Why must the food packaging industry use laser marking machines?
Laser marking machines are becoming standard equipment in the food packaging industry. Not only can they complete permanent marks at high speed, they also meet strict food safety standards with their non-contact and pollution-free processing.Compared to traditional ink-jet printing technology, it saves on material costs and eliminates the risk of secondary pollution. It also has a unique advantage in terms of anti-counterfeiting and traceability. It has become a key technology for enhancing a company's competitiveness.
The three key uses of laser marking machines in the food packaging industry.
The packaging has been given a "permanent ID card.
Whether the information is the production date, batch number, or QR code, the laser marking machine can directly imprint it on materials such as metal, plastic, and glass. Even if the item is immersed in water or frozen, the color won ’ t fade.Last year, a certain milk plant was sued because the ink used in its traditional coding system came off. Since switching to laser marking, the problem has not recurred.
This is the way that the packaging design can come to life.
Nowadays, many snack food bags have hidden designs that are laser-etched anti-counterfeiting symbols. Consumers can see them by shining a mobile phone's flash light on them.This technique raises the quality of the product and makes it difficult for counterfeiters to imitate. A brand of potato chips was able to cut the rate of counterfeits in half in six months using this technique.
Five reasons why the food industry must use them.
This is three times faster than traditional ink-jet printing.
Traditional ink-jet printers can print 2000 items an hour, while laser systems can do 6000.In particular, when the rush season arrives, this difference in speed directly determines whether or not the orders will be delivered on time.
This saves 80 % of the material costs.
Without the use of ink and solvents, you can save over NT $ 100,000 a year on electricity and maintenance.One condiments factory in Shandong Province calculated that it recouped its investment in two years.
It also meets the increasingly stringent standards for food safety.
The EU's new food contact materials regulations, which took effect last year, clearly stipulate that packaging materials that come into direct contact with food must not be printed with ink that can penetrate the packaging.The physical nature of laser marking perfectly fits this trend.