Global marking and coding specialist Allen Coding has recently completed the installation of 11 (plus two spares) high performance NGT2+ thermal transfer coders at contact lens manufacturer, CooperVision, where they are printing barcodes on to labels which are then applied to silver foil blister packs.
CooperVision is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses.
Chosen for consistency and print quality, the compact and lightweight Allen Coding NGT2+ systems, which replaced obsolete coders, are installed on separate packaging lines where they operate on a 24/7 basis.
The NGT2+ thermal transfer coders form part of an intermediate step in CooperVision’s stringent packaging process. They are printing barcodes on to 12mm x 19mm labels which are then applied to silver foil blister strips.
Each NGT2+ is handling up to 1,200 labels per hour, with one label for three blister packs. As part of CooperVision’s quality control procedures, the blister packs are then checked by a barcode reader.
As well as barcodes, Allen Coding’s NGT2+ is capable of printing fixed and variable data, graphics, use-by dates, real time and batch codes.
For maximum flexibility, it can be easily switched between intermittent and continuous mode. In continuous operation, the NGT2+ offers a maximum print area of 53mm x 1000mm and print speed of 35metres per minute. It has a print resolution of 12 dots/mm or 300dpi.
The NGT2+ can be operated via PC or a:touch 2 touch screen. It works with a wide range of software solutions, including a:control, which is a printer operation platform software, specially developed by Allen Coding to supervise user and permission management. It can configure up to ten printers in a network. The company’s a:design2 is simple and intuitive software for print image design.
