TIJ printers streak through coding
tasks at molls
In the first UK installation of its kind, From its Birmingham slicing and with an indexing unit. However, these
Rotech has supplied Molls Bacon with a packaging facility, Molls Bacon supplies large systems are not only expensive to
five head, centrally-controlled TIJ (thermal the food service and retail markets in the buy, but also to operate. Ribbon is often
ink jet) coding solution. The capital UK and overseas with vacuum and MAP wasted and the disposal of the ribbon
cost was a third less than the indexing packed bacon, sold under its Cole Valley and cores is an added expense. Even
thermal transfer systems that are usually brand as well as under customers’ own when using continuous inkjet (CIJ) for
specified for these on-thermoformer labels. Molls was already buying coding such an installation, this brings with it
applications, and the bacon producer consumables from Rotech, so when it unnecessary costs, both in terms of initial
is enjoying low running costs thanks to needed a new automated system for investment, running costs and waste
exceptional ink economy, reduced set-up applying date codes and batch numbers disposal.
times and zero servicing. to the film lids of thermoformed packs,
“I’m very impressed that the only upkeep
I have to do on these printers is clean the
it sought advice from the Hertfordshire
coding specialist.
Rotech’s expertise spans all coding
technologies, but in recent years it has
become more heavily involved with TIJ,
heads twice a day. The unit is very efficient Up until this point, Molls Bacon had been as an increasing number of companies
in regards to ink consumption there is still overprinting labels with coding data, then look to replace TT and CIJ (continuous ink
40% ink left and we haven’t yet replaced the using a label applicator to apply the labels jet) printers with clean, cost effective and
cartridges since they were installed in March. across the web path. A move from labels compact TIJ units. TIJ does not require
If I’d known then what I know now about TIJ to pre-printed film prompted the bacon ribbons, significantly reducing cost of
technology, I would have had these printers processor to look at direct coding options. ownership on simple coding jobs through
on our other thermoformer,” enthuses The industry standard solution for coding savings on the ribbons themselves and
Matthew Oswell, engineering manager at film on a thermoformer is to use a TT time spent changing ribbons. TIJ units are
Molls Bacon. (thermal transfer) printer in conjunction also lighter and more compact than TT
30 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk