How to achieve cost-effective coding in the food industry

How to achieve cost-effective coding in the food industry

What’s in our food and where does it come from? Demand for greater transparency about what we eat is one of the key trends shaping the food industry today. Consumers are challenging food manufacturers to print more information on their product packaging than ever before. But not all coding machines are up to the task.

Operating in one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, food manufacturers face a high bar for product labelling. And that bar’s being raised even higher by consumer-lead demand for product details to help them make informed choices.

What’s needed: a coding solution able to safely and reliably print linear 1D and datamatrix 2D barcodes, lot numbers, batch codes, Best Before dates, and written product information, whether it’s on glass, cardboard or plastic film.

But print quality is not the only consideration for manufacturers checking if their coding machines are up to the task. In today’s economic climate, many industries are under pressure to strip out costs and boost efficiency in their production lines, and Food is no exception. The global pandemic has added to economic uncertainty and disrupted supply chains. For some food manufacturers, these financial concerns are holding them back from replacing tired equipment.

There is a solution.

edding compact printers combine quality results with low-cost, efficient running. The edding in-line and portable deliver high resolution coding on almost any surface in the most testing of production environments. And, they’ve also been engineered to maximise production uptime and drive down operating costs.

Both up-front and running costs are low. Unlike other inkjet coding technologies, there is no need for expensive service contracts. Built around clean Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) technology, the machines never need servicing and require only minimal maintenance. The only on-going cost is ink cartridges.

If there is a problem, you just need to pause production for a few seconds while you change the ink cartridge. And in the unlikely event that a problem was to occur, the printer’s powerful connectivity means that we can fix it off site, immediately. No need to wait for a technician to come and diagnose the problem.

edding compact printers have also been designed for ease of use to maximise production uptime. The printer comes in an all-in-one box, with all the accessories needed to get printing straight away. The intuitive handling and clear user guides means that anyone can install and begin operating the machine in just a few minutes – no training or engineer required.

Finally, for greater flexibility, the printers are also available via edding’s flexible leasing arrangement.

Contact us to find out more about how edding compact printers can meet your traceability needs.