Printed code quality and machine reliability are the major benefits of two Linx 8920 Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printers installed at Decantae Mineral Water, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of premium bottled waters.
Using specialist Linx Black bottling ink 1058, the Linx 8920s print batch and best-before information onto both glass and PET bottles. Importantly, the ink is able to print through any condensation on the bottles with a fast drying time, avoiding the danger of smudging and ensuring a high clarity, quality code in keeping with Decantae Mineral Water’s premium brand positioning.
The reliable operation of the two Linx CIJ printers, handling up to 11,000 bottles per hour on lines that run from around eight to 11 hours each day, is in direct contrast to the printers they have replaced. These were so unreliable that an engineer was in almost constant attendance and spare printers were kept on-hand to act as a back-up when one failed on the line.
The consistent, trouble-free operation of the Linx 8920s with minimal intervention has therefore been of huge benefit to Decantae Mineral Water, enabling the company to maintain output and meet demand, particularly vital during the busy summer months, as well as freeing up the engineer to carry out his regular duties.
With the company filling a wide range of bottle sizes (330ml, 500ml and 750ml in glass and seven sizes in PET from 250ml to 2 litres) there are frequent changeovers on the lines. The Linx 8920s’ intuitive interface enables setup to be carried out quickly and easily by any operator.
The printers provide service intervals of 18,000 hours or 24 months. In addition, the unique Advanced System Monitoring provides a continual check of their operation in terms of ink system running parameters and environmental conditions. This enables the Linx 8920s to identify simple actions that users can take to prevent unscheduled stoppages, helping to ensure continuous reliable operation and avoid unplanned downtime.
“We are delighted with the Linx 8920s,” comments Decantae Mineral Water’s factory manager Mark Maberly.
“In terms of code quality, this is exactly in keeping with our brand values as a premium product, while the reliability of the printers helps to ensure that production throughput is consistently maintained.”
