Domino Printing is one of the key industry leaders in Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) coding printers and have set the industry standard for print quality, reliability and versatility for 40 years. During that time, continuous inkjet printing technology has become the standard solution in more than 90% of coding applications. It is chosen because it is simple to install and extremely versatile, being able to print on virtually any surface.
Domino’s first commercial inkjet printer was the Unijet. Sold in 1979 it was used for numbering bingo tickets, being succeeded the following year by the introduction of the Solo range. In 1980 the EEC directive to label perishable goods with a “sell by” date was introduced expanding significantly the applications and opportunities for this technology.
In 1985 Domino won its first Queen’s Award for Technology Achievement for the Codebox range of printers. Codebox revolutionised the field of Continuous Inkjet as the first commercial printer with automatic ink viscosity control and it led the way with its ease of use and maintenance.
The Domino A-Series family of industrial printers, initially comprising of A120, A220, launched in 2010, are recognised as the benchmark that all others are measured against, due to their high reliability and ease of use.
The A-Series i-Tech Continuous Inkjet printer range A320i, A420i, A520i, launched in 2010, represented a ground-breaking change in the confidence and capabilities of manufacturers to place accurate, traceable serial numbers, lot codes and other unique identification marks onto their products.
The key benefits delivered by the intelligent Technology (i-Tech) ink system and electronics platform resulted in efficient, high performance coding (with legibility at high speeds), reduced service interventions, ultra-low consumption of organic solvents (with associated environmental and waste-disposal benefits) and a range of innovative ink formulations that comply fully with European and global food packaging guidelines.
Customers need to future-proof their operational investment. We spent many months analysing the usage patterns of hundreds of customers across dozens of industries and countries and designed the A-Series around an advanced ink system and state-of-the-art electronics platform.
Innovations in the unique automatic sealing and flushing routines built into the heart of the printing system, allowed us to promote SureStart – a truly simple, one-button start and print solution.
Customers’ production lines continually change requirements, with increased production output, or in response to innovative new product lines or packaging materials, or as result of changes in the labour force – maybe with a high proportion of non-native speaking transitional workers.
The design of the i-Tech ink system allows the printer to be reconfigured to new ink types (for better adhesion, or different colours) in a fraction of the time of traditional Continuous inkjet printers – there is no need to buy another coder. Similarly, the advanced electronics platform allows upgrades to printer capabilities (speed, message types) or the addition of bespoke user interfaces to meet the evolving needs of our customers. Enabling the deployment of simplified, multiple language interfaces to meet the skill levels of changing workforces – whilst simultaneously maintaining the customer’s confidence in the integrity and traceability of the coding.
Customers strive to reduce the environmental burden that they face when dealing with statutory requirements for coding and marking. Our commitment and investment in sound environmental practices mean that we frequently exceed demanding governmental, industry and company standards and regulations.
The A-Series, with reduced service routine, intelligent monitoring of ink life (meaning less waste), lower power consumption, lightweight construction (40% less than previous models) with durable, recyclable materials means that we help to address all aspects of a customer’s environmental impact or carbon footprint.
Our unfaltering commitment and investment in ink development also means that we (uniquely) offer inks that conform to European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA) guidelines for food packaging, are free from heavy metals and halogens, have reduced levels of Volatile Organic Content (VOCs) with low levels of odour – a real benefit in industries such as confectionery or tea and coffee manufacturing.
In 2016, we launched the Ax-Series continuous inkjet printing technology that rewrote the rules of coding and marking. By revisiting the fundamental science behind inkjet drop generation we were able to create a printer range that produced a perfect drop every time.
An enhanced electronics and software platform, i-Techx allowed connectivity to Cloud based services allowing customers to remotely monitor their production line through any internet enabled device, produce operational statistics to enhance understanding of operations and OEE as well as providing a proactive service and support system through monitored service desks.
Understanding the critical element of usability and operator interface to any production line, Domino Design makes using and maintaining the printers as easy and as fast as possible. An intuitive touch screen with usability of a modern tablet reduces operator errors. The Self-contained ink system with a less than 10 minutes annual servicing routine ensure quality and efficiency rolled into one.
Product manuals for our A-Series range of printers are available to download via MyDomino.