Equipped With A New Print Engine, The VIAjet™ T-Series E High-Resolution Piezo Inkjet Printer Runs Up To 50% Faster And Nearly Doubles The Ink Throw Distance Over Previous Models

Ideal for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies marking on corrugated cartons and industrial customers marking porous substrates, the T-Series E comes in three models:

• T50E – Horizontal orientation printing of 25 lines of text or images up to 50 millimeters (2 inches) tall.
• T100E – Horizontal orientation printing of 50 lines of text or images up to 100 millimeters (4 inches) tall.
• T100SE – Vertical orientation for down/right-angle printing of 50 lines of text, or images up to 100 millimeters (4 inches) tall.

"When we set out to enhance and improve the previous VIAjet T-Series, we wanted to give customers direct carton marking that was fast, accurate, easier to operate and less expensive than print-and-apply adhesive labeling systems," explains Ray Fortuna, Technical Product Manager at Matthews Marking Systems. "The new E print head achieves all four of those objectives."

The new print head enables carton marking at production line speeds up to 50% faster than the previous model. "We've successfully proved that a production line utilizing the standard print engine—running at 260 feet-per-minute with ink coverage of about 18% of the side of a white corrugated box—can be increased to 320 feet-per-minute with the enhanced print engine. No shadowing or ghosting of text or barcodes were observed, and the barcodes repeatedly scanned as A grades," Fortuna notes.

In addition to keeping up with faster production line speeds, the new print head also allows for an increased throw distance, he continues: "Previously, for maximum mark clarity and readability, the print head had to be positioned 1 to 3 millimeters (less than 1/8-inch) away from the substrate; the new model allows us to increase that throw distance to 6 millimeters (1/4-inch) without any loss of barcode quality. Text can be printed up to 12 millimeters (1/2-inch) away and the marks are still strong, crisp and dark."

Further, the extra distance minimizes the risk of a slightly bulging box side coming into contact with the printer, which prevents dust build up in the ink nozzles, reduces maintenance and extends the life of the print head. Not only does less frequent maintenance contribute to a lower total cost of ownership, high-resolution on-demand marking also removes the need to print and store numerous sizes of pre-printed cartons in inventory.

Additionally, it eliminates the expenses associated with purchasing and stocking adhesive labels, as well as dealing with paper liner waste. "Direct carton marking with the T-Series E is approximately one-tenth the cost of printing and applying labels," Fortuna adds.

He also notes that by grouping multiple print heads, message sizes far larger than a standard 4x6-inch label can be achieved. This messaging includes large stitched images, logos and multiple lines of text, as well as dynamic data such as "best by," production time and lot coding information.

The VIAjet T-Series E is controlled by Matthews Marking Systems' MPERIA^® marking and coding automation platform. MPERIA centralizes control of all primary, secondary and tertiary print operations, and easily integrates with current enterprise systems. MPERIA can also control existing third-party marking and coding equipment to reduce downtime and cost while increasing productivity.

"To validate barcode clarity and readability, MPERIA can be configured to work with an in-line vision system to automatically verify that each T-Series E printed mark meets a pre-set grade standard," says Fortuna. "Although the printer produces perfect marks more than 99.9% of the time, for an operation running tens of thousands of marks a day, 0.1% adds up."

When the scanning system detects a mark whose quality does not meet the grade standard, MPERIA communicates with the production line control system to divert the product to a reject conveyor. MPERIA simultaneously sends the same mark for printing on a desktop print-and-apply label system for manual placement on top of the previous mark, which avoids wasted product and scrapped packaging.

"This system ensures that no poor marks leave a facility, preventing non-compliance issues and ensuring customer satisfaction. We can provide 100% readability of all printed products," he concludes.

For more information, contact Natalie Pizzi at Matthews Marking Systems at 412.477.5019, [email protected], or visit matthewsmarking.com.

ABOUT MATTHEWS MARKING SYSTEMS
Matthews Marking Systems is a global supplier of printing solutions for product identification, branding, and traceability, designed to help our customers increase productivity, reduce waste and improve overall efficiency. We offer robust and reliable systems of unmatched quality for marking needs across packaging and industrial applications, including a full line of high-resolution inkjet, laser, and drop-on-demand valve jet technologies, high-performance inks, and integrated solutions for marking and coding automation. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and with subsidiaries in Sweden, Germany and China, we serve customers worldwide through an extensive sales, service and distribution network. With over 160 years of marking and coding experience, Matthews Marking Systems has established a global reputation as a premier innovator and manufacturer in the marking and coding industry. 

ABOUT MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Matthews International Corporation is a global provider of brand solutions, memorialization products and industrial automation solutions. The SGK Brand Solutions segment is a leader in the delivery of brand development, activation and deployment services that help build our clients' brands and consumers' desire for them.  The Memorialization segment is a leading provider of memorialization products (memorials, caskets and cremation equipment) to cemetery and funeral home customers that help families move from grief to remembrance. The Industrial segment designs, manufactures and distributes marking, coding and industrial automation technologies and solutions. We have more than 10,000 dedicated employees in more than 25 countries on six continents that are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services.  

SOURCE Matthews Marking Systems

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