Home care, toiletries, soaps, hair care and food products manufacturer Unilever has equipped five of its Boksburg factory home care production lines with state-of-the-art, computer controlled laser coding equipment, supplied and installed by the coding division of the JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group.
As the sole South African distributor for Domino Printing Sciences, a global ink jet and laser coding and marking solutions provider, Square One devised a solution for Unilever comprising two Domino S100 Plus red tube lasers, two S200 Plus red tube lasers and one S300 Plus purple tube laser, which has the dual ability to print directly onto both PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles and the labels on the bottles.
The production lines include: 500ml and 750ml bottles of Sunlight dishwashing liquid, 500ml and 750ml bottles of Handy Andy and variants, 500ml, one litre and two litre containers of Sunlight fabric softener, 1.5 litre PET bottles of Sunlight dishwasher on the bottle only and 750ml Domestos, Omo bleach and Vim scouring powder all coded on the label.
Unilever project engineer Sandile Selemi said that while inkjet coding had served the company well, laser offered a cleaner, more user-friendly and more efficient solution. "We researched this thoroughly and concluded that laser was a more reliable technology with greater OEE (overall equipment effectiveness factor) and fewer complications.
"With inkjet printers, ink use and replenishment have to be monitored and controlled, coders have to be re-primed before starting up the line again, which requires artisan skills as well as the use of expensive solvents to clean up - maintaining the inkjets was complicated and time-consuming. By contrast, the lasers are user-friendly and uncomplicated. Resetting the coders is a very simple procedure that anyone can execute, it's quick, easy and there's no mess."
Installation of the new Domino laser coders began in September 2007. Selemi said the biggest challenge during the installation was to minimise downtime on the five production lines. "All of the installation and commissioning work was therefore carried out between 8am and 9am over a period of six days to ensure that maximum production was maintained throughout."
Unilever made evaluations based on presentations and demonstrations from three potential suppliers. Critical evaluation factors were the best printer solution at the most realistic price, service and support levels and options. Selemi said the Domino support levels and printer quality were factors in favour of Square One. "We were also able to lease the equipment, obtain a 24-hour speed-dial support service and a guarantee of consignment spares held in stock, as well as favourable BEE scorecard impacts."
The Domino S300 Plus was chosen for its flexibility and adaptability. Selemi said it operates on a high changeover production line that runs four different bottle sizes and printing substrates. "The S300 Plus was the only machine available that would give us the extended flexibility we required. It also has exceptional safety features. Should the printer enclosure door open, the printer immediately deactivates and will not re-start until the door is securely closed. This level of operational safety was also a critical factor for us."
The Domino coders now in operation at Unilever print the date, time, production line and plant (in this case, Boksburg) onto each product that is packed, and this information allows products to be traced once they have left the factory.
Expiry dates are also coded onto Domestos, Omo Bleach and Sunlight Antibacterial packs. This is in line with the requirements of recently updated local labelling regulations that are due to become law in the near future - five years after they were first published for comment.
Kobus Maritz, of Square One's Gauteng coding division, said the Plus versions of the Domino ranges of coding equipment offer new features to help manufacturers achieve increased production efficiencies. "The Plus versions build on the established heritage and proven reliability of Domino printers and improve overall equipment effectiveness and availability in even the harshest environments."
He added that a new range of managed support services and products that allows manufacturers to choose a support model that best suits their needs, from fully outsourced to self-sufficient, offers end-users cost-effective, tailor made solutions.
"The Plus versions offer new IP addressable Ethernet networking features. This delivers remote management capabilities for monitoring areas such as message selection, system status, alerts, alarms and production counts. An improved user interface increases accuracy and eliminates costly training overheads by guaranteeing simplicity and ease of use, while installation is assisted by familiar set-up wizards that reduce the chance of error."
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