The Body Shop’s home fragrance oils are packaged in tiny glass bottles. Soapworks had been blind embossing traceability codes onto polypropylene labels for the range. Then it bought two Linx 30W C02 scribing laser coders at its Glasgow site.
“We need hassle-free printers that are unobtrusive on the shop floor and simply ‘get on with it’. The Linx units are perfect for this and have never let us down,” David Ridland, quality control and environmental manager, Soapworks, commented.
“…[The Linx coders] scored maximum points for reliability, ease of use and quality indelible codes that were not jeopardised by coming into contact with the fragrances that are bottled.”
Soapworks is using the Linx laser coders to apply traceability codes onto the heel of the glass bottles. The Linx laser coder configured at a small spot size, is ideal for the size of the glass bottles and ensures a permanent code.
The new coders are also cost efficient as no consumables are required. At Soapworks a two or three shift production regime ensures that product output can cope with consumer demand. Production is automated and comprises product filling, neck plugging and capping. Up to 2,400 bottles are coded every hour. The laser coders are fixed to the filling lines immediately after the auto dropper filling and cap application. Typically codes are made up of five 1.5mm x 1.3mm alphanumeric characters. The bottles are then coded, have labels applied and are automatically collated.
The Linx 30W C02 laser uses steered-beam laser technology. With its small spot size it is ideal for applications that require small discreet codes, fine graphics, or intricate characters without los of quality or definition. Linx lasers are able to be integrated to packing lines and are suitable for coding on a range of product styles and pack types – tertiary, primary or secondary packaging in on pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries, wine bottles, PET containers, ice-cream containers, paper cups, and even wire, cable and extrusions.
They produce permanent marks in harsh environments, are visible to the end user and traceable all the way to the recycling bin.
Raymax Applications is the Australian distributor of Linx Lasers.
The video below highlights the main features of the range:
