Chicago, IL — According to Transparency Market Research, the global market for flexible packaging is projected to grow at a yearly average rate of 4.4 percent between 2013 and 2019, increasing to over $99 billion in 2019.[1] As the largest market for flexible packaging, food and beverage companies, including candy and confectionery manufacturers and packagers, are looking to ensure that they get the best value in all packaging operations including their coding and marking processes.
Videojet Technologies Inc., a global leader in coding, marking and printing solutions, shares key tips that candy and confectionery companies should keep in mind when addressing important trends in packaging options and the rising demand for flexible packaging production.
Operating across a spectrum of line speeds, candy and confection packaging operations may include moderate horizontal flow wrapping lines and form-fill-seal bag and pouch lines. Videojet suggests a high resolution coding solution, thermal transfer overprinting (TTO), for integration onto these lines. TTO units can print real-time variable data to meet consumer demands and satisfy retail requirements for the data on each package.
TTO is digital contact coding technology that uses heat and pressure to melt ink from a ribbon and transfer it to the substrate. It can produce high resolution codes (300 dots per inch/12 dots per mm) without solvents on flexible film packaging including wrappers, labels, pouches and bags for the candy and confection industry.
Candy and confectionery packagers should consider TTO technology for its ability to meet the unique code and data requirements of their particular products. TTO can provide inline printing of variable information such as ingredients, logos, marketing information, bar codes, lot number, traceability data, pricing and dates directly onto today’s flexible candy and confectionery packaging materials.
In flexible packaging applications, TTO systems are installed directly onto packaging machinery and labelers, often very close to the point of packaging. Various TTO models are designed for performance on vertical baggers, horizontal flow wrappers, pouchers and other machines that create a number of different package types. A coding solution provider should ensure the proper integration and installation of the TTO unit with appropriate brackets and accessories.
Candy and confectionery packagers may use different films on the same bagging or flow wrapping line for various product flavors and sizes, customers, and potentially different countries and languages, thereby necessitating frequent film changeovers. These companies can benefit by using generic standard film on their products and differentiating each product with the information printed by TTO units instead of using pre-printed film. By printing inline, TTO users can reduce their pre-printed film inventory and line changeover time.
For information on how Videojet TTO products and solutions for the candy and confectionery manufacturing system can help your operation, please visit http://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/industry-solutions/candy-and-confectionery.html.
About Videojet
Videojet Technologies is a world-leader in the product identification market, providing in-line printing, coding, and marking products, application specific fluids, and product life cycle services. Our goal is to partner with our customers in the consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical, and industrial goods industries to improve their productivity, to protect and grow their brands, and to stay ahead of industry trends and regulations. With our customer application experts and technology leadership in continuous ink jet (CIJ), thermal ink jet (TIJ), laser marking, thermal transfer overprinting (TTO), case coding and labeling, and wide array printing, Videojet has more than 325,000 printers installed worldwide. Our customers rely on Videojet products to print on over ten billion products daily. Customer sales, application, service, and training support is provided by direct operations with over 3,000 team members in 26 countries worldwide. In addition, the Videojet distribution network includes more than 400 distributors and OEMs, serving 135 countries.
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[1] Source: Transparency Market Research, "Flexible Packaging (Plastic, Paper, Aluminum Foil and Others) Market for Food & Beverages, Retail Non-Food, Pharmaceutical and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019", February 2014
