Virtually all manufacturers have to think about primary, secondary and tertiary packaging. Not only do manufacturers have to think these types of packaging, they also have to think about coding all three levels of packaging. Whether you use a Domino® coder and Domino® ink or another brand of industrial coding equipment for these tasks, there are many packaging and coding decisions that need to be made.
Types Of Packaging
Primary packaging surrounds or contains your actual product and it’s the packaging that consumers will see, such as the can that holds vegetables or the bottle filled with soda. Your packaging might be plastic, paperboard, glass, alumni or something else and, in some cases, coding might move down another level and appear on your actual product, such a cable or an egg. Your Domino® coder and Domino® ink need to be capable of printing on whatever material you use.
Secondary packaging also is sometimes seen by consumers. For example, a consumer might purchase water bottles that are incased in plastic film. You will need coding on the bottles as well as on this plastic film. Another example would be lunch-sized bags of chips which might be placed in a box or perhaps in a plastic bag. Each individual bag of chips must be coded, as well as the secondary packaging. Sometimes, however, this packaging is not seen by consumer, as it is simply unpacked and placed on shelves. Either way, the materials used for primary packaging might be quite different than the materials you use for secondary packaging, and you need coding equipment and the ink that can handle these specifications.
Tertiary packaging is the type of packaging that holds multiple units of your items. This might include wood pallets, cardboard boxes or even shrink wrap. Consumers typically don’t see this, as these packages typically are unloaded and then individual units are placed on shelves. This type of packaging also will need coding, and in some cases you might use a Domino® or another brand, along with Domino® ink to code this last layer of packaging.
A Few Considerations
When you select coding equipment, you need to select equipment that can handle all of your package coding needs. In some cases, you might need to invest in more than one coder or industrial printer to complete all of these tasks.
For instance, you might need to use large character printing on one level of packaging and small character printing on another type of packaging. Additionally, you will have specific number of lines of type that you will need to add to each level of coding. You also might need a printer that can handle adding bar codes to your packages. It can be difficult to find one single piece of coding equipment that truly can handle all of your coding and marking needs.
How We Can Help
Deciding which type of coding equipment and ink you need can be tricky, but we can help. Give us a call and we can discuss all of your coding needs and come up with the most cost-effective solution. We serve many different industries, such as food & beverage companies, medical & pharmaceutical companies, a myriad of manufacturing firms and the packaging industry in general.
If you do need a second coder to streamline your production process, consider purchasing our refurbished coding equipment. Brand new equipment comes with a hefty price tag, but our refurbished coders work just like new coders and cost substantially less. Each coder undergoes a substantial, six-step refurbishment process and each coder comes with a six-month warranty. Our refurbished equipment includes Videojet® coders, Domino® coders, Markem® coders and more.
One of the main ways we help clients save money is by producing low-cost, high-quality alternative inks and fluids. We produce all types of Videojet® ink, Domino® ink, Maxima® ink, Willett®, Imaje® and more. Our facility features an on-site laboratory enabling us to design and manufacture inks for the most difficult applications. Each ink is formulated using a four-stage filtration process that ensures there will be no sludge, residue or sediment and we use only the highest quality dyes, pigments and other materials.
