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9 tips for buying coding/marking systems for primary packaging

The following practices are recommended to those specifying coding and marking equipment for primary packaging:

 

1. Understand your distribution cycle. Understanding the distribution cycle for your packaging is extremely important. If you’re packing and shipping a refrigerated item, it will go through a cold chain consisting of freezers and refrigerators. If the ink and glue on the label isn’t designed for your distribution cycle, it is at risk of falling off. By the nature of your process, you may have different environments; the challenges can be made more complex by the packaging materials and containers themselves.
 
2. Know your legibility requirements up front. Ink-jet doesn’t work for logos on a primary package. Some types of ink-jet technologies don’t do bar codes well; use thermal transfer for bar code applications. Specify to the vendor the grade, printing substrate, and printing application. Fully understanding the application will reduce costs and increase coding efficiency.
 
3. Consider more than price. Besides cost, a host of factors need to be considered before buying coding and marking equipment, including the equipment’s history of use in applications similar to yours. Buying because a system or machine is on clearance, or is the highest priced so it “must” be the best, is shortsighted, as is thinking that the mid-priced item is most sensible. Exercising due diligence is essential to successful equipment specification.
 
4. Avoid generic equipment. Generic coding 
and marking equipment typically suits businesses with very basic needs. Do you need more unique solutions or customizable, robust functionality? Opt for an equipment provider that can grow and adapt as your company’s vision and objectives evolve in response to the market.
 
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Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
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Annual Outlook Report: Workforce