‘Innovative’ is a word that can be used far too liberally. But it’s a fitting description for the Gx-Series, which is capable of eliminating coding and marking downtime on busy FMCG manufacturing lines.
Introducing the Gx-Series
Domino Printing Sciences has created a series of highly advanced thermal Inkjet (TIJ) coders that are easy to use, flexible and – most importantly – Industry 4.0 ready. The Gx-Series is designed to facilitate maximum uptime. With no serviceable parts, you can say goodbye to regular engineer callouts. And thanks to a suite of powerful remote monitoring capabilities – backed by an expert support team – you can have total confidence that your coding and marking technology is operating accurately, speedily and as efficiently as possible. Day in, day out.
Here’s how the Gx-Series can eliminate coding and marking downtime – and which sectors best stand to benefit.
This article is taken from our latest eGuide: Coding innovations for an Industry 4.0 environment. The eGuide reveals how engineers and production managers in FMCG sectors can prepare for the future and drive maximum benefit from the coding and marking landscape of tomorrow. The eGuide is currently free to download on our website.
Remote monitoring and diagnostics
The Gx-Series comes with intelligent fail-safes to keep your business protected from the risk of downtime. All key parts of the Gx-Series can be connected to IoT sensors that are monitored by Domino’s remote diagnostics and support team. It allows us to identify and resolve any upcoming equipment problems remotely – before they cause any disruption. In this way, maintenance becomes less about reactive repair and more about proactive asset management.
Fixes that are right first time
Another benefit of remote monitoring is that in the unlikely event that an on-site fix is required, we will be able to provide one of our engineers with the exact details of the job. So by the time they get to your site, they will already have the equipment and knowledge required to resolve any potential issues quickly and easily.
Total clarity on your network
It’s not just our support team that gets insight into the performance of your coding and marking operations. Cloud-hosted dashboards give you 24/7 access to up-to-date printer information. You can monitor the performance of your entire printing network anytime, anywhere – retrieving key data for OEE calculations.
Automated email reports and triggers
With Domino’s connected printers, you can generate automated emails that are triggered by certain events. That could be something as serious as a printer going offline, or as simple as a developing operational need such as ink shortage. You select the triggers that make it easier to manage your production environment. This ensures the process of anticipating potential issues is outsourced to the cloud. It gives you the ultimate peace of mind on the efficiency of your coding and marking operations – 24/7/365.
What sectors can benefit from the Gx-Series?
With the ability to apply multiple code formats – at speed – onto a wide variety of substrates, and options like EtherCAT for motion control applications, EDC (external data capture) for check weighers and promotional coding or an IP64 rated controller for harsh environments, the Gx-Series is a truly cross-sector innovation. By virtue of this flexibility, the Gx-Series is particularly well suited to sectors where high throughput is governed by stringent regulatory and safety standards – such as food, pharmaceutical, and electronics.
Flexibility and safety for the food sector
The Gx-Series is ready to meet the rigorous demands of food manufacturing production lines, where clarity and flexibility in often challenging cold, humid or dusty environments are key, and a variety of ink options are critical. The Gx-Series allows you to code onto a variety of substrates with a variety of different code formats, including alphanumeric text, graphics, logos, QR codes and 2D Data Matrices at speed. Our printing specialists have developed water- and ethanol-based inks which are fast drying and fully-certified for food manufacturing environments.
Speed and compliance for the pharmaceutical sector
The pharmaceutical industry is demanding manufacturers comply with strict traceability and legal requirements where each bottle and pack of prescribed medication must carry its own unique machine-readable code. Accuracy is crucial on pharmaceutical production lines, and any reduction in throughput can have a significant impact on revenues.
Our TIJ printers can apply either repeat or unique codes to up to 600 products per minute. This includes barcode formats as well as item-level serialisation codes necessary to comply with pharmaceutical regulations (EU FMD, US DQSA) according to GS1 standards. The printers can be included in a 21 CFR Part 11 validated system. Our lightfast regulation-compliant ink dries in around half a second and lasts for the product lifespan and beyond, minimising the risk of false rejects on machine vision systems.
Code accuracy and durability for the electronics sector
It’s crucial that codes in the electronics sector are accurate and highly durable. That can be a challenge, especially when you are coding onto small electronic components. The Gx-Series makes it easy and can code onto a wide variety of substrates like nylon, plastics and metal, enabling you to code – for example – batteries, LCDs and PCBs using non-porous, solvent-based inks that are fast drying, high contrast and designed to withstand any harsh post-print processes that the substrate may experience.
Download the eGuide
Making the decision to change, even when it brings benefits, isn’t easy. Download our latest eGuide – currently available for free – and find out how your business can prepare for the future and drive maximum benefit from the coding and marking landscape of tomorrow.