New high speed printing system promises production boost for HFFS lines
The ThermalPak Traversing System has been designed for high-speed multi-lane, multi row printing, said Norwood Marking Systems and Allen Coding Systems. The system features up to 14 thermal transfer print heads joined together on one common platform. It prints multiple lanes simultaneously and quickly traverses to print multiple rows before starting the next machine cycle, said a statement from the manufacturers.
Printing capabilities
Printing of fixed and variable texts, graphics or bar code formats on various substrates is accomplished thanks to its 300-dpi (12 dots per mm) resolution. It can also add expiration dates, product identification information, lot/batch numbers, company logos and more to thermoformed packages and IV bags.
Its print head speeds allows the system to print multiple rows in quick succession, achieving up to 21 cycles per minute, based on a cycle spanning 19.69 inches (500 mm) between the first row and the last.
Positioning versatility
The ThermalPak can be positioned either parallel with or perpendicular to the flow of the packaging film in the host equipment, which minimizes printer changeover when the host machine changes from one pattern to another. Repositioning of print heads can be achieved in minutes if a lane reconfiguration is needed, said a spokesman.
Additions
The system can also be equipped with thermal transfer printers to offer the optimum number of print heads and achieve the necessary print area for each application. A 4000-ft ribbon roll maximizes productivity at high line speeds. Furthermore, “intelligent ribbon handling eliminates ribbon waste by sequencing a number of short ribbon feed cycles and long ribbon feed cycles, depending on the application, to optimize ribbon consumption”, said a Norwood/Allen statement.
A spokesman explained: “Developed to maximize speed and flexibility, the ThermalPak Traversing System features Optimum Time Sharing functionality. The system indexes to the next row at the same time the print heads are returning to their starting positions. The system moves from the first row to the last during one cycle and from the last row to the first in the subsequent cycle to minimize travel time.”
