The company had applied hand-written lot-number labels to bundles of panels for shipment. But it sought a simple, efficient method for mechanically printing the individual interlocking, tongue-and-groove foam sheets with large identification codes up to 1 7/8” tall.

After evaluating various printing options, San Joaquin Foam Industries selected a drop-on-demand Model SQ/2 Scorpion large-character ink-jet printer from Squid Ink Manufacturing, Inc.

Using alcohol- or water-based no-clog inks, the printer can cost-effectively apply high-quality dot-matrix characters in large print sizes to porous surfaces such as foam, corrugated board, paper, or wood. The heavy-duty, coated-steel, cabinet-enclosed, low-maintenance system can operate in harsh environments and has the flexibility to run one or two print heads at a time. It features quick, easy programming of up to 64 messages.

San Joaquin Foam production manager Crystal Nichols comments, “We didn’t want or need a printing system that was more sophisticated than the application required. We just wanted something simple, straightforward, reliable, and cost-efficient. The SQ/2 meets those criteria, and has helped us improve our operating efficiencies."