When food manufacturers are looking to reduce their reliance on coding supplies like ink, laser marking systems offer an excellent alternative. Videojet recently introduced two 30-watt CO2 laser marking systems, the Videojet 3350 and Videojet 3350 Smart Focus. Both systems are engineered to mark text, bar codes, graphics, and other information on products and packaging moving on lines at speeds up to 2,000 characters per second. In addition to marking on glass and hard plastics, the lasers can deliver high-resolution, permanent codes on flexible film, foil, labels, paperboard, and other packaging in the snack foods and baked goods industries.
With laser marking technology, a beam of infrared light is focused and steered with a series of carefully controlled small mirrors to create marks where the heat of the beam interacts with the packaging surface. The 3350 Series lasers can be used to mark metalized bags and pouches, such as those with MBOPP as the outer layer, as the 30-watt laser technology is powerful enough to make precise and permanent marks yet controlled enough to preserve the packaging’s integrity.
The laser’s optimal installation location on a bag or pouch packaging line depends on the size constraints of the packaging and tests to determine the substrate’s surface reaction to the laser. The Videojet 3350 laser’s flexible marking head includes 32 standard beam delivery options, while the 3350 Smart Focus laser’s marking head provides 0° to 90° rotation without the need for additional parts.
The advanced 3350 Smart Focus laser is equipped with cutting-edge automatic focusing and dynamic marking capabilities for easy product changeovers without any manual intervention. Multi-level marking can be achieved with the benefit of an auto-adjustable focal distance, uniform flat field correction, a pilot beam focus finder, and a flexible range/size mode. Different-sized products in the same marking field can be marked with this variable focus technology, saving both time and money.
Up to 45,000 hours of laser source life expectancy offer extended operational life, reliable performance, and reduced cost of ownership. The air-cooled laser source helps reduce maintenance intervals and additional costs.
Wi-Fi and cellular connections offer seamless software updates and fewer service interactions while improving overall equipment efficiency with access to more information. Users can take advantage of on-demand remote technical support for real-time information on printer issues, allowing both Videojet experts and in-house technicians to monitor equipment status, troubleshoot issues, and improve long-term performance.
