Until three years ago, date and batch coding of primary package labels at Marion and Co. in Manati, PR, was printed flexographically. But when a third line was installed in 1992, this division of Marion Merrell Dow sought a coding system with better clarity and faster changeover than its flexo systems had supplied.
So the new line was equipped with a Blazer(TM) 6000 laser coding system from Lasertechnics (Albuquerque, NM). Management was so pleased with the system's performance that the plant's other two flexographic coders were removed and replaced with Blazer 6000s as well.
Both of these were mounted on new pressure-sensitive labelers that replaced old labelers. The new labelers, like the one on the new line, are from New Jersey Machine (Lebanon, NH).
Since the plant-wide switch in coding systems, completed about a year ago, Marion enjoys simplified code changeover and improved code clarity on lines producing the antihistimine Seldane and hypertension drugs Cardizem CD and Cardizem SR. These products are packaged in high-density polyethylene bottles ranging in size from 90 to 400 cc. The newest line runs as fast as 220 bottles/min, the other lines somewhat slower. But even at their fastest, none of the lines taxes the Blazer, which has a rated speed of 1꼀 marks/min, says Lasertechnics.
