Product category:
Food and drink manufacturing: packaging and bottling equipment
News Release from: Linx Printing Technologies | Subject: Xymark LC laser system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 May 2005
Laser system micro-perforates packaging
film
Laser system makes micro-perforations and/or score flexible packaging films on high-speed production lines for modified atmosphere packaging and 'easy-tear' applications.
Linx Printing Technologies has expanded its flexible packaging laser processing capabilities with the introduction of the Xymark LC laser system and associated Materials Processing Station A one-stop solution, the Xymark LC is of interest to manufacturers looking for a laser system that can create micro-perforations and/or score flexible packaging films on high-speed production lines for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and 'easy-tear' applications
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 28 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The Xymark LC can be programmed to generate different hole patterns in packaging, thereby enabling the right conditions to be created for each type of produce.
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Compact scribing laser coder is more compact and lighter weight than other industrial laser coders in its class and delivers greater print performance, says the manufacturer.
Additionally, with its capability to score as well as perforate flexible packaging materials, this innovative laser system can be used for an entirely different application.
It allows you to score 'easy-tear' lines (lines of weakness) for easy opening of flexible pouches and sachets containing liquids, creams and powders, so combining the protective properties of the packaging with consumer friendliness.
Janine Lettau, Head of Sales and Marketing at Linx Xymark, said: "Thanks to their fundamental versatility, flexible materials are playing an increasingly important role in the primary packaging of consumer goods".
"Manufacturers and retailers are constantly looking for innovative ways to add value and appeal to their products".
"For example, the use of 'easy-tear' on laminated pouches has contributed greatly to their acceptance by consumers as a packaging format, while the introduction of MAP techniques for fresh cut and ready-to-eat produce has increased shelf-life of these products, making them more appealing to busy consumers and reducing wastage for both the retailer and the consumer." The Xymark LC provides both laser perforation and scoring of flexible packaging materials from the same unit by simply selecting the desired function from the user interface.
Up to four laser beam outputs from a single compact laser system can be positioned across a moving web to generate freely programmable hole and score patterns as close as 99 dots per mm, at web speeds up to 300m/minute.
Just about any film or laminate can be processed with the Xymark LC.
The system is designed for 24 hours per day, 7 days a week operation and has an IP65 protection rating.
The interface is ergonomically designed to provide a comfortable and accessible working position for the operator, and for hostile or inaccessible working environments, there is also an optional remote user interface.
The Xymark LC laser system is easily programmed with menu driven displays and special function keys, and during operation the large backlit display shows the parameters being used to perforate or score the film.
Other benefits of the Xymark LC include: * Non-contact scoring, meaning no tool blunting or breakage.
* Stronger and cleaner holes than other perforation methods.
* Controlled perforation or scoring on a wide range of flexible packaging materials.
* Minimal production line downtime.
* No consumables.
Linx has also developed the Xymark LC Material Processing Station for use with the Xymark LC laser system, enabling an accurate registration and a consistent focal length for the beam output.
This turnkey unit occupies minimal floor space and can be easily inserted into the converting line.
It enables consistent and accurate holes or score lines to be generated, its speed being synchronised perfectly with the web speed.
One Material Processing Station can accommodate up to four Xymark LC laser units with a total of 16 integrated beam outputs and comes equipped with all the necessary guarding and extraction equipment, as well as being factory pre-set at Linx Xymark.
* About Linx Printing Technologies - Linx Printing Technologies is a leading global supplier of continuous ink jet (CIJ) printers, impulse jet printers, and laser coders.
Its printers and coders are used across many different industries where product identification codes, batch numbers, dates and barcodes are required.
Distinguished by reliability, robustness and ease of use, Linx products code and mark millions of items every day, ranging from bottles, packages and cans of consumer goods to pharmaceutical products, cabling, electrical components and car parts.
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