The alphaJET mondo inkjet printer from the German company Koenig & Bauer Coding GmbH provides a fast, cost-effective solution, which is also efficient with consumables and produces excellent print results on a wide range of surfaces. These qualities made it the first choice for Kräuterhaus Sanct Bernhard KG, which has been producing and marketing high-quality, effective natural remedies and personal care products for over a hundred years.

hpdSYSTEM vario hot foil coding systems from Koenig & Bauer Coding have been used by Kraeuterhaus Sanct Bernhard in Bad Ditzenbach, Germany for many years to mark and label the product packaging. The pharmacist and manager Karl Löther is very satisfied with the reliability of these devices and in particular with the customer service. For a new high-end product line, this prompted him to turn directly to the specialists from Koenig & Bauer Coding for a suitable printer solution.

High product quality from natural raw materials

As early as 1903 the registered trademark Sanct Bernhard, then based in Dusseldorf, started selling herbal teas. The products are derived from medicinal herbs that have been collected for centuries on the slopes of the Great Saint Bernard Pass in Switzerland. The teas have received numerous awards, such as gold medals and trophies at exhibitions in London and Rome. The Schulz family in Bad Ditzenbach took over the sale of herbal teas in the 1960s and in this time they have expanded the Sanct Bernhard product spectrum to over six hundred different natural remedies, herbal and cosmetic specialties.

The raw materials of all the products are of vegetable or mineral origin. In-house production and constant inspections ensure the highest level of quality. The customer base has grown to hundreds of thousands of buyers and the products can be purchased at the company's online store. The pharmacist Karl Löther places great value on the development of innovative, fresh health products that meet the highest requirements at an attractive price due to the direct sales concept.

Non-contact printing

Due to strong sales and customer orientation of Kräuterhaus Sanct Bernhard, high demands are placed on the packaging and feel of the products. Before using the alphaJET mondo, cans and jars with creams from a high-end product line were provided with a small label at a manual workstation. These cans and jars must now be provided with an expiration date and a batch number or just a batch number, without negatively affecting the visual design of the packaging. The clean, non-contact operation of the inkjet printer and its position-independent capabilities were, in addition to other points such as ease of operation, compact design and extremely low maintenance, essential requirements for use in the Kräuterhaus production line The alphaJET mondo now prints the data directly onto the bottom of the personal care product cans and jars at high speed and could be easily integrated into the production line.

The printhead of the alphaJET mondo is mounted beneath a belt conveyor and prints the data onto the jars quickly, reliably and clearly. The printed image has a high level of adhesion - the very qualities that one would expect as a manufacturer of products in the health and personal care sector. In addition, the printer provides an excellent print image on the non-porous, uneven, difficult surface of the containers for the personal care products, even for small font sizes.

Minimal emissions

The stainless steel housing with IP65 protection class is the alphaJET mondo standard. This allows use even in harsh conditions. Thanks to this protection level, the inkjet printer is not only perfect for the environmental conditions in the food and beverage industry, but also easily handles the demanding production environment of cosmetics and natural remedies.

In order to focus on the quality of its own products and not lose any unnecessary time with the support of third-party devices in manufacturing, Mr. Löther, the production manager, selected a printer model that is characterized by a high degree of user friendliness. The alphaJET mondo can be operated with simple buttons on an intuitive, colour 8.4'' TFT touchscreen. In addition to the clear status indicators, the user friendly software makes it possible to view a print preview to ensure error-free results. Operator errors are also effectively prevented when the ink bottles or solvent are replaced, as the ink type is checked by the system. The cartridges are fitted with RFID chips, which prevent the wrong type of bottle from being used.

Additional useful features of the inkjet printer from Koenig & Bauer Coding include its quick assembly time and its low susceptibility to malfunctions. This is due to the robust, simple design of the ink system. The ink bottles can be replaced at any time during the printing operation, reducing production downtimes and the associated costs.

Consumption values always in view

The alphaJET mondo is freely programmable and can process various specialty inks. As the printer can continuously print different materials directly on the line, this technology is the first choice when it comes to the application of information, such as expiration date or batch numbers. The alphaJET mondo has all the usual interfaces such as Ethernet, RS232 and USB, which made it easy for it to be seamlessly integrated into the existing production line of Kräuterhaus KG.

Ink in the alphaJET mondo bottles is used right down to the last drop with customer-friendly efficiency. In addition, the software displays the ink level live and automatically, providing a message when it must be refilled. The consumption levels thus always stay in view. Moreover, Kräuterhaus benefited from the inexpensive prices of original ink and solvent. The good wear and operating properties were also important for Kräuterhaus Sanct Bernhard KG. The alphaJET mondo can run 4,000 hours before a filter change is necessary. The pump of the printer is designed for around 10,000 hours of reliable use.

The smooth start-up of the alphaJET mondo and the excellent support were extremely positive for the production processes in Bad Ditzenbach, Germany. After being turned on, the printer is immediately ready to print. This makes it possible to quickly and easily process different markings or alternating products. Through the development and production of the printer in Germany, fast response times are ensured when questions arise. Service and maintenance of the Koenig & Bauer Coding devices are also performed by a service technician on site. Spare parts and consumables are shipped directly from Veitshöchheim, Germany, another reassuring aspect for the distributor of healthcare products.

Production manager Karl Löther was quickly impressed with the operation of the alphaJET mondo: "Originally, the use of mondo was planned as a test installation at our facility. But after just a few days the inkjet printer completely won us over. The device remained with us and was directly integrated into the production line. "In the meantime, the inkjet printer has been in operation for several months and proven its worth.