Part 4 of 4
by Cassandra Balentine
Manufacturers utilize marking and coding systems to print best-by, lot codes, sell-by, expiration codes, and other identifying marks on goods to ensure safety and enable traceability.
The latest in continuous inkjet marking and coding systems offer these capabilities, as well as advanced features designed to improve efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.
Denver, CO-based Rocky Mountain Spice Co. started in 1994 as a repackaging business. The company offers gluten-free, all-natural, USDA Organic, and Kosher Certified Products and is a Denver Green Certified Business. It currently operates out of a 40,000 square foot facility that blends, manufactures, and packages for private labels and distributors.
Continuous Inkjet
Rocky Mountain Spice needed a flexible and reliable printer to mark and code various spices that are regularly packaged at its facility. The company kept experiencing production issues due to the variety and volume of products.
To maintain productivity, it closely monitors the efficiency of its daily operations. In doing so, it noticed the marking and coding equipment was experiencing a lot of downtime. Further, the interface was difficult to use when switching over a product line and repairs were often needed following continuous usage of the equipment.
Paul Courtright, maintenance manager, Rocky Mountain Spice, had worked with many inkjet manufacturers over the years, and was determined to find a better solution. When vetting this equipment, a demonstration unit of the Hitachi RX2 Series continuous inkjet printers was quickly made available through its local distributor, Colorado Scale Center.
The Hitachi RX2 Series are industrial, small-character, high-speed printers. Categorized as non-contact marking systems, the RX2 Series prints variable product information directly on various substrates. The inkjet printers are capable of marking and coding product materials such as metals, plastics, rubbers, films, and papers. The Hitachi RX2 Series offers superior print quality, reliability, and overall performance.
Following the demonstration period, it was evident to Rocky Mountain Spice that the printers would be reliable, efficient, and easy to use. During the two weeks of testing, the Hitachi RX2 required zero cleaning or maintenance.
Upon implementing the device, the company experienced an increase in uptime and reduction in maintenance costs. It plans to purchase another Hitachi printer to grow the operation.
“We quickly became Hitachi users, we’re committed to them…I don’t think we’d ever consider using another printer,” states David Tenenbaum, president, Rocky Mountain Spice.
Improved Operations
Manufacturers constantly evaluate processes in an effort to improve efficiency and uptime. When Rocky Mountain Spice noticed its marking and coding system left something to be desired, the Hitachi RX2 continuous inkjet printer came to the rescue offering new levels of reliability to reduce downtime in production.
Read part three of this series, Better Brews.