Case Study

On-line printing with vision system

The challenge

The typical requirement for lot-specific labels results in long lead times and high costs since they are printed for each specific order rather than in bulk. In-house printing of lot numbers using thermal transfer printers reduced lead times and initial cost but required additional processes and verification activities.

The idea

Moving the printing on-line to the bottling equipment would retain both lead time and cost savings while eliminating inefficient additional processes. The use of a vision system for verification would ensure accuracy and consistency of the printed data, including barcodes.

The solution

Bio-Techne (formerly Bionostics) researched and then implemented an on-line printing and verification system. This system allows us to print lot and expiration data on labels in-line while simultaneously performing verification. As operator of the filling line, Meshack ensures the proper operation of this system and accurate printing of lot numbers.