The challenge

• Large-format printing replaces labels
• Double-sided printing
• Automatic transfer of print data

Result

• 1,500 cartons per day are printed per day and line
• 300,000 cartons per year
• 150 metres per minute at 360 dpi – above-average speed

‘We manufacture all parts for our products in Switzerland, wind the motors ourselves and have the highest quality standards,’ explains Erich Eigenmann, CEO of Esge AG. The kitchen appliances are exported to over 40 countries from the Swiss town of Mettlen. ‘To simplify handling and warehouse management, our customers and distributors want us to provide our outer cartons with EAN codes,’ adds COO Marcel Buff. This is done by several printing systems from the marking provider Bluhm Weber Group.

Large-format printing replaces labels

After production, Esge employees pack the magic wands into outer cartons. To ensure that the company only has to stock one type of outer carton, the neutral cardboard boxes are individually printed with content-specific information. Depending on customer requirements, this includes, for example, the article description, article number and weight in plain text and encrypted as an EAN code. This wealth of information requires a relatively large print area. Esge uses a piezo inkjet system developed by the Markoprint division of Bluhm Weber Group in collaboration with ink manufacturer SEIKO. This Markoprint Integra PP 108 enables large-character printing with font heights of up to 108 millimetres, offering a genuine alternative to more cost-intensive labelling.

Double-sided printing

To ensure that the contents of the cardboard boxes remain readable from several sides, depending on how they are stacked or stored, Esge AG prints the same information on both sides of the outer cartons. To do this, the print heads of two systems are mounted on the side of a conveyor belt. This allows them to automatically print on the cardboard boxes as they pass by. After the cartons have passed the first printer, they reach the part of the conveyor belt that is mounted at a 90-degree angle. They pass the second printer, are printed on the second side and reach the goods issue area.

‘We print 1,500 cartons per belt every day – that's 300,000 cartons per year,’ explains Marcel Buff. This is no problem for the integra PP 108 printers. They apply information to absorbent surfaces at an above-average speed of 150 metres per minute at 360 dpi. Lightning-fast text changes with more than 50 variable data per second are possible.

Automatic transmission of print data

The interfaces were also a decisive factor in the selection of the printing systems. ‘It was very important to us that the print data could be transferred to the systems easily and very quickly,’ recalls Marcel Buff. The devices are operated directly by the production staff. They conveniently select the respective print job on the PC and thus control the printers.

The integra PP 108 systems are also extremely easy to maintain during operation. The recirculating ink system, for example, ensures that no nozzles fail and the print image remains razor-sharp at all times. Since the ink can be refilled during operation, there are no interruptions in production. In addition to cardboard, the piezo printers can also reliably print on non-absorbent surfaces with high abrasion resistance on request. They use a UV ink that dries within milliseconds under UV light. The two-colour version of the PP 108 is unique in that it uses two ink colours simultaneously. This enables, for example, black and red markings with just one device. Other colours available are green and blue.