Egg marking at the double

Processors, co-ops and poultry farmers needing to put four lines of text onto eggs have until now needed two single-head printers. But this is set to change with the release of Imaje's new S8 Egg Master, allowing four lines to come from one single machine.

Imaje claims that by using its Bi-Jet print head, along with its 'M head' technology, the S8 Egg Master will print four lines at high speed and with high legibility - with the aim of halving capital outlay and required floor space. The company adds that its novel food grade blue inks will also give greater potential for product differentiation and branding than the more usual red ink.

The double speed printer is just one of Imaje's line of dedicated egg printers suited to farm scale, co-op and bulk packing operations. The new printers have been designed to integrate with egg graders and achieve process speeds of up to 150,000 eggs per hour, with ease of set up and maintenance as key features.

S8 Egg machines include specially designed ink circuits and viscosity control for consistent ink delivery, whatever the temperature. Head pressurisation protects the print head from dust and other hazards. Additionally, according to Imaje, having just one print head improves reliability and simplifies maintenance. This, it claims, is further enhanced by automated nozzle cleaning at the beginning of the cycle for quick start up. All cabinets are in stainless steel.

Imaje food grade inks are compliant with regulatory standards including the US FDA and EU regulations 94/36/CE and 95/2CE. A micro fine dot pattern allows for ink migration on the shell surface to present a solid and sharp message. In addition to marking eggs with origin, production method, lay date and expiry date, users will be able to convey branding and other messages. The company also claims that the mark will remain intact even after boiling.