Industrial Inkjet Printing: Importance of Traceability

Barcodes and traceability are integral components of modern manufacturing and primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging processes. Whether you are a large industrial operation or a small business just starting out, ensuring that your products are properly labeled and traceable is essential. Industrial inkjet printers offer a cost-effective, automated, and reliable solution for coding your products, and it is compatible with a wide range of materials and surface types.

Why is traceability so important in manufacturing and every stage of packaging?

 One of the main reasons is safety. In the food and beverage industry, for example, traceability allows producers to track their products from farm to table, ensuring that any issues can be quickly identified and addressed. This can be especially important in the event of a recall, as it allows the company to quickly locate and remove potentially unsafe products from circulation. In the pharmaceutical industry, traceability is crucial for ensuring that the correct medications are being distributed and that they have been stored and handled properly. It also helps to prevent counterfeiting and protect consumers from potentially dangerous fake medications.

In addition to safety, traceability also plays a role in quality control and compliance. By having a clear record of a product’s journey through the manufacturing process, companies can identify areas for improvement and ensure that their products meet industry standards and government regulations. It also allows them to track and verify the authenticity of their products, which can be especially important in industries such as luxury goods.

How can industrial inkjet printers help with traceability and coding in manufacturing and packaging?

One of the main benefits of inkjet printing is its compatibility with a wide range of materials. Continuous inkjet printers (CIJ) and thermal inkjet printers (TIJ) can both utilize water-based and solvent-based ink formulas, allowing them to mark a variety of substrates including glass, cardboard, plastic, paper, rubber, and aluminum. This makes them suitable for use on a wide range of packaging materials and shapes. In addition, their non-contact printheads allow them to print on both flat and curved surfaces, making them ideal for marking products such as cans and bottles.

The Cost of Industrial Inkjet Printers

In the grand scheme of manufacturing equipment, industrial inkjet printers are affordable, making them a cost-effective option for printing on, coding and labeling products and packages. Industrial laser printers tend to be the highest cost industrial printer, and has the possibility of reaching up to six digits. There are a wide range of CIJ (continuous inkjet) printers that offer high-speed, continuous coding capabilities, often for larger operations, can run from $7,000 to $15,000. Similar in cost, are DOD high-resolutions case coders, like the CAMI Case Pro by Kortho. TIJ printer models like the CAMI ProTIJ1 and handheld Reiner printers are available for considerably less, making them a budget-friendly choice for more intermittent printing, even in larger operations, small businesses, and startups. Of course, there are a wide variety of other printers that use varied technologies to print and it is best to speak to an expert about your needs.

In addition to their compatibility and affordability, industrial inkjet printers are also known for their reliability, especially when you follow preventative maintenance best practices. Well-made models offer long-lasting performance and minimal maintenance requirements, ensuring that you can count on them to produce clear and readable codes even when you need them the most.

Overall, industrial inkjet printers offer a versatile and cost-effective solution for printing, coding and traceability in manufacturing and packaging. Compatibility with a wide range of materials, affordability, and reliability make it a valuable tool for companies looking to meet standards, regulations and ensure the safety and quality of their products.

Rely on the Experts for Industrial Inkjet Printing

With any type of specialized equipment, knowing you have the guidance and support of people with decades of experience is key. AMI has those experts at your disposable, both for choosing the right printer for your application and company as well as the ability to offer technical service and support. Contact AMI today to speak to an industrial inkjet specialist or call now: 1-800-345-6667.