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Kings Seed’s coding reigns supreme as they continue to streamline production

4 mins

Kings Seeds, a leading supplier of horticultural essentials to both the home gardener and commercial grower, has a rich history that dates back to 1888. They played an integral role in Rotech’s journey when they purchased the first ever off-line feeding system 19 years ago. Kings Seeds continues to invest in Rotech’s coding solutions and remains a loyal customer to this day.

Originating from Coggeshall, but now in Kelvedon, Essex, Kings Seeds are surrounded by acres of beautiful farmland and a sea of their world-famous sweet peas. There are glimpses of the company’s history scattered across the premises, from 150-year-old agricultural machinery to vintage measuring tools still used today – a stark contrast to the new industrial equipment brought in to streamline production.

Coggeshall used to be the UK capital for seed-growing, and their football team are aptly named “The Seed Growers.” Kings Seeds has had an enormous impact on the local community. Lots of the team are residents, with some working at the company for over 50 years. As a result, Kings Seeds have established themselves as a home-grown, authentic UK business, trusted for their quality and expertise.

In their warehouse sits an extensive seed portfolio, including many old favourites and unique new varieties of vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs. This impressive range, along with their impeccable customer service has led them to win many gold awards, such as best fruit and veg seed range and best online retailer in 2021.

RF Auto with TIJ Printer and Rotech tick on 3D printed component.

As a company we enjoy working with Rotech, they offer sound advice, practical solutions and are only a phone call away.

Andrew Tokely, Horticultural Director

A first for Kings Seeds and Rotech

Rotech and King Seeds share a mutual desire to continually improve existing processes using innovative solutions. This first transpired in 2004, when Kings Seeds had a requirement to print codes directly onto seed packets.

Whilst Rotech had not previously manufactured feeding systems, they took on the challenge. The new business opportunity proved to be a pivotal moment for the company. Now, Rotech is highly regarded as the largest manufacturer of feeders in Britain!

19 years on and with only one upgrade along the way, the original RF1 feeder is still being used to print product information onto generic seed packets in batches – a testament to the versatility and durability of the system. Using the RF1, Kings Seeds experience no waste caused by overproduction and have the flexibility to switch between packets very quickly.

Switching to thermal inkjet technology (TIJ)

After years of growing demand for Kings Seeds products, they needed to find ways to harness their workforce more effectively. Manually filling seed packets was costly and labour intensive. To automate the process, they invested in brand-new form, fill and seal machines.

The complex machinery had to be integrated with coding equipment that could apply variable information onto sachets. Initially, they chose continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers but did not receive sufficient support to maintain the temperamental systems.

Rotech were a trusted supplier to King Seeds and had a track record of providing reliable solutions that would fix pain points in production. As such, it was no surprise that Rotech could provide an alternative to CIJ – maintenance-free, compact thermal inkjet technology!

Kings Seeds now use Rotech’s X Series TIJ printers with an intelligent control system. They have seamlessly integrated these into the form fill and seal machines and apply high-resolution product information and batch codes onto the flexible packaging.

RF Lite – takes away the burden of strict deadlines

Rotech’s engineers regularly communicate with the team at Kings Seeds, so issues that occur during production can be pinpointed and resolved efficiently. Most recently, Kings Seeds had a large order for the Chelsea flower show on a strict time limit. They found that manually feeding pouches into an industrial packing machine was slowing them down. Rotech knew there was a way to streamline the process.

Using an RF Lite, pouches were stacked in the hoppers and fed quickly through to the packing machine. Instead of smaller hand-fed stacks, larger stacks were feeding consistently and reliably. Although not a conventional use of the RF Lite, it meant operators could work faster and didn’t experience fatigue from repetitive actions.

Within a week of the first trial of the machine, Kings Seeds were reaping the benefits of the RF Lite and reached the necessary pace to comfortably complete their crucial order. If it weren’t for the strong, ongoing partnership between Kings Seeds and Rotech, it would not have been possible to identify the problem and come to an effective solution in such a short timescale.

Their team are always helpful, and willing to listen to our needs. Whilst working together with our Warehouse machine operators to produce sensible, cost-effective solutions.

Andrew Tokely, Horticultural Director

Here’s to many more years of coding and marking success

King Seeds have had to continuously develop their manufacturing methods as technology evolves and their business grows. Creating lasting business partnerships and staying true to their heritage is key to their strong brand reputation and legacy. Rotech are proud to have worked with Kings Seeds for 20 years, opening new avenues in their coding and marking. As a result, they have switched from outdated, unnecessary manual processes to efficient and reliable technologies.

Uniquely, King Seeds has also shaped Rotech’s history with their belief in the team, systems, and business. The RF1, thermal inkjet printers and RF Lite, are used to save time and maximise efficiency throughout their packaging operations. If you would like to invest in a company that not only provides solutions but partners with you to guarantee production efficiency, now and into the future, why not drop us a line?

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