Coders Print Complex Foreign Language Characters

Two new Linx 500SL laser coder have been installed by Taylors of Harrogate (UK) to service new production lines of the company's Yorkshire Tea brand.

Linx said that the 500SL scribing lasers have been purchased to code onto export packs of Taylors' English Breakfast tea.

The coders are devoted to printing multi-lingual codes for export.

Taylors of Harrogate has been using Linx laser coders for 10 years to code on to the cardboard packaging used for Yorkshire Tea and today the company has eight machines on-site.

David Lamb, group head of engineering at Taylors of Harrogate, said: "The Linx 500SL is a flexible, high-speed machine that provides exceptional clarity whatever code is required." He explained: "Each country has different legislative needs, so to streamline our logistics we use a generic box design for Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast Tea worldwide, which the Linx machines code directly on to." Production speeds of 50 boxes a minute are claimed to be within the coders' capabilities, whilst the Linx 500SL meets the requirement to print a large number of complex characters on to each box.

For example, Mandarin symbols are required for packs created for the Chinese market.

Information to be printed is downloaded directly to the Linx lasers from the Taylor's server, ensuring the accuracy of unfamiliar languages that operators would find hard to replicate, said Linx.

David Lamb added: "Linx has been very supportive in working with our software and production line suppliers to achieve this important aid to productivity." Yorkshire Tea packs distributed to the UK market are coded using a Linx 500SL and the dot matrix lasers, which were already installed on site.

They print a 6mm code, comprising 'use by' date and an internal traceability code on to the packs.

Lamb said: "We are extremely happy with our relationship with Linx.

Even the oldest machines continue to perform to the highest standard and the new Linx 500SL models have brought real benefits to our export coding needs by removing the need for pre-printed boxes.".

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