Conventional packaging and shrink wrap producers extend their portfolio and turn increasingly to suppliers of highly sophisticated films which are used by film converters.

Plastic film of polyethylene, abbreviated PE, is versatile applicable for packaging or covering material for protecting against damage, moisture or dust. PE film ist available as construction film, packaging material, even as food foil. The material is physiologically harmless and therefore perfectly suited.

For some manufacturers of film and foil the printing on PE presents a real challenge.

Highest degree of flexibility for printing on PE film

With state-of-the-art and process controlled mono and co-extruders, the industry produces in Germany alone many thousands of tonnes of PE standard and special foil each year.

Nowadays Logos, including recycling, HPDE, LPDE symbols etc. are applied right at the blown film extruder. Due to the high speed process of up to 90 m/min the marking is classically placed on the film by using co-rotating fixed printing blocks (clichés) which apply ink on each revolution.

The disadvantages of this technology are obvious:

• manual change of print images require long change-over times
• high rejection rate caused by ink smearing
• prefabricated clichés offer little flexibility

Thermal ink jet coding system betaJET

The thermal ink jet coding system betaJET strikes a new path in marking PE film flexible and cost-efficient. These results are confirmed in practical use in many applications:

• high speeds, up to 90 m/min with a print image heigh of approx. 12,7 mm (= 1/2 inch) per print head
• the ink drys quickly on the non-absorbent PE film
• the system is user programmable
• the system has the flexibility to print different-sized special logos up to 50,8 mm (= 2 inches)
• high print resolution at high speeds can be achieved
• it only takes a short time to change and edit print images
• withstanding production temperatures of over 50 °C (= 122°F)

betaJET controllers with 4 print heads each are already sucessfully installed in several customers production lines.

The lines can run in 1 - 4 web configurations. It has proven to be a huge advantage that the betaJET print heads are cascadable, as special size logos with more than 12.7 mm in height are required often. Merely by rearranging the cabling, print head configurations can be created which are capable of printing images up to 50.8 mm high.

betaJET thermal ink jets can easily be integrated and even retrofitted in existing production lines.