How to Choose a Reliable Bottle Date Coder

Whether it be a beverage bottle, milk carton, or drug container, selecting a bottle date coder to accurately and reliably print codes, like an expiration date, on a bottle is imperative. Considering medications and beverages are governed by stringent legislation, it’s critical the date code does not smudge during printing, packaging, or transportation.

Some manufacturers opt for peel and stick labels. However, these type of labels can become illegible, fall off or be unsightly to a product’s design. The answer is a reliable date coder printer, eliminating the need for peel and stick labels while being able to print on any surface of shape – be it glass, plastic, or resin. 

Below we’ll help you choose a reliable bottle date coder. We’ll explain the factors you’ll need to consider, the legislation governing bottle dates, and what’s the best date coder printer currently available.

Printing on different bottle materials

Pharmaceutical bottles and caps or lids are typically made of a rigid plastic. Food and beverage bottles, on the other hand, can come in plastic, metal, and even glass, depending on the product. 

Efficient and reliable printing on this range of materials is critical for a bottle date coder. It needs to print legible, accurate, and fast drying codes that do not fade and can be printed on the surface no matter the shape.

Here’s a list of potential bottle materials:

• Polycarbonate is a strong, translucent plastic that imitates glass.
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a smooth, non-absorbent plastic.
• Polyethylene is available in low-density (LDPE) and high-density (HDPE) forms. LDPE is lightweight and robust, suitable for squeezable containers, e.g., ketchup bottles; HDPE, however, is denser, creating a strong scent barrier.
• Polyvinyl chloride creates a strong barrier against oils, odors, and gasses – commonly used for household cleaners.
• Polypropylene is highly resistant to heat.
• Glass is firm and can be colored light or dark depending on the product.
• Metal is hard, opaque, and inert, most commonly used for beverages. 

The range of materials and curved bottle shapes present a challenge for bottle date coders. Moreover, the ink must also contrast with the bottle’s contents, retaining clarity for years even if stored in direct sunlight.

One potential solution is to print on the bottle cap rather than the bottle itself. However, this is appropriate or possible in circumstances based on the presentation of the bottle to the printer and the capabilities of the printer with regard to angles. Choosing the correct printer and ink formulation can readily solve such challenges. 

Legislative requirements for bottle date codes

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) governs all food product dating, including bottle expiration dates. However, while state-level rules often require expiration dates to be present, under federal law, such dates are only necessary for infant formula, according to the FDA.

Date codes come in two types:

1. Closed dates refer to the date of the bottling of the product. They’re often alphanumeric, with a letter taking the place of the month (e.g., E0922 reads May 9th, 2022) or using a number for every day of the year (e.g., B4022 reads February 9th, 2022).
2. Open dates refer primarily to expiration or use-by dates. Such dates do not refer to the time after which a product is unsafe to consume; rather, they state when a product’s flavor or quality is no longer optimal. Open date codes follow the standard US date format: mm/dd/yy. 

When printing expiration dates, the FDA does dictate the prefacing terminology. Phrases like “best by” are advised to clarify that the date is a suggestion instead of a steadfast safety rule. For longer-lasting products, e.g., frozen products, dates must include a year alongside the day and month. 

Bottle date coder options 

Bottle date coders need to overcome numerous challenges: high-volume, automated production lines, accurate and legible coding or printing, curved surfaces, a variety of materials, environmental factors like temperature and condensation, and more.

Two of the more common printer types are thermal inkjet (TIJ) and continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers. Here are the factors impacting each:

• Thermal inkjet printers. Designed for high-resolution coding printing, TIJ printers are more economical than their CIJ counterparts, not to mention considerably less maintenance. TIJ printers can print on plastic, metal, and glass bottles – they can even print on plastic bags.
• Continuous inkjet printers. Designed for a continuous moving production line, CIJ printers deliver quality codes at a lower resolution than TIJ printers. However, while this type of printer is meant for operations that run continuously, the amount of maintenance and upkeep for a CIJ printer is considerably more than a TIJ printer and often requires a service technician. In addition, CIJ printers have a greater “throw distance”, meaning the printhead can be positioned further away from the product compared to TIJ printers.

 

Which bottle date coder to choose?

Based on our decades of experience, we know that choosing the right printer for codes on your bottles are based on a wide range of factors, including, but not limited to material, line speed, printers per minute, type of message or code, environment, and much more. We have seen that thermal inkjet printers are often the best solution, especially for smaller companies and more intermittent runs.

Here are the benefits of using a TIJ date coder:

1. Adaptable. TIJ printers readily swap between water-based, solvent-based, and specialty security inks to print crisp, durable date codes on any surface. 
2. Permanent. When combined with the correct ink formulation, TIJ printers produce a permanent, reliable, sharp date code that will remain through the shipping and packing process. It’s even resistant to fading in direct sunlight. 
3. High resolution. Government regulatory guidelines can be stringent, with severe penalties for noncompliance. As a result, date codes must be legible, regardless of the bottle material. 
4. Flexible. TIJ printers come in handheld and inline varieties suitable for applying date codes in all settings, be it on the shop floor for re-work for small batches or integrated into a production line. 

 

Get an in-depth consultation

We appreciate the significant challenge of printing accurate, long-lasting, and legible date codes on all bottles. While AMI offers a variety of reliable TIJ printers that will help meet all the regulatory requirements, ensuring the date codes are clear and visible, we know that what you need specifically may vary based on the factors mentioned above and more. In fact, if AMI doesn’t have the solution for you, we’ll help you find a company who does! Speak to our expert team for further information about bottle date coders and how to overcome any unique challenges you might be facing.