Batch Coding Date Printing Machine – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

To grab sales on the shelves means to make the most out of your brand name. Brand marketing departments are obsessive about wrapping, printed graphics and artwork on pouches and packaging containers. The last thing they want is low-quality batch codes that are really not visible on the packages and diminish from the packet.

As a genuine printing company, Heatsign knows the value of high print efficiency and the achievement of your organizational objectives. With our years of experience in the field of selling batch coding machines, Heatsign has the perfect mix of technology, skills, and service options to be your preferred coding partner for printing salty snacks and printing on bags.

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), All FMCG goods must include all the necessary data and information on it, i.e., from the packaging contents to details relevant to its manufacture as batch number, MRP, Expiry, etc.

In this guide, you’ll read about batch coding machines and recommendations, so you’ll know what is best to buy for your business.

How are expiration dates printed?

Modern Industrial expiry date coding machines/ printers are well-programmed machines, and the flexibility to customize the date (HH:MM: YY) and time (SS:MM: HH) formats help meeting the customer’s needs.

With real-time clock functionality, any coders will instantly print manufacturing and packaging times and expiry date (best before DD:MM: YY). Add any Alphanumeric character of seconds, hours, days, or months to the current date and time. Using primary screen prompts, any new formats can be conveniently created, generated, and stored using internal memory.

Once the correct and customer-specific format is picked, the date coding printer may be set to variable intervals for forward or backward sequential counting, with some versions, also self-adjusting for daylight saving time.

If you need best before dates that are readily readable to your customers or “expiry dates” to comply with product traceability laws and standards, Heatsign can meet your precise date printing or labeling requirements.

How many types of date printing machines are available in the market and What is the expiry date printing machine price?

There are mainly three types of expiry Dates Printing machine:

The Continuous date printing Ink-Jet system for printing a large amount of varying information sequentially, for example, the date of manufacturing (MFD), Markup retail price (MRP), Package unique code or barcode on every individual item.

These are fast-moving consumer goods FMCG needs to be traced and printed along the high-speed production line, regardless of speed, shape, area(size), and the quality of plastic on which the details need to be printed.

The most customizable choice for inks that can be added to almost any substrate, even food-safe printing inks that come into close contact with ingestible materials!

Fluid-driven, non-contact print on a variety of packaging formats, including stationary packaging via crossing method, with up to five texts, linear and 2D barcodes, or graphics. Price $ 600 – 1000

Thermal Transfer Overprinting (TTO)

A digitally controlled & operated printhead machine accurately melts and sticks ink directly from a ribbon to a lightweight and flexible Layer of film to provide premium high-resolution, real-time printing. It is an ideal batch coding process on the film, pouches, and other loose FMCG packaging. This will work very well in either high-speed continuous or intermittent (24X7) production lines.

The innovative design of the thermal transfer printers ensures a safe and user-friendly function, suitable for date coding on a wide variety of substrates, including plastic film wraps, flat packets, label stock, FMCG plastic, and foil.

Thermal Transfer Over printers (TTO) is the best solution for printing on lightweight & flexible packaging across a wide range of industrial packaging applications. Engineered for printing on film wrappers, plastics, stickers, gloss sheets, and another lightweight (Loose & Flexible) materials, they offer clear, error-free, best by times, batch codes, serial numbers, specifications, logos, and other product detail. Price: 700$-1200 $

Thermal inkjet (TIJ)

Ink-based, non-contact printing using heat and surface tension to move ink onto a package surface. They are generally used to print 2D Data Matrix and other bar codes.

Laser Marking Systems

Infrared light beam centered and operated using a series of precisely controlled small mirrors to produce marks where the heat of the beam interacts with the surface of the packaging. Price: $ 10000 – $ 12000

Laser marking is a reliable, accurate, flexible, and cost-effective labeling technique available—indelible markers for perhaps the most regulated sectors. Precision assured laser coders are a perfect choice for high-speed date marking.

Laser marking and labeling devices are suitable for high-volume printing – such as dairy, beverage, and medical industries – and have permanent traceability.

Large Character Marking Device (LCM)

Ink-based, non-contact printing of various data forms (alphanumeric, logo, labels, and bar codes) in larger dimensions mainly used in secondary packagings, such as cases.

Label Printer Applicator Device (LPA)

This Label printer Prints and places labels of different sizes and shapes on multiple package types. Price : 600 $ -800 $

Automatic high-speed Plastic jar and sealed bottles printing Machine

For such an application, the Coder/printer is normally inserted into the conveyor after the Sealed container, tin, or can be released. Based on the position (area) of your desired code, the printer can be conveniently programmed to print on the back, top, or side of the jar.

Applicable automatic batch coding machine:

Laser Marking Systems, Continuous inkjet (CIJ)

Automatic high-speed printing Machine for cartoner

Several printing options can be used in this application and can be inserted into the system or directly downstream into the outfeed. The best implementation position would depend on the size restrictions of both the cartoner and the desired coding technologies.

 Applicable Batch coding machine:

Thermal inkjet (TIJ), Laser Marking Systems, Continuous inkjet (CIJ)

Automatic high speed printing Machine for Case Packer and Sealer

Case printers/Coder are better inserted into the conveyor after the sealed box has been discharged. The kind and quantity of details you choose to print on your case decides the coding solution is suitable for you.

Applicable Batch coding machine:

Large Character Marking (LCM), Label Printer Applicator (LPA), Thermal inkjet (TIJ), Laser Marking Systems

Which Batch Coding Machine is Best for Your Business according to different industries?

Batch code printers are used in the industrial and automotive sectors to print manufacturer-specific data monitoring and batch codes on various items.  Cable, connector, wires, string in automobile and aerospace sections, and electrical modules are examples.

This industry generally necessitates the deployment of codes on curved or irregular objects, which can be accomplished with non-contact industrial printer equipment. Non-contact batch coding systems can also replace time-consuming manual printing systems, resulting in faster output performance.

Continuous inkjet printers are designed to satisfy the coding specifications of the commercial and manufacturing industries. These printers are designed to endure the harsh conditions encountered in modern manufacturing ecosystems while also printing on various surfaces such as plasterboard, timber(wooden object), and thick grooved metal.

• Food and Beverage Industry

Batch codes and prints are essential for those producers and distributors of food products and drinks that include beverages, the manufacturers of these FMCG products, and end-users who use them. The type of batch coding machine employed in the food and beverage industry will differ depending on the coded substrate.

It covers different substrates used for wrapping food and drink items and, in some instances, the food itself, such as the unique batch codes printed on eggs. Continuous inkjet printers are indeed an excellent option for batch coding and printing a wide range of food products, beverage items, and packaging, and cardboard boxes.

Thermal transfer overprints are the best solution for printing on disposable film packaging, laminated cardboard, and stand-up pouches. A non-ink-based batch coder could be the best option for particular other food and beverage applications.

For example, in the liquor industry, writing batch codes on the bottom of beer containers, liquor bottles, and water bottles would necessitate a device that can print on foil seals, polymer(PET), and glass. CO2 lasers (on-the-fly marking) and fiber lasers – a high-speed, harsh-environment laser marking system that can print codes on various objects and products. Glass, rubber, foil, and metal are examples of such materials.

• Pharmaceutical & medical industry

Batch code printers & machines are essential in the pharmaceutical industry. The production times, best after date and time, anti-counterfeit Data Matrix codes, and state statutory serialization codes are often enforced by Medical Industry legislation.

Adding codes to medical products is essential for ensuring that medications and medical equipment are adequately regulated. The regulation is not exploited by consumers, medical practitioners, or, increasingly, criminal organizations.

Thermal inkjet printers are non-contact ink coding devices capable of high-resolution printing at high speeds (up to 279m a minute). They are suitable for bulk coding complicated codes and messages on drugs and medical equipment to ensure consistency with Standards and global regulations & compliance.

How much does it cost?

A batch coding system’s cost varies considerably based on the facility’s size (the manufacturing and production setup). The type of technology used, the number of machines and the number of items that need coding are factors. Finally, a trade-off must be struck between the number of codes required, the initial setup cost, and the cost of operating a system over time.