Product coding print machine in the finals

Linx Printing Technologies' 4900 Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printer has been selected as a finalist in the Design Business Assocation's (DBA) Design Effectiveness Award.

Linx Printing Technologies' 4900 Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) printer has been selected as a finalist in the Design Business Assocation's (DBA) Design Effectiveness Award for its outstanding combination of design and performance.

The DBA's annual Design Effectiveness Awards serve to highlight successful projects that integrate the design brief with business aims and objectives from the outset.

Uniquely, the Awards use commercial data as a key judging criteria, meaning that winning products have already proved themselves in the marketplace.

Linx was nominated jointly with its design partner, PDD, for their work on the Linx 4900.

The project began when Linx, already an acknowledged expert in CIJ technology, briefed PDD to enhance the perceived quality of its products through the development of the visual brand and incorporation of the latest feedback from customers.

The result, launched in early 2004, was the Linx 4900, which meets everyday product coding and marking requirements through low total cost of ownership and simple, trouble free operation.

Capable of printing up to 2 lines of text and logos at production line speeds of up to 6.25m/s, the Linx 4900 can print onto virtually any material thanks to the broad range of inks available.

A simple menu-driven interface with message preview means that code creation is easy, whilst a 50 message memory store and automatic date creation minimise the need for editing.

The smooth curves of the Linx 4900 give it an aesthetic presence unmatched in the market, but the appearance also has functional benefits - with its stainless steel case and IP55 washdown rating, the printer provides clean operation in all production environments where washdown is important.

The small compact design does not require factory air, allowing quick and easy installation and relocation, whilst the coder's self cleaning printhead and automatic power down give mess-free, trouble-free starts and stops Linx set a target to increase sales by 20% for this product category, within six months of launch.

The target was exceeded by some margin and today the Linx 4900 is used by leading manufacturers across a wide variety of sectors, including food, beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and industrial.

It was these qualities that led to the DBA selecting Linx and PDD as finalists for the Design Effectiveness Award in the Industrial Product category.

"The DBA stands for the same values as Linx, so we are delighted to be a finalist," comments Neil Bennett, Engineering Director at Linx.

"Good design is at the heart of all of our coding products, enabling us to deliver excellent return on investment and customer satisfaction alike.

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