Small-character ink-jet printer tackles co-pack challenge

In October 2008, IGE received a packaging assignment from Berner Foods, Dakota, IL, a supplier of natural, processed, specialty cheese products, and cheese dips. The job was packing prepackaged individual plastic bowls of cheese dip into chipboard sleeve cartons and replicating the freshness dates from the 13-oz microwaveable bowls onto the chipboard.

The initial project had to be completed by December 2008, and IGE invested in variable-data coding equipment from Videojet Technologies Inc. IGE had five days to set up a production line, including installation of the new printer and completion of employee training. It selected Videojet’s Model 1510 small-character, continuous ink-jet printer.

“Our business relies on meeting customer demands,” IGE Vice President Mike Miller says. “So we pride ourselves on being flexible in terms of acquiring new equipment and organizing staff to accomplish our customers’ projects. Videojet got us our new printer within four days and trained our staff so that we could begin packaging the cheese dips on the fifth day. Without that quick turnaround, we would not have been able to accept the packaging assignment from Berner.”