Domino presents High-Speed Serialisation of Plastic Pharmaceutical Bottles with New U510 UV Laser Coder

PUBLISHING DATE
CATEGORIES

Domino Printing Sciences (Domino) has launched the new U510, an advanced UV laser coder for permanent codes on white and colour plastics, including high and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) pharmaceutical bottles.

The U510 integrates data serialisation and traceability management. It works with Domino’s range of vision inspection systems to provide a fully integrated solution for serialised coding of pharmaceutical products.

“Lasers are a popular coding solution for the pharmaceutical industry, due to their high-speed operation and ability to create high-quality codes that meet pharmaceutical serialisation and traceability requirements. They last the lifetime of product, says Felix Rief, Domino’s laser and extraction manager. However, certain types of pharmaceutical packaging, including white and colour HDPE and LDPE bottles, are not ideally suited to printing with fibre or CO2 lasers. Domino developed the U510 to fill this gap and ensure that all pharmaceutical manufacturers have an option to laser code their products.”

The U510 laser creates pin-sharp human- and machine-readable codes directly onto white and coloured plastic substrates without the need for additives or laser-activated fields. Coding is achieved by a photochemical reaction in the very top layer of the plastic substrate, resulting in a smooth, indelible code without the risk of compromising the product packaging. Codes appear bright white on dark plastics and deep black on white plastics.

Like Domino’s existing laser ranges, the U510 has been developed to support manufacturers with high-speed serialisation needs. The U510 can process large amounts of data while printing at very high speeds, generating unique codes for every product on a manufacturing line without slowing down production. The solution offers verified serialisation via an audit trail to help manufacturers comply with 21 CFR Part 11. At the same time, the integration with Domino’s R-Series vision systems allows it to control and verify all codes when they are printed.

Customer satisfaction in North America

“We have tested the U510 UV Laser Coder at several customer sites in North America and we were delighted with the positive feedback the product has received. Everyone was very impressed by the quality of the code – which has been outstanding even at very high production speeds – as well as the flexibility and ease of use of our solution,” says Jon Hall, Senior Product Marketing Manager Laser, Domino NA.

The U510 was designed to be reliable and easy to integrate and use. The all-in-one printhead and control unit are lightweight and compact for seamless integration into existing production lines. The printhead can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position for greater flexibility. Additionally, all U510 lasers come with Domino’s SafeGuard Service and Support Plan, which offers an extended five-year warranty, as well as remote diagnostics and monitoring from the Domino Cloud to maximise machine time and performance.

“We are excited to bring to the market a UV laser for coding on plastic substrates,” says Domino Laser Academy team leader Dr. Stefan Stadler. “The U510 is an excellent solution for permanent, high-quality coding, and will be extremely useful to pharmaceutical manufacturers who need serialised codes on medical bottles.”

“At Domino, we pride ourselves on helping customers find their ideal coding solution,” says Stadler. “We welcome visits to our labs at the Domino Laser Academy and can provide bespoke substrate testing and analysis to determine which Domino coding solution is the best for your individual needs.”

For more information on the U510, click here.


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *