto the conveyor belt or stainless-steel base plate. This can be cleaned with an alcohol wipe.
No, the RF Lite only requires either a 240v or 110v electrical supply. Simply plug the appropriate power cord from a wall socket into the IEC connection on the RF Lite and switch it on.
We can be contacted for a service visit, or alternatively the RF Lite can be sent to us for repair.
In the UK, once the warranty has expired, we plan to offer an exchange system (extended warranty) based on an annual fee.
In the event of a fault, we will send out a service-exchange unit for next day delivery to minimise production downtime. The faulty unit can be returned to us in the same packaging.
12 months, with the exception of ‘wear’ parts (rollers and belts).
We always aim to hold stock of RF Lite, but you can always expect your unit to arrive within one week from receipt of your order.
All of Rotech’s feeding systems are designed, prototyped and built here in the UK – specifically in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
The RF Lite has a factory-set ‘low’ and ‘high’ speed setting which can be changed with the flip of a switch. Adjustment of the speed for these two pre-sets can only be made by a Rotech engineer.
The RF Lite can accommodate packaging up to 300 x 200mm in size. Changing the infeed hoppers for different packaging requires no tools and can be accomplished in seconds.
The printer is capable of printing fixed information (such as the heading “USE BY”), a variable which the operator enters, such as the date code itself and also an automatically generated code such as a Julian date. It can also print simple logos and barcodes.
TIJ makes no mess, no odour, and is maintenance-free. It can be started up and shut down at the flick of a switch. It also produces a high-resolution print. Every time that the cartridge is changed, so is the whole ink delivery system – so there is no consumables or wearing parts other than the ink cartridge itself. This guarantees trouble-free running for many years.
Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) technology is based on a HP cartridge but uses ink that has been specifically designed to adhere to a wide variety of substrates both porous and non-porous.
Our system complies with all UK legislation including the CE and UKCA marks and has been designed with operator safety as priority. It uses TIJ printing technology, which is clean and self-contained, so is safe for use in any environment including clean rooms.
The system has been made out of stainless steel and anodised aluminium (no panting), free from fluids and compressed air (nothing will discharge into the atmosphere).
The RF Lite is intended for production volumes up to 14,000 products per day. This is due to the wearing parts (rollers and belts). For a heavier duty system, the RF Auto is capable of handing up to 25,000 products per day.
The linear speed of 60m/min gives a typical output of 200-400 pieces per minute. However, it soon empties the hopper, so products are usually run in batches, where a typical rate of 10,000 is more than achievable in a working day.
We believe there is nothing to match the RF Lite in terms of ease of use, speed, and most importantly, cost.
Our system is intended for feeding packaging in its flat form, for off-line printing of fixed or variable data such as batch numbers and use-by dates.
The RF Lite was primarily designed for food producers who use food sleeves and need to add a date code, but it can be used in a variety of industries requiring late-stage customisation (e.g. date code, batch number) on small flat-form packaging such as cards, sleeves or cartons, within the compatible size range
RF Compliance
Fundamentally it needs to be able to read the information at the speed at which it will be passing by on the conveyor. After this it’s just a case of taking care of the signals in and out. The feeder will provide a ‘look now’ trigger and look for a ‘Judgement Complete’ and ‘Good’ signal back. If both of these are received the product is accepted, if just the firm, it is rejected and if neither are returned, the product is rejected, feeding is halted and an error message is displayed to say the camera is not functioning correctly.
1. Pattern Match (blob detection)
If there is a print there and it’s of a similar pattern to a reference sample. Though only the overall pattern is being matched, not each letter, nor the 2D barcode.
2. 2D barcode and OCV system
The camera takes an image and reads the information that it finds. It does this using a 2D datamatrix tool for the barcode and an “OCR” tool for the text. It can then compare the information read to reference information entered by the operator (which can be done via a “teach” facility using a reference sample) and decides if it matches (this is the ‘OCV’ bit – verification).
3. 2D barcode and OCV system with online grading
As 2. above, but the system also tells you how good a quality the print is – it ‘grades’ it – though this only applies to the barcode.
There is a key point to note on this: The ISO/IEC 15415 standard for the verification of datamatrix barcodes requires that a number of images are taken with the lighting coming from different angles each time. Clearly this is not possible on-line, so any system fitted to one of our feeders can only offer an “indicative” grade. Therefore the use of a bench top verifier that gives a grading to this standard and then compares the two results is also preferable.
The online system would normally err on the side of caution so a grade B on-line, may be an A under the verifier. This means that so long as the on-line system is passing grade Cs and above, they must be good.
Terminology is somewhat key here, when referencing to a “good quality code”, it would be better to simply say a “good code” i.e. the camera can confirm that the correct information is printed. Quality takes us into the realms of verification.
The benefits of the RF Compliance can be broken down into three main categories
1. Product handling
The Compliance system offers an off-line facility for printing or labelling on pharmaceutical cartons. This offers many benefits:
- Cartons are presented in their flat form to the coding/marking system which can then make a perfect print without concerns about the pack bulging, skewing or travelling away from the printhead
- Pre-printing of cartons allows for multiple lines, or even several hand-packing stations to be supplied
- No need to “break” a line to add a coding and inspection station
- A shingling collation conveyor allows for easy pick-up of a batch of coded product
2. Product inspection
Various inspection functions can be carried out to ensure both that the correct product is being used and also to confirm that the correct information has been added to the pack.
3. Product serialisation
Legislation requiring packs to bear a unique serialisation code is growing and the Compliance can either produce these codes internally, or receive them from an external source. With all serialised packs bearing a 2D datamatrix code, the need for perfect pack presentation is even more important.
The RF Compliance is our flagship feeding system, designed for highly regulated industries such as pharmaceutical and medical. The system is for off-line late-stage customisation of flat-form product packaging, required for product traceability. It can have one of two in-feed systems which makes it capable of handling almost any flat-form packaging. It is also usually equipped with an inspection system, product collation belt and a thermal inkjet printer.
The Compliance is capable of printing in OCR-B font as small as 1mm in height, datamatrix and QR codes in up to 900 dpi.
Coding & Marking Systems
The term coding & marking is used in the manufacturing and packaging industries to cover the application of variable data during late-stage production to identify key information about the product (serial number, batch number, use-by date, product name, description etc.). This can be for the benefit of the manufacturer – traceability, accountability, or marketing purposes; but is most commonly led by industry legislation and therefore a legal requirement of the business.
The application of data can be made in a multitude of different ways, including printing of a code with ink (coding), sketching a mark (marking) and sometimes covers labelling too.
Coding & marking systems are the equipment purchased to apply these codes and marks, and between the range of technologies available can vary greatly in cost, reliability, speed and quality. Most commonly, you have:
- Thermal Inkjet Printers
- Continuous Inkjet Printers
- Thermal Transfer Printers
- Large Area Printers
- Laser Coders
- Hot Foil Stampers
Thermal Inkjet Printing
Due to the zero maintenance requirements of the TIJ printers we have seen no demand for offering service contracts on these systems. They truly are a maintenance free product with no filters, pumps or complicated ink delivery systems. They also benefit from the entire ink delivery system being within a sealed cartridge which can be disposed of through the normal channels of printer cartridge recycling companies.
Yes – although we do not recommend this due to the systems and cartridges that we supply being tuned to match each other for optimum performance read by a simple connection/interface by the printer once the cartridge is inserted. In addition to this, as the ink delivery system relies on a vacuum within the cartridge, replenishing/refilling can often lead to air being allowed to enter, subsequently leading to degradation of performance.
No – Our sealed cartridges mean that handling is simple with no specialist PPE required. The make-up of our cartridges is safe to handle and unlike CIJ, disposal requires no specialist removal or handling.
No, the TIJ systems can all be simply ‘turned-off’ at the end of a shift. Removal of the cartridge is a simple operation with a click-in/click-out and even if the systems are inadvertently shut-down, for example, there is loss of power to the line, no ink will be wasted or ejected, causing no detrimental effect to the ink solution or printer. Once power is restored, the systems all perform a quick software check, read the cartridge and then reset themselves ready to continue printing.
Yes – Our standard iDESIGN software package has a built-in ‘control’ page that allows connection to multiple printers. All printers are supported and utilise their own unique IP address. Printers can be named to reflect the lines that they are mounted to. Wireless networking is also available, we can provide details of upgrades to the printers where necessary.
Our Thermal inkjet systems are extremely easy to integrate onto all manners of packaging lines and equipment. Their compact size, low weight and the fact they are easily adjusted makes them ideal for virtually any installation. Added to this there are no large separate controllers or ink delivery systems and no additional rollers are required to re-route the packaging materials. Our TIJ systems can easily be retrofitted to existing equipment, we can even use existing mountings if required.
There are a number of factors which should be considered when calculating a comparison on running costs. Generally our TIJ systems will provide a lower cost per print even when calculating just using the physical consumable cost. For example, when comparing against TTO, the ribbon and printhead replacement should both be factored into the calculation along with downtime created through servicing, broken components, snapped ribbon, removal /disposal of waste cores and print substrate and overall set-up time when changing print position or formats. Likewise, when comparing CIJ technology, the cost calculation should include many of the points already mentioned for TTO, in addition costs relating to regular maintenance / servicing costs, parts replacement such as pumps, filters and nozzles, production downtime due to start-up and shut-down procedures and of course cleaning and resetting of the system following inadvertent switching off prior to the shut-down procedure being completed – which can also lead to ink being dispensed onto equipment and factory floors! We also offer a bulk-ink system which can further reduce the costs per print.
The installation of a thermal inkjet printer requires a lower investment cost as the systems are not as complex as CIJ or TTO printers. The investment cost is affected by the simplicity of the system which requires less additional training and has fewer complex installation requirements. There is also no need for lines to be ‘shut-down’ for long periods of time during installation.
All of our systems (excluding special models such as Shutter and IP65 units) only require a single phase 240v supply. This is regulated down to a safe working voltage via the PSU (power supply).
The operating temperature of our systems is listed between 05-40 degrees. However, this is largely due to the ink cartridge.
Where necessary, we can adjust parameters to increase the pre-heat temperature of the ink, such as in a cold store or low ambient environment. Compared to CIJ and TTO, the TIJ range has added flexibility due to these additional parameters.
We also have a series of ‘special’ systems for demanding environments. IP65 rated printers can be used in wet and arduous environments and shutter systems in dusty and dirty packaging conditions.
We select the appropriate ink grade based on substratum. A key thing to avoid as with any print technology is a wet or damp surface which will hinder the ability of the ink to ‘adhere’ to the surface.
Yes- yellow, green, white, blue, red and even UV inks are all available for our thermal inkjet printers. Further additions to the colour range are expected as development continues.
All of our systems can accept true type fonts in addition to built-in standard fonts within the printer memory. Unlike many other printing technologies we can also print variable data formats, using the font chosen as the software ‘writes’ the character set to the printer.
All our systems either have the facility as standard or can be upgraded to print commercially recognised barcode formats. This includes 2D, GS1, QR and standard EAN. The high resolution printers can achieve exceptional clarity.
In standard format, all of our systems can accommodate line speeds of up to 60m/min. We are able to offer a simple upgrade to accommodate higher speed lines up to 90m/min if required.
Our standard systems use a single cartridge that measures 12.7mm, which is perfect for product identification, batch, best before and use by data.
You can print multiple lines of text within the printable ‘height’ of the cartridge, by dividing the character size (height) into the overall height of the cartridge aperture (12.7mm). Total print distance (in direction of material travel) is 2M although this can be extended if required.
If you require additional print height then we can use our single heads and ‘stitch’ up to eight heads with a single controller. This provides an overall print height of 101.6mm. Each head can be set to run at different parameters and include different data.
Our thermal inkjet systems feature built-in software that allows the user to optimise usage per print by ‘grey scaling’. For example, when printing a simple expiry date onto a light substrate – an application that doesn’t require true black print density – the operator can adjust the settings to achieve better usage per cartridge.
Prints per cartridge is based upon several factors that can be controlled by the operating system of the printer. For example, larger characters require more ink. As do formats which contain multiple lines of text, barcodes and graphics. Different font styles can also affect the cost per print.
As a rough guide, to print a batch code consisting of a single line of 3mm text containing 5 characters, you can expect to achieve 1 Million prints per cartridge. A best before date and batch number with a time code may be closer to 350-450K prints per cartridge.
The resolution of the print will depend on the speed in which the line is operating.
- Excellent high-resolution print quality up to 600 dpi
- High-speed printing up to 240 m/min at 300 dpi
- The ink is entirely contained so cannot cause any mess due to pouring or topping-up.
- The cartridge houses the entire ink delivery system which is changed each time the cartridge is changed, removing the need for any maintenance.
- The technology is “drop on demand”, only the ink needed is used. None is required for ink re-circulation.
Thermal inkjet can print onto a wide variety of non-porous and porous packaging types.
The scope of materials that we can print on to is defined by matching the various ink grades to the substrate, much like the more expensive CIJ and TTO technologies.
We have a number of ink grades available, each suited to particular applications. Rotech offer sample testing services in order to identify which grades match your application. The service is free using our own internal test facilities or on-site presentation/trials.
Essentially, anywhere where we can place the printer where the material is in motion and space allows us to present the printhead to the product. For example- Labelling / Flo-Wrapping / Vertical Form Fill and Seal (VFFS) / Horizontal Form Fill and Seal (HFFS) / Cartoners / Baggers.
Reliable
- Works first time, every time
- No start-up time or shut down routine
- Consistently produces clear, high-resolution codes
Easy-to-use
- Direct data input is available on the printer
- Intuitive, free, format design software package
- Cartridges simply clip in and out
Cost-effective
- Low capital cost of equipment
- Ink cartridges are the only ongoing cost
- No maintenance
Thermal inkjet is a non-contact printing technology in which thermal energy is used to expel ink through a nozzle and onto a substrate. TIJ can print at high speeds on to a wide range of different packaging materials, reliably and cost-effectively.
The benefits of TIJ are endless and vary depending on installation, environment and print requirements. Previously, coding and marking systems comprised of a large number of features that are never used (yet still have to be paid for) or have been designed to be high maintenance, making them a large revenue generator for the supplier. In addition, consumable usage and associated costs are high.
At Rotech, we don’t rely on revenues from service, nor do we have high internal costs directly attributed to service. Our TIJ systems provide a truly maintenance free, simple to use and cost-effective coding and marking technology.
Large Area Printing
Typically no more than a couple of hours, but it can be a lot faster depending on the circumstances.
The PP108 can print in both red and black, which is useful for warning labels.
Yes, and can usually be made to interface with a company database or ERP system.
Yes. Either by means of an HMI or via an external PC.
For boxes travelling down a conveyor line, a retro-reflective sensor with reflector will be used to provide a reliable trigger. This can be adapted to suit the circumstances
No. If the speed varies, an encoder can be added to the printer to track the speed and ensure the print is perfectly formed. If the product does move at a constant speed, the line speed can be entered into the printer controller.
Undisturbed, the printers require no maintenance. If knocked, some air may be drawn into the nozzles. For the Poziflow system, this is automatically expelled. For the FreeFlow system, it can be purged using a priming tube.
Ink is supplied in bottles that are simply used to top-up the reservoir of either system.
The print can be made horizontally, or downwards, but not upwards.
Anything at all from text and graphics to barcodes and company logos.
No, although a white background is required to achieve a Grade A barcode. Printing onto a brown surface still produces a code that easily meets the verification standard.
Yes, a second head can be positioned opposite the first and configured to print in the opposite direction.
For the best print quality, (especially for barcodes) the box should just touch the headplate as the nozzles are slightly recessed.
Thermal Transfer Overprinting
Typical thermal transfer applications include product identification, compliance labeling, electronic processing labeling, shelf/bin labeling that require a longer label life, and outdoor applications.
Direct thermal printed labels have a limited shelf life and are best used on labels that are for temporary use. Shipping labels and receipts for instance are ideal applications, while product labels are not.
Thermal transfer printing produces very dark, dense images, has a longer shelf life and is more durable than direct thermal print, especially when exposed to heat and solvents. Thermal transfer can accept a wider variety of media than direct thermal printing giving the user printing flexibility. In addition, thermal printheads typically last longer than direct thermal printheads meaning long-term maintenance costs are lower.
Direct thermal printing is not as crisp as thermal transfer ribbons and direct thermal printing is more sensitive to environmental conditions such as heat and sunlight, which tends to discolor the media over time. Since a ribbon is not required, the primary benefit to using direct thermal printing over thermal transfer printing is that it is an inexpensive way to print labels.
Direct thermal paper remains chemically active after printing, so if the label needs more durability it needs to be top coated to resist UV light exposure, chemicals, and abrasion, adding another step to the process.
Thermal transfer printing is a process that requires a thermal transfer printer, thermal transfer ribbons, software, and a substrate (i.e. label or tag stock). As the ribbon passes between the heated printhead and label substrate, the wax, wax/resin or resin coating from the ribbon is transferred as an image onto the label. The coating or ink is absorbed into the medial so that the image is part of the label.
Direct thermal printing does not use a ribbon, but uses chemically treated, heat sensitive media designed for direct thermal printers. The media blackens when it passes under the heated thermal printhead causing a reaction in the coating of the label and forms an image.
Hot Foil Printing
Hot foil offers high quality print for a low capital outlay with modest consumable costs and minimal maintenance.
Although the engraved type must be manually set in the type-holder, the time taken is incidental if the information does not change within several hours of production.
Hot Foil coders have been fitted to labelling systems for many years and still offer high speed print and durable code due to the heat and pressure used to make the impression.
Finally, small fonts are managed better than any other technology and three lines of 2mm print can be made at a print height of only 10mm – even using an OCR-B font if code verification is required.
Resources
Rotech has been providing innovative coding & marking solutions in the packaging industry since 1997. Now a company of 25+ employees, Rotech primarily design and build our own range of off-line feeding solutions for presenting flat-form packaging to a coding & marking system – primarily using our modern thermal inkjet technology.
Our reputation revolves around providing a valuable end-to-end service and our ability to solve problems – no matter how small or significant.
Click here to find out more about Rotech.
Feeding systems
We manufacture our feeding systems in-house in the UK to create the shortest possible lead-times on new systems, and the flexibility to provide spares at short notice to keep production lines up and running.
Coding & marking systems
We can supply a large range of coding & marking systems sourced from a range of suppliers. All of our thermal inkjet systems are kept in stock here in the UK, but we work closely with suppliers to provide the shortest possible lead-times of other solutions if they are required.
Consumables
In order to supply customers next day, we stride to hold a vast supply of consumables including ink cartridges, thermal transfer ribbon and hot foil tape.
Thermal inkjet is a non-contact printing technology in which thermal energy is used to expel ink through a nozzle and onto a substrate. TIJ can print at high speeds on to a wide range of different packaging materials, reliably and cost-effectively.
The benefits of TIJ are endless and vary depending on installation, environment and print requirements. Previously, coding and marking systems comprised of a large number of features that are never used (yet still have to be paid for) or have been designed to be high maintenance, making them a large revenue generator for the supplier. In addition, consumable usage and associated costs are high.
At Rotech, we don’t rely on revenues from service, nor do we have high internal costs directly attributed to service. Our TIJ systems provide a truly maintenance free, simple to use and cost-effective coding and marking technology.
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