Pack, Fill, Seal! Our New Multi Format VFFS Packaging Machine

Fast • Flexible • Trusted

Our new VFFS packaging machinery range is ideal for effortlessly packing almost any dry product! 

The IRTA Multiformat Machines are perfect Whether you are looking to pack snacks, nuts, confectionery, dried fruit, powders, spices, seeds, pet food…the list is endless.

Pack examples:

FAST – Up to 100 bags per minute

FLEXIBLE – 5 different bag types

TRUSTED – sold globally for its quality4

Recently we have expanded our range of solutions and partnered with machine manufacturers and market leaders in Spain, the IRTA Group. This new partnership enables us to offer a range of high performance multiformat packaging machines to the UK market.

IRTA specialise in manufacturing high quality Vertical form fill and sealing machine (VFFS). With an expert engineering team and UK based Sales and Engineering support these versatile machines are designed to be robust, reliable and versatile, ideal for nuts, snacks and dried fruits!
The high performance IRTA VX STB DOY multiformat bag packaging machine allows fast and effortless changes using the latest innovative technology. This is the most suitable vertical packaging machine (VFFS) for making the most common sized bags on a single machine – Doy pouch, pillow type, block bottom, block bottom quad seal and 4 and 5 seals, envelope.


Learn more about the VFFS Doy Packaging Machines

Call Xact today to find out more!  Tel: 0151 479 3020  Email: info@xactpack.co.uk
Click here for more: https://xactpack.co.uk/prepack/vffs-packaging-machines/
All systems are supported by our team of experienced engineers. 

Command and Control Your Production Goals With Drop-on-Demand Valvejet Printing and Xact

See in 2 minutes how to keep your production line marking and coding at peak productivity with the V-Series Drop-on-Demand valvejet printers. Excelling in challenging environments, the V-Series thrives in primary and secondary printing on a variety of applications including wood, building products, steel/metal, rubber, concrete, stone as well as corrugate packaging, bags, and cartons. The V-Series is driven by MPERIA; the automated, centralised, and adaptable marking and coding platform. From operating a single printer on a single production line to multiple marking systems across many lines, MPERIA is the industry’s only controller than can do it all.

For further information call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Video courtesy of Matthews Marking Systems: https://matthewsmarking.com

Polytag, Xact and Interket partner for DDRS pilot

Recycling technology company Polytag, one of the UK’s leading coding and marking specialists, Xact and label manufacturer Interket have teamed up to enable Ocado Retail to deliver a first-of-its-kind Digital Deposit Return Scheme (DDRS) pilot in the UK.

The trial will test the feasibility of a key component of a DDRS – the application of ‘unique-every-time’ QR codes to packaging. Xact and Interket will apply Polytag’s codes to Ocado’s fully recyclable two-pint and four-pint milk bottles, made up of at least 30 percent recycled material, over the next 12 weeks.

Until now, it has only been possible to print ‘unique-every-time’ QR codes using digital label printing, at significantly reduced speeds and far higher costs. This new process, developed by Xact and Polytag, means that brands and retailers can continue to use standard plate printing label techniques and simply digitize a 16mm x 16mm white space on the label using a proprietary connection to the Polytag technology.

Polytag’s ‘unique-every-time’ QR codes will be printed onto Interket’s Ecoket labels, which are manufactured from a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer recyclate (PCR).

English, Welsh and Northern Irish governments are expected to announce the response to the DRS consultation in the coming months. There is increasing pressure on the devolved administrations to consider a complementary digital solution – particularly following widespread criticism of the Scottish reverse vending machine-based DRS rollout.

Upon scanning the QR codes, consumers will also receive instructions and a clear call-to-action for shoppers, further simplifying the recycling process.

Polytag’s QR code and app-based mobile phone technology is also built to meet GS1 standards, following its approval by GS1 UK earlier this year. This means recyclable goods can be tracked and traced through the circular economy, providing stakeholders with never-before-seen packaging lifecycle information, and opportunities to collaborate easily through the use of global, interoperable data standards.

Chris Jolly, director at Xact, commented, “It’s fantastic to be involved in such a pioneering and creative project. Xact has over 40 years’ industry experience, and we are proud that our GS1 compliant coding, traceability and software solutions are helping to enable this ground-breaking and ethical process. We have partnered with Polytag on this project since its infancy in 2017 and remain excited for the future and the endless possibilities that could change the face of recycling.”

Commenting on the trial, Alice Rackley, CEO, Polytag, said: ‘This world-first trial has game-changing implications for recycling in this country. A successful trial, supported by ‘the world’s largest online-only supermarket Ocado Retail, will be a significant step towards the implementation of a DDRS in this country that will provide a much more convenient and environmentally friendly way for households to recover their deposits. Not only that, brands will be presented with radical new marketing tools and a wealth of data on how consumers are recycling their products.’

Laura Fernandez, senior packaging and sustainability manager at Ocado Retail, concluded: ‘As the world’s largest online supermarket, we champion the use of innovative technology as we strive to become the UK’s most sustainable grocery retailer. Polytag’s digital platform offers plenty of environmental and economic benefits for retailers and customers alike – it’s easy to use and when used at scale, could have a hugely positive impact on the nation’s deposit return scheme. We’re looking forward to seeing how our customers respond to the trial and how many would redeem their deposit at home.’

David Acott, operations director (UK), Interket, added, “We are delighted that one of our Ecoket range of materials is being used in this ground-breaking trial with exciting implications for the industry. It has been great to work with Polytag’s retrofitted technology. It feels like the start of something very special and opens up amazing new opportunities for the label market, brands and retailers.”

For further information call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

A Leading Producer of Pickles and Peppers, Streamlines Production With the Help of the MPERIA® Marking and Coding System.

A pickle and pepper producer has been delighting customers for more than 95 years, annually producing millions of cases of pickles, peppers, and relish in their 300,000 sq ft facility. Ten production lines produce both six-pack cases and 12 pack cases of their branded products as well as third-party products.

The company found that dated marking equipment required substantial maintenance and it didn’t provide the flexibility needed for the variety of tray packs with the company prints on. Additionally, the barcodes printed were inconsistent and not always readable, causing quality holds and potential rejection by their customers in distribution centres. Needing a new solution they shopped the market for a company with better technology and top-tier customer service.

“We looked at 3 or 4 other companies and other marking systems, but we chose the MPERIA L-Series thermal inkjet solution  for a variety of reasons. Number 1, we liked their technology. We liked the cartridge system, because every time we changed cartridges, we got a new printhead installed. We liked the options – they had bag systems or bulk systems. And the setup and customisation we were able to do, Matthews worked with us throughout the whole project to a large testing timeframe, and we were able to do customisations that we needed to do. I thought the customer service was just excellent, so that’s a lot of the reasons we went with Matthews.” – Head of Manufacturing

The Challenge

The company was faced with illegible barcodes and unreliable marking equipment that was expensive to maintain. The old dot matrix style of printing experienced clogged ports that caused lines in their barcodes which made them unreadable. The legacy system was inflexible and they were forced to deploy two different sets of printers to accommodate the variety of cases and tray packs they need to mark. And their customers wanted a better print setup that enabled barcodes to be scanned from a greater distance.

The Solution

The solution was to install the MPERIA L-Series thermal inkjet printers on ten manufacturing lines. The stitched L-Series L1 TIJ printers provide high-resolution 2-inch marking capability on both sides of their tray packs and cases. The solution includes the intuitive, easy-to-operate MPERIA controller for each of the production lines as well as the ABIS bulk ink supply system, allowing it to run nearly non-stop.

“So we worked with them to install VIAjet printer technology and that has proved to be very, very reliable, very clean and very good barcodes.” – said the Head of Manufacturing.

Unlike the old print technology that required two different sets of printers, one set for six-pack cases and one for 12 pack cases, the MPERIA L-Series solution consolidated everything into one print area. This markedly improved efficiency while substantially reducing the maintenance burden.

Three ways the company increased production:

1. Reduced scrap and re-work.

Crisp, clear, legible barcodes from the MPERIA L-Series gave the company exactly what they and their customers in distribution needed. Cases and tray packs of pickles did not have to be re-worked because of poor print quality, ensuring a productivity boost while reducing quality holds in distribution centres.

“We saw a reduction of 70-75% downtime related just to printer technology. And then we probably reduced our quality holds related to printing issues around 80% just by going to the new technology.” – Head of Manufacturing.

2. Substantial maintenance savings.

Unlike the legacy marking system that required regular monitoring and maintenance, the MPERIA L-Series is incredibly easy to maintain. Swapping the print cartridge means a new printhead each time, removing one of the main pain points from the legacy system. 

3. Improved flexibility.

MPERIA L1 printheads are very compact and offer the additional benefit of being able to be stitched together in an array allowing larger prints or specific mark sizes. The company eliminated a redundant set of printers and consolidated everything into one print area by deploying the L1s.

“Previously, we used to use two different sets of printers, we used one set of printers for six-pack cases and we used a second set of printers for 12 pack cases, and by going to this system, we consolidated everything into one print area.” – Head of Manufacturing

The Results

The company was able to achieve a 30% reduction in the cost per mark on their cases and tray packs after installing the MPERIA L-Series solution. Additionally, they experienced a 70-75% reduction in downtime related to printer technology and a decrease of nearly 80% in quality holds related to marking problems from the legacy system.

“Through ink savings alone, we will have the entire cost as a capital project paid off in two-and-a-half years. And there’s an immense amount of maintenance savings and labour hours savings…..” – Project Manager

For further information call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Manufacturer of Dietary Supplements Saves Time, Reduces Waste, and Increases Marking Flexibility with New Coding Solution.

Seeking to eliminate labour and errors due to previous product carton embossing process, a leading pharmaceutical company chose a more flexible marking and coding system.

The Challenge

A leading pharmaceutical manufacturing facility sought a new solution. After the company purchased new L-Series thermal inkjet marking and coding system, time previously spent operating the old system was cut by as much as 1.5 hours per print run, errors and resulting waste were significantly reduced, and the ability to print on bottles—in addition to boxes—was gained. These benefits yielded a complete return on investment for the manufacturer in less than three months.

The Pharmaceuticals manufacturer produces a variety of dietary supplements and functional beverages. To mark two lines of lot numbers and best before dates on their product boxes after the contents (bottles or sachets) were packaged and prior to the overwrapping process, the company used a box embossing printer. This was labour intensive to set up and operate plus if the mark was incorrect the boxes could not be re-printed, resulting in lost time and waste.

Additionally, at least one of the four staffers managing the marking and coding process had to operate the embossing printer. That process could take as long as 1.5 hours to print a single batch of approximately 1,640 boxes. The box embosser was also unable to mark the bottom of bottles, forcing the company to instead mark labels with lot numbers and best before dates in a separate process, then apply them to the bottles.

VIAjet™ L-Series L12 thermal inkjet printing system was connected to their packaging line, and a successful trial run of both boxes and bottles was undertaken.

Engineered for industrial and packaging marking—such as batch codes, date codes, fixed and variable texts, graphics and barcodes—on porous and non-porous materials, the L-Series L12 sports a 0.5-inch thermal inkjet printhead capable of making up to 0.5-inch-tall marks in either horizontal or down print directions. It can be configured to mark high-resolution print (600 x 600 dots per inch) at speeds up to 200 feet per minute, or to mark 600 x 75 dots per inch at high speeds up to 1,660 feet per minute, easily accommodating the BF SUMA’s desired production rate of 25 to 40 marks per minute.

The management team were impressed by the ease of set up, flexibility afforded by the TIJ system. Although the company was only considering using the L-Series to imprint on boxes, the demo proved it capable of marking the bottom of its bottles.  The system also gave a wider range of printing options such as text size and variable lengths.

The Results
LABOUR SAVING: Since the installation the company have eliminated one labour hour per person, as the printing happens automatically once the boxes are conveyed to the device.

SPACE SAVING & EASE OF USE: Additionally, the marking system is much smaller than the previous embossing printer, which was so large it required dedicated floor space.

WASTE REDUCTION:  The company is also able to do away with printing separate labels for bottles, as the same VIAjet printer can be used to mark the bottles directly and in different character sizes and lengths.

FAST ROI: Due to all these benefits, the company achieved a full return on its investment in the VIAjet system within three months.

Xact is a full-service provider of marking technologies from World Leading manufacturer Matthews Marking Systems. Our experts will be happy to provide you with free, no-obligation advice on your marking requirements, including on-site at your production facility.

For further information call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

UKCA Marking: Prepare For The New Marking Requirement With Xact!

Are you required to mark your goods with the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) logo? The team at XACT will be happy to show you how to integrate the new mark into your production process.

The UKCA marking requirement for the UK will soon come into effect for a wide range of manufacturing companies trading in the UK. Prepare your production line for the new requirement during the transition period which ends on December 31, 2022.

Reliable UKCA marking with Xact!

Inkjet printing solutions from Xact are ideal for applying the UKCA mark to your goods for their reliability and crisp printing capabilities. If you already have an inkjet printing system in your production facility, we will be happy to work with you to evaluate the options for integrating the new marking requirement into it.

During a free on-site visit to your production facility, we will check to see how well the print image of your marking system can be adapted to comply with the new regulations. If the printable area of your marking system is already exhausted, an expansion of the printable area is conceivable: for example, by adding another print head or by replacing a printer with a print head with an extended print height.

UKCA marking is only mandatory for goods intended for distribution and trade in the United Kingdom including England, Wales, and Scotland with additional marking required for Northern Ireland. In other countries of the European Union, the CE mark must still be applied.

Flexibility is what counts

Marking with our MPERIA® printing systems is ideal precisely because it’s possible to change the print image at any time, even during the ongoing production process. This flexibility is crucial for a smooth and efficient production and keeps your ink consumption low. With the MPERIA controller, you have the flexibility to meet exactly these different marking requirements: First mark the quantity of goods required for the UK market with the UKCA print image and then switch to marking with the CE logo during the ongoing production process. Of course, you could also apply the CE mark together with the UKCA logo to your goods. In this case, however, the space and ink requirements are a decisive criterion.

Questions about the implementation of the UKCA marking in your industry? We’ll be happy to prepare you for the new regulation

Xact is a full-service provider of marking technologies from World Leading manufacturer Matthews Marking Systems. Our experts will be happy to provide you with free, no-obligation advice on your marking requirements, including on-site at your production facility.

For further information call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Command and Control Your Entire Production Line With MPERIA®

See how a marking and coding controller can lead to measurable results on your production line. Improve your productivity, reduce human error and associated costs while future-proofing your technology investment with the easy-to-use MPERIA controller.

Whether operating a single printer on a single production line or multiple printers across many lines, the MPERIA platform is the industry’s only universal marking and coding controller that can do it all!

From easy message creation to marking automation, MPERIA gives you seamless integration with your backend business systems (as well as PLCs)( and reliable operation day in and day out). Connect third-party printers or vision systems for tracking and code validation without hassle; MPERIA is as simple or as sophisticated as you need – it really does it all so you don’t have to.

For further information about MPERIA® and our range of printing technologies, please call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Metal Marking Gets 50% Efficiency Boost!

An International supplier within the aluminium extrusions industry upgraded from CIJ to DOD to achieve 50% improved efficiency, lower costs, and anticipated one-year ROI.

After experiencing consistent, production-halting performance issues with their existing CIJ printing solution, the company tackled their challenge by implementing VIAjet™ V-Series DOD Inkjet Printer with the MPERIA® automation platform from World Leading coding experts Matthews Marking Systems.

The company’s CIJ marking equipment regularly caused production line stoppage, putting their schedule at risk. Known for quality, expertise, and timeliness; failing to deliver on time to customers was unacceptable. The team replaced their existing printing solution with the VIAjet™ V-Series DOD inkjet printer with the MPERIA® automation platform.

Implementing this advanced system allowed the company to quickly achieve:

+ 50% greater line efficiency

+ Centralised control of print production

+ Substantially lower maintenance costs

+ Decreased ink costs

The new solution didn’t require any modifications to the existing production line and overall they anticipate seeing a full return on their investment within one year!

The Challenge

The company’s existing CIJ solution was not sustainable. They needed a dependable, industrial-grade marking solution that could:
+ Excel in the mill’s harsh environment,
+ Reliably perform with minimal maintenance, and
+ Produce a quality mark consistent with the brands reputation.

Their Plant Manager explained, “The system required a lot of ongoing maintenance, and regularly drove up our downtime costs.  There were times when we couldn’t fulfill customer orders because the printers were not working.  At times, the team was forced to move their one functional CIJ printer between facilities in order to maintain production flow.  We couldn’t afford to consistently delay customer orders due to printer malfunctions and those delays hurt our customer relationships and were damaging to our brand.”

The Solution

The VIAjet V-Series DOD inkjet printer with the MPERIA automation platform easily fulfilled their requirements, ensuring they could confidently meet operational goals while delivering customer satisfaction.

Outstanding Reliability, Durability, and Efficiency

The solution is durable enough to withstand even the most challenging industrial environments; provides optimal efficiency with the longest-life printheads in the industry (over 9 billion firings); and reliably prints crisp, clear marks with precise placement and timing. Routine cleaning and maintenance is greatly simplified with the flushing valve systems in the V-Series. An advanced printhead nozzle design, featuring exclusive micro-valve ink circulation technology, dramatically lowers ink consumption without compromising print quality. The combination of reliability, durability and efficiency allowed them to maintain maximum line productivity with minimal maintenance and almost no down time, driving their efficiency boost to a 50% gain.

Seamless Integration and Full Scalability

Designed to integrate easily with existing or new production lines, the VIAjet V-Series DOD inkjet printer with MPERIA controller is a complete solution that can function in a stand-alone or networked environment. The modular nature of the system makes it easy to grow from one V-Series on a line to multiple V-Series printers on additional lines, all driven by a single controller.

Centralised Control and Usability

MPERIA gives the company the capability to control marking and coding operations at any point on the production line from one central location. The single “one-touch” user interface controls all equipment—printers, barcode readers, vision systems, scales, and actuators—without the need for third-party software. MPERIA’s built-in message automation combined with the easy-to-use
control interface provides labour savings over the previous CIJ solution by reducing equipment touches and the training requirement for line operators and maintenance personnel.

Clear, Crisp Marks

The VIAjet V-Series DOD valve jet printheads produce incredible print quality on both porous and non-porous substrates including cardboard, wood, metal, rubber, and more. And they are able to achieve this high level of quality while also offering one of the fastest printing speeds in the industry at up to 780 feet per minute. The system is compatible with a wide variety of pigmented, dye-based, and fluorescent inks—including fast-dry versions—ensuring customers always have the exact ink needed for their mark.

The Results

“The VIAjet V-Series DOD inkjet printer has improved our efficiency by 50%.  In addition, the system is extremely robust and reliable, requires only minimal maintenance, and is much easier to operate. We finally feel confident that we can consistently deliver our customers’ orders on time,” explained their Plant Manager. In addition to these critical benefits, the company also reduced their
consumable costs thanks to the V-Series more efficient ink usage and lower-cost inks. They expect a full return on their investment within one year. By implementing the VIAjet V-Series DOD inkjet printer with MPERIA, the company has successfully ensured the end-to-end efficacy of their operation and eliminated issues that were negatively affecting customer relations and brand reputation.

ENDS

About the MPERIA® VIAjet V-Series Printing System

The MPERIA® VIAjet V-Series printing system represents the latest and most robust industrial ink-jet marking technology available, ensuring dependable long-term performance and reliability in the most demanding operating environments.  The system provides exceptional versatility and print quality for the application of variable product information and traceability codes, as well as barcodes, logos and graphics onto both porous and non-porous materials.

Typical applications include the coding & marking of Construction Products, Chemicals & Fertiliser, Industrial Packaging, Automotive Products, Foams, Plastics & Films, Paper & Pulp. The capability to operate in these sectors means that more basic applications are also suited to the V-series printer.

Click here for more on the VIAjet V-Series System

Click here to watch a video on MPERIA® and the benefits it could bring to your business.

For further information about MPERIA® and our range of printing technologies, please call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Case Coding for Worldwide Produce Brand = Major Productivity Gains and Cost Savings!

A worldwide leader in the procurement and marketing of fresh avocados and other fresh produce as well as the manufacturing and distribution of prepared avocado products and salsas were looking for a better system.

The company has been proudly serving produce wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants worldwide since 1924. Now, faced with excessive material expenses, downtime, and waste due to coding errors, and a critical lack of after-sales support, they turned to MPERIA to increase efficiency and decrease costs.

The company was using a standard Product Traceability Initiative (PTI) labelling solution that was costly in terms of operational expenses and risks.

By implementing MPERIA’s automated and centralised marking and coding solution with thermal inkjet (TIJ) print technology, they were able to achieve the following:

  • MAJOR COST REDUCTION – of material and maintenance
  • INCREASED EFFICIENCY – due to automation and centralised control
  • STRONGER SECURITY – via tiered user access
  • PEACE OF MIND – with excellent after-sales, one-on-one support
  • EXCELLENT ROI – solution will pay for itself in under a year

The Challenge
The company ships 12 million boxes of avocados annually. Their 53,000-square-foot facility contains 23 production lines and has served multiple purposes over the decades.

“Our previous marking solution was very expensive and completely lacking in after-sales support,” explained the Operations Manager at the plant. Repeated mislabelling issues resulted in production downtime, waste, and additional expenses to replace materials and product; a new solution was needed. “Data integration issues were not uncommon and—unfortunately—when they cropped up there was no one we could call to help us sort out technical problems.” In short, the traditional PTI labelling solution was costing the team, money and aggravation on an almost daily basis. They needed a more advanced solution that used technology to streamline the marking process; and they needed a reliable and responsive support team to help ensure everything was running smoothly.

The Solution
The MPERIA®️ platform with TIJ technology was the solution. Easy to implement, MPERIA is the only universal marking and coding automation platform that works with virtually any hardware or software. Its impressive flexibility makes it the ideal solution in a wide variety of environments and scenarios.

MPERIA®️ also allows for the centralisation of the marking process, simplifying initial setup and making it easy to scale the operation for growth. The system enables consolidated control over all marking and coding—whether from the factory floor or the production manager’s office—across primary, secondary, and tertiary lines.

The final solution included 22 L50 Printheads with thermal inkjet print technology and one MPERIA Standard Controller. This configuration allowed the company to put an individual printhead on each drop line—a creative idea that wasn’t possible with their old labelling solution. This innovation eliminated 100% of data integration errors as each drop line managed its own PTI coding information—no more camera system required for variable box sizes on the main conveyor line.

The Results

MAJOR REDUCTION IN COSTS: By transitioning from a labelling solution to direct print and eliminating the need for costly label materials, the company was able to instantly reduce overall costs to about one-fifth of what they had previously been paying. Also, because the cartridge-based system reduced maintenance issues to virtually nothing, they were able to eliminate what had previously been regular, ongoing maintenance costs.

INCREASED EFFICIENCY: The MPERIA®️system’s full automation combined with the elimination of labels meant line workers no longer needed to hand apply PTI codes. This allowed the team to reallocate resources to more profitable and productive tasks. It also takes the operations team much less time to manage changes and updates due to the centralised system.

STRONGER SECURITY: The MPERIA®️ system enables different levels of user access to guard against accidental setting changes that could create errors or otherwise jeopardize productivity.

EXCELLENT ROI: After assessing all the benefits of the new MPERIA®️system, estimates suggest that it will take less than a year for the MPERIA solution to pay for itself.

 

Click here to watch a video on MPERIA® and the benefits it could bring to your business.

For further information about MPERIA® and our range of printing technologies, please call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk

Wet Wipe Manufacturer Meets COVID-19 Challenges with Highly Scalable Coding Solutions

A large manufacturer of hygienic wet wipes achieved greater labelling efficiency with centralised control, reduced ink costs, and an anticipated quick-turn ROI.

Summary
Adaptability and agility are critical assets for any business, but today—with the additional challenges created by COVID-19—they are more important than ever. The global pandemic forced a fundamental shift in how companies do business, regardless of the industry they serve. Many had to adapt to a completely digital operation almost overnight while some were forced to develop new delivery models. And others faced an unprecedented surge in demand.

For this large manufacturer this meant an exponential increase in demand for their cleaning products as the coronavirus took hold all across the globe. To help respond to the situation, MPERIA® helped the company quickly replace their existing coding system to deliver:

• Centralised control to boost efficiency
• A 30% cost savings on ink
• An anticipated quick-turn ROI

The Challenge
The company which has been established for almost 25 years is a manufacturer of sanitising wipes that offers contract manufacturing to a variety of industries (foodservice, hospitality, cleaning, healthcare, and beauty) as well as their own premium and value wipes for the consumer market.

When COVID hit they pivoted to operating in the new norm while witnessing an astonishing increase in demand for one of their biggest product lines – the individual wipe packets included in many first-aid kits.
Unfortunately their existing coding system had several critical shortcomings. Most importantly, it could not scale to meet the surge in demand. Because the system was neither centralised nor capable of integration with the rest of the production systems, expanding their operations simply wasn’t feasible.

Additionally, the legacy system was truly inefficient. Its clunky, standalone user interface (UI) required floor operators to manually make changes across fifteen individual printers each time a code or date needed to be updated. Not only was this process incredibly time consuming, slowing production on a regular basis; it also increased the risk for potential coding errors.

The company knew a more efficient and modern coding solution must exist, one that would positively impact their bottom line while driving efficiency gains in operations and ink consumption.

The Solution
The MPERIA® controller with VIAjet™L-Series thermal inkjet (TIJ) printer offered everything they needed to modernize their production line for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness while also providing a seamless method to scale operations and meet growing demand.

ACCURACY, SPEED, AND HIGH RESOLUTION
They chose the L1 VIAjet printer, an ultra-compact, high-performance printhead, perfect for tight spaces and OEM integration. It’s an excellent solution for high-resolution codes up to 2mm (as well as larger codes and text up to 6mm), and ideal for the kind of high-speed commercial printing they do.
In addition to unmatched speed and quality, the VIAjet L1 also helps positively impact their bottom line with superior ink utilisation. Droplets of ink from the L1 printhead are smaller, translating to a yield advantage of nearly 30% over comparable HP cartridges. Also, because cartridge changeover is easy and happens less frequently, the company saves on routine maintenance costs and reduces downtime.

FLEXIBLE INTEGRATION OPTIONS AND SCALABILITY
Perhaps the most appealing feature of this solution is seamless scalability. The compact, low-profile system is fully networkable, allowing the company to connect all necessary components to a single MPERIA controller via Ethernet. True scalability enables easy expansion of their production capacity, adding printheads as needed.

EFFICIENT CENTRALISATION, USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE, AND REMOTE ACCESS
Unlike their previous system, the MPERIA platform integrates easily with existing systems—virtually any ERP, MRP, or database. Because there’s no middleware or third-party hardware required, The company was able to manage the integration quickly and with very little effort.

Once integrated, the MPERIA platform centralises control of all the L-Series units so that making changes is painless. Instead of having to make the same change on multiple printers—slowing production and risking errors—the operator makes one change at the MPERIA controller, instantly updating all the printers on the line.

MPERIA® also gave the convenience of VNC (virtual network computing)—allowing remote management of the system from anywhere. This is especially relevant as production lines run five days per week, two shifts per day. Reliable, 24/7 remote access ensures consistently smooth operations and tremendous peace of mind.

The Results
The company was up and running with their new MPERIA solution in a couple of days. Their staff handled the installation without middleware or third-party hardware. The commissioning to set up the line, controller, and VNC also only took one day.

FAST, EASY SCALABILITY
The company initially implemented five VIAjet L1 Series printers at one location. They were so pleased with the initial results that they quickly installed five more printers in that facility and five additional printers at another location. Their plan is to expand this solution to their full production capacity, between 40 and 50 printers across two facilities. Flexible and scalable, the solution facilitates the easy addition of printers for them, ensuring they’re always able to meet a surge in demand.

CENTRALISED CONTROL
The MPERIA® platform gives efficient, centralized control of all the printers on their production line through a simple, user-friendly interface. In addition, it allows for remote access via VNC so that operators not only maintain social distance protocols while on the production floor, they can also see and manage what’s happening even when they aren’t on site.

COST SAVINGS AND QUICK-TURN ROI
Cost savings were apparent in three areas:
• Lower Ink Costs: Superior ink utilisation, as compared to HP cartridges, allows the company to generate 30% more printable quantity for the same cost.
• Lower Maintenance Costs: Easy-to-change cartridges and reduced frequency of changes helps them reduce expenses related to regular maintenance and upkeep.
• Greater Overall Efficiency: The centralised control, speed and accuracy of the printing process, and seamless system scalability all contribute to an overall increase in their production efficiency.
All of these cost savings combine to deliver an anticipated quick-turn ROI.


ENDS

Click here to watch a video on MPERIA® and the benefits it could bring to your business.

For further information about MPERIA® and our range of printing technologies, please call Xact on 0151 479 3020 or email info@xactpack.co.uk