Spotlight on Printing and Labelling Equipment and Services
Hot foil stamping machines
Hot foil stamping machines are suited for marking such products as IV bags, syringes, droppers, and catheter tubes. The company has produced a range of medium-duty marking machines that simultaneously perform solid and fine-line work as well as a line of small-area low-pressure equipment for fine-line work on syringes and related devices. Machine cylinders require no lubrication and air is evacuated through an exhaust manifold, making the equipment suitable for use in a cleanroom environment. PB&E Engineering Ltd.,
Slough, Berks, UK.
Thermal-transfer printer module
A thermal-transfer printer module converts a general-purpose bagging system into an in-line print-and-pack system. The addition of the PI-4000 printer module enables the user to print variable data on bags immediately prior to filling and sealing operations. This eliminates the need for separate labels and labelling procedures. The unit, which works with any IBM-compatible PC, comes with preloaded software and a built-in keypad and display. It is suited for printing high-density bar codes, alphanumerics, text, and multidimensional and multifunctional graphics. Fourteen resident fonts are included (more can be downloaded) and both fonts and bar codes are adjustable in height and width and can be rotated in 45° increments up to 270°. Automated Packaging Systems Europe N.V./S.A., Brussels, Belgium.
Multicolour printers
Continuous-motion printers for circular parts feature durable construction and a low-maintenance design. All machine parts that come into contact with the product are made of stainless steel. Offset and tampon printing equipment is supplied, and customers have the option of choosing flame or corona treatment. The machinery is subjected to preproduction testing to maximize trouble-free operation. Bader & Partner Medizintechnik GmbH,
Neumünster, Germany.
Ampoule printer
An automatic four-tampon printing line attains a throughput of approximately 2400 tenfold ampoules per hour. The ampoules are transported on a feeding conveyor that connects to the cleanroom via an air lock. A pick-and-place device puts the filled strips into the jigs, where they are subjected to a low-frequency corona treatment. A linear conveyor then transports the ampoules through the four-colour printing process, during which fixed and variable data are affixed to the product. IR drying follows cold air cooling. The printers are equipped with an ink-residue pickup system. Tampoprint GmbH, Korntal-Münchingen, Germany.
Screen printing equipment
A company's screen printing system achieves tight registration tolerances, high throughput, and reduced human intervention with a small footprint. Because the unwind and rewind stands are integrated into the print station base, the standard screen printer, including an optional drying unit, requires only 1.8 x 3.4 m of space. The unit can print a 355- or 508-mm-wide image with a 508-mm repeat; webs of varying width and material thickness can be accommodated. Depending on the material type, ink, and screen parameters, print speeds of up to 50 cycles per minute are routinely reached. Hot air, UV, IR, or a combination of drying options are available. Preco Industries International Inc., Birchington, Kent, UK.
