When a person buys a product, whether it is pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages, or other goods, they want to know if the product is fresh and ensure that it isn’t a counterfeit. Brand owners take important measures to ensure that consumers can trust their products.

Videojet 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. Between its state-of-the-art equipment and inks, consumers can be reassured that the goods they buy are safe. Videojet estimates that more than 10 billion products a day are printed with Videojet equipment and inks.

Videojet traces its roots back to the early 1960s, when it was a division of A.B. Dick Company called Videograph Operations. As a pioneer in continuous inkjet (CIJ) development, Videojet produced the first industrial inkjet printer in the early 1970s and has continued its renowned reputation for innovation and expertise in the marking and coding arena.

“Today, Videojet Technologies Inc. continues building upon almost 55 years of innovation, development, manufacturing, and sales of state-of-the-art coding and marking equipment and supplies,” said Sherry Washburn, Videojet Business Unit manager, supplies. “With more than 400,000 units installed worldwide, Videojet has over 4,000 employees in 30 direct operations around the world. In addition, the Videojet distribution network includes more than 400 distributors and OEMs serving 135 countries.”

Washburn noted that the key markets for Videojet are consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial goods industries.

Videojet provides coding and marking solutions including continuous inkjet, laser marking systems, thermal transfer overprinters, and case coding and labeling equipment to apply variable data such as best-by dates, production dates, lot numbers, and traceability information, as well as linear and 2D bar codes, onto virtually every possible product packaging, industrial part, shipping case, and pallet.

Videojet has a market-leading portfolio of inks, expanded from just a few in 1972, to hundreds of application-specific and printer-unique fluids today.

“Inks span all relevant small and large character industrial inkjet technologies and performance capabilities that meet requirements for color, code durability, environmental conditions, safety, and sustainability,” Washburn noted.

Unique to Videojet, the iQMarkTM brand fluids help customers to meet their corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and comply with stringent regulations worldwide.

“iQMark supplies are responsibly designed and manufactured with MEK-free, methanol-free, and CMR-free options available,” said Washburn. “Recyclable cartridge components help reduce waste, while ink shipping cartons are made from sustainably harvested trees.

“Every batch is tested to help ensure it meets strict quality control specifications and to maximize contrast, adhesion, and uptime,” she added. “Certain inks can help customers reduce make-up fluid consumption by up to 50%, reducing printer touches and operator exposure.”

Washburn noted that Videojet invests significant resources to create leading ink solutions for a vast range of substrates and applications.

“A commitment to innovation has led to over 100 unique ink patents and breakthrough processes,” Washburn added. “A team of experts continuously monitors packaging trends and regulations to ensure Videojet ink solutions are ready to address the emerging needs of customers.”

Washburn observed that Videojet follows a rigorous ink development process that includes extensive analytical instrumentation to aid substrate evaluation and testing.

The expert team of Videojet ink chemists totals 197 years of experience in inkjet technology, and a deep portfolio of both standard and specialized inks.

Most recently, Videojet’s R&D team launched some notable advancements, including V4230 high-adhesion black ink, an MEK-based continuous inkjet (CIJ) ink specifically formulated for superior abrasion resistance on rigid, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers such as bottles of detergent, shampoo, and motor oil. Another continuous inkjet ink, V4267 is designed to print on polarizing films used in LCD screens. It is a blue acetone-based ink that is transfer-resistant.

Washburn observed that Videojet is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of its customers.

“Our goal is to continue to improve our customer’s productivity, to protect and grow their brands, and to stay ahead of industry trends and regulations,” Washburn concluded. “In terms of ink offerings, we will continue to partner with our customers very early on in the development process to help ensure our formulas offer the right solutions. We will also continue to develop new inks that meet users’ changing sustainability and safety requirements.”

Videojet Technologies Inc.
Chicago, IL
Tel: (800) 843-3610
www.videojet.com
Products: Inkjet inks and equipment