Printing Technology for the Beverage Industry: Bottler Requirements, Anti-Counterfeiting & Coding Machines

Linx Printing Technologies

Printing Technology for the Beverage Industry

Overview

• The Beverage Market• Factors to Consider• Anti-Counterfeiting• Coding Technologies & their Benefits

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The Current Beverage Market

• Huge Global Business• Soft drinks market alone worth £15 billion in 2012• Margins are tighter due to competition, pressure from

customers, and increasing costs• Bottlers need to maximise efficiency, impact of wasted

production time can be significant

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Coding Considerations in the Bottling Industry

• Code Content – how complex does it need to be?• Substrate – range of materials may be coded in one line, need to

sample printer codes and ensure they are legible• Line Speed – will the coding solution keep up? • Factory Environment – likely to be a wet environment, so will require

an IP rating to reliably perform• Available Budget – need to consider overall cost of ownership as well

as purchase price

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Coding Considerations in the Bottling Industry

• Reliability – need to ensure that the coding solution can keep up in changing circumstances, and can be easily serviced

• Low Cost:– Needs to comply to ‘lean manufacturing’ principles, delivering flexible coding– Efficiency of bottling plants can run as low as 40-70%, tiny margins are crucial

• Ease of Use – FMCGs need to reduce errors during staff changeovers

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Anti-Counterfeiting

Problem:• Global beverage counterfeiting is growing – especially alcohol• 1 in 5 UK consumers surveyed bought fake alcohol in 2013*

Coding Solutions:• Complex or high-definition digital graphics from TIJ or PIJ coders• Security inks for CIJ coders• Indelible codes from laser marking machines

*‘Counterfeit goods in the UK – Consumer survey October 2013’, PwC, October 2013 http://www.pwc.co.uk/forensic-services/counterfeit-goods-in-the-uk-consumer-survey-oct2013.jhtml

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Coding Technologies for Bottlers

Laser • No ink and no risk of smudging• Permanent to fight counterfeiting• Discreet, or very visible, high quality

codes• Low cost of ownership – no

consumables

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Coding Technologies for Bottlers

Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ)• Print on almost any substrate• Wide range of inks available• UV and other security inks for anti-

counterfeiting• Light weight and versatile

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Coding Technologies for Bottlers

Large Character Marking (PIJ)• Suitable for printing on secondary

packaging• High resolution codes up to 70mm

high• Versatile across a range of materials• Easy set-up and adjustment

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Conclusions

Explore your options:• Both CIJ and Laser have advantages for primary coding• Remember line speed, code content, and environment• Think about the real cost of ownership rather than just the initial

purchase price

Visit: http://www.linxglobal.com/en-gb/coding-solutions/industry-solutions/beverage

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Thank you