Creating High Marks

Today's thermal transfer printers and materials are keeping up with the ever-escalating demands on package printing.

THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTING has been around for years. It's the old reliable when it comes to coding and marking on packaging—printing clean bar codes, lot numbers, and other variable information time after time. But even proven technology has room for improvement, especially in the changing world of packaging.

Demands on package performance are rapidly escalating with today's consumer security issues and graphic requirements. And as the capabilities of package printing technology and equipment are enhanced to keep up with changing expectations, so too are thermal transfer printers and materials.

"Using thermal transfer printing has always required a matching of the substrate and ribbon. Now, the ribbon companies are providing ribbons specifically designed for certain applications," said Mindy Nyberg, marketing manager at Dynic USA Corp. "Package printing uses a wide variety of film and synthetic substrates, and there are now ribbons designed for use on those substrates, engineered to run at speeds that won't slow down your line.

"The focus has changed from just providing a product to selling one that includes value-added features so that it meets all your application-specific needs, and providing the service to back it up," Nyberg added.

One such value-added feature is IIMAK's Clean Start, a printhead cleaner that is built in between the leader and the ribbon. "Even though printer OEMs recommend cleaning the printhead after every ribbon, we estimate only about 15 to 20 percent actually do," said Amy Schmitt, company marketing communications manager. "Clean Start encourages printhead cleaning by making it more convenient."

Thermal transfer product manufacturers are also keeping a close eye on RFID. Even though printers and converters are still learning about ways to implement the technology, it's become apparent that coding and marking technologies have to be considered when it comes to printing on smart labels. This is because in the manufacturing of thermal transfer ribbons, an electrical charge builds up due to the production process, explained Candice Kamody, marketing coordinator at Sony Chemicals Corp. of America. Since the electrical components of RFID tags and labels can be damaged by static discharges, printers need to consider the affect thermal transfer ribbons can have on the readability failure rate of smart labels. "The thermal transfer ribbon should be designed to have a low static ink formulation, which will dissipate the electrical charges," Kamody said.

In addition to ribbon innovations, developments have been made in the realm of printer/applicators for smart labels, said Tina Benko, marketing manager at Tharo Systems, Inc. While thermal transfer printers are already being used with smart labels, the future will see more "RFID label printers that are able to print variable information, as well as encode RFID tags," Benko said. "This will combine two processes into one to meet the needs of the supply chain for an RFID encoded shipping label."

Read on for the latest in thermal transfer products.

Dynic USA Corp.

www.dynic.com

Dynic's HT8Plus Near-Edge Wax-Resin is for high-speed inline date, bar, and lot coding. HT8Plus runs at 500 mm/second, is FDA-listed, and deemed food safe. The ribbon is specifically targeted for the package printing market, and Dynic's full testing lab ensures that the ribbon is a perfect fit for the user's specific application. HT8Plus prints on a variety of substrates, including paper, synthetics, films, coated and gloss substrates, polypropylene, polyester, and flexible packaging.

IIMAK

www.iimak.com

IIMAK's anti-static GP725 resin-enhanced wax ribbon is designed to reduce the risk of static discharges that can zap an RFID chip and render it non-readable. The GP725 has a low level of surface resistivity, meaning damaging static electricity is minimized along with the risk of transponder failure from static discharges. While research shows as little as 500 volts of static electricity can damage an RFID tag, some thermal transfer ribbons can produce as much as 1,000 volts. IIMAK's GP725 is highly conductive and effectively dissipates static charge, resulting in negligible discharges in the printing process. The ribbon is also designed for compatibility with Zebra, Datamax, Sato, and other smart label thermal transfer printers, and delivers exceptional print quality on paper-based RFID labels. The GP725 also features Clean Start™.

Sony Chemical Corp. of America

www.sonychemicals.com

Sony Chemical's thermal transfer ribbon, TR4085plus™, will print more than 665,000 4˝ x 6˝ labels without leaving any significant build-up on a printhead. TR4085plus is a resin-enhanced wax that has the most superior performing backcoat on the market. The Smoothcoat™ backcoat technology acts as a protective barrier to the printhead, successfully reducing debris build-up on the heating element. Smoothcoat provides the ultimate in printhead protection while assuring that print quality remains consistent and durable. After printing four million linear inches of TR4085plus, users can expect to have no significant signs of build-up on the printhead heating element; product images and barcodes with consistent print quality and high durability; scan ANSI A grade barcodes; and experience increased efficiencies gained through reduced downtime. The ribbon also works on a wide variety of substrates.

Tharo Systems, Inc.

www.tharo.com

The new Tharo PA1200 Label Printer/Applicator is a cost-effective accessory for the popular Zebra® Z4Mplus™, Datamax I-Class, and Tharo H-Series of thermal/thermal transfer bar code label printers. The Tharo PA1200 Label Printer/Applicator is easy to use with minimal adjustments necessary, and quick setup and changeover for applying labels to the top or side of varying height products. The label printer/applicator features all metal construction and is made to test with time-tested components. The heavy-duty cylinder will compensate for high stress in side labeling with minimal deflection when using a conveyor. The PA1200 Label Printer/Applicator is extremely versatile with the ability to apply labels as small as .20˝ x .20˝. The PA1200 is automatic or semi-automatic—it has the ability to apply larger labels from 2˝ x 1˝ to 4.5˝ x 8˝ in size, and can apply up to 60 labels per minute depending on printer used, label size, and height of product.

Videojet Technologies Inc.

www.videojet.com

The DataFlex™ thermal transfer overprinter (TTO) from Videojet represents a breakthrough for product marking and coding on flexible packaging in food-grade operations. Ensuring product traceability and control, the DataFlex offers excellent print quality, low operating costs, flexibility of positioning, and reliable operation. The TTO features an exclusive clutchless, bi-directional ribbon drive that maintains proper ribbon tension thus preventing ribbon breaks that cause downtime and higher operating costs. The DataFlex ribbon is simple to change and the single ribbon cassette can be used with any system configuration—intermittent, continuous, right-hand, or left-hand. The system also captures unused ribbon after each print for optimum ribbon efficiency. In addition, the DataFlex allows the operator to replace normal manual coding methods with a fully automated system that delivers digitally imaged, variable information.

by Kate Sharon

Associate Editor