Product category:
Food and drink manufacturing: packaging and bottling equipment
News Release from: Claricom | Subject: 2330 Clarity
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 October 2006
BAR to benefit from Claricom coding
Bar and Restaurant Foods (BAR) has invested in a Claricom Package Coding Management (PCM) System to ensure the accurate date and traceability coding at its factory in South Wales.
Bar and Restaurant Foods (BAR) has invested in a Claricom Package Coding Management (PCM) System to ensure the accurate date and traceability coding at its factory in South Wales The company provides quality food solutions to branded pub chains, wholesalers, major multiples and other foodservice industries
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Sep 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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With significant growth and market share in the food service area BAR has seen the number of clients and therefore its product portfolio rise dramatically.
This in turn increases the potential for coding and labelling errors and the significant associated costs of product and packaging waste, re-work and the potential loss of business.
A Claricom PCM System eliminates this risk.
Further reading
Network control demonstrated for all coders
The benefits of an independent approach to coding solutions were demonstrated at Pack Expo in Chicago, by network control on all types of coders from continuous ink jet to thermal transfer types.
Package system centralises on-pack coding
Package Coding Management System is eliminating the risk of product recalls due to coding errors and allows centralised network control of on-pack coding, without excessive manual data input.
Software means no variation from coding accuracy
The Claricom CLARiFY Package Coding Planning software is particularly useful for operations where product life is determined by something other than the date of packaging
The Claricom PCM system provides an 'auto-coding' solution where the product specifications are managed and maintained centrally and these coding rules and the 'look and feel' are used to set up the coding equipment automatically when the operator selects the product.
The Claricom system minimises manual input and thereby eliminates human error.
Typical return on investment is less than 12 months.
BAR replaced its old ink jet coders with Videojet Excel 170i printers about five years ago, and then added to this with Videojet Dataflex thermal transfer coders on Multivac machines in 2004, so when BAR needed to update its outer box coding it was only logical to call Videojet again.
As Bill Beaumont, Operations Manager of Bar and Restaurant Foods explains "The logical choice was the Videojet 2330 high resolution ink jet case coder".
"The 2330 Clarity user interface is very intuitive and easy to use and the 2330 is compact enough that we integrated it in to our Endoline case sealers to print product date, text (such as ingredients) and barcode information on to the side of every case".
"The capital costs are less than half that of print and apply labeling and the running costs of the 2330 are a fraction of using labels".
The 2330 printers provide repeatable, high-quality and high resolution printing up to 70mm high and the full length of the box if required.
For maximum uptime, a patented automatic self-cleaning and self-maintenance system continuously keeps printheads free of dust and debris throughout production.
The self-maintenance system eliminates wasted ink and downtime because operators don't have to stop a line to prime, purge and clean the printhead and because it is non-contact it avoids printhead damage that can occur during the periodic maintenance required on other ink jet printers.
The Claricom Package Coding Management System was recommended to BAR by Videojet Technologies as the most effective way of getting the right information on the right product, right first time.
"The Claricom system is more flexible that alternative solutions allowing for the complex coding rules specific to each product and customer," explains Mark Evans of Videojet, "and can be extended to include fixed position barcode reading equipment to check every single case".
The Claricom suite of software is also proven with a wide range of coding and labelling technologies so allows one common system to be used for film coding (thermal transfer), sleeve coding (continuous ink jet) and box coding (high resolution piezo ink jet or label printing).
BAR has been using the award winning and patented Claricom CLARiSOFT software to manage the template designs for the Dataflex printers, and therefore it was a straightforward extension of the system to add the new Videojet 2330 printers on to a Claricom CLARiNET TCP/IP network.
"The Claricom software is proven across a wide range of industries, from aerospace part marking and medical devices through to dairy products and ready meals and allows traceability information such as the Operator ID or the production line of manufacturer to be configured automatically to improve traceability", continues Mr Evans.
"Traceability is a major issue," explains Mr Beaumont.
"If coding and labelling information is wrong there is a significant risk that traceability is compromised".
"Controlling the coders using CLARiNET is the most efficient way to ensure accuracy, compliance and traceability, and at the same time CLARiNET provides valuable production and performance information for continuous operational improvement".
Investment in a Package Coding Management system is a logical step in BAR achieving the stated mission to be the Preferred Supplier of Quality Sauce and Recipe Solutions to the UK's Food Service and Food Manufacturing industries.
"The Claricom system is proven to eliminate human error and unlike expensive vision or inspection systems provides a cost effective 'right first time' approach, and because the Claricom products are extremely configurable and compatible with the leading makes of coding equipment we can have one common system, now, and for the future," concludes Mr Beaumont.
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