The Videojet 1000 Line

The Videojet 1000 Line increases usability and productivity at Bokomo Foods. Three month trial on carton packing line leads to multiple installations across two sites. 

Bokomo Foods UK Ltd, owned by Pioneer Foods, is predominately a private label and contract manufacturer but is starting to diversify into selling its own range of cereals. The company also produces and packages cereals for all the UK’s largest supermarket chains, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and Lidl, as well as manufacturing breakfast cereals for well-known companies under their brands.

The company had been a customer of Videojet for over 10 years at its Wellingborough site. Videojet had supplied all of the printers, including four older continuous inkjet (CIJ) models and two case coders. However, the Peterborough site was using older generation CIJ printers from a competitor.

 

Upgrade needed

The company decided that it wanted to upgrade to the newest generation of CIJ printers immediately as it was having problems with a particular competitive printer on one of its lines.

Videojet installed the new 1000 Line printer onto a cartoner that was packaging cereal. After a three month trial, Bokomo was so pleased with the performance of the 1000 Line that it not only decided to purchase that unit, but also another three to replace all of the CIJ printers installed on the other lines.

One of the major benefits of the new printers is the easy to use interface. Bokomo produces products for so many different customers and each has specific requirements for how they want their codes to look. Therefore, the company is required to make a significant number of code changes per day, sometimes more than five code changes per day on a single line.

Additionally, the printer offers storage of up to 100 complex messages, with additional memory available with a USB. ‘Starting up the line has become very easy in the morning,’ explained Lukas Richter, line leader at the Peterborough site. ‘The 1000 Line allows me to store all of the codes I need. I just come to the line in the morning and select the code for the first job of the day.’

Working in this production environment can be very challenging for most inkjet printers due to dust and crumbs. Dust, ink and other particles in the environment can clog the printhead, shutting the line down until it has been cleaned. With the 1000 Line, however, the production line is rarely shut down due to CleanFlow printhead, which reduces ink buildup.

 

Ink issues

The sealed Smart Cartridge, new with the 1000 Line, is a revelation in ink and makeup cartridge design. According to Lukasz Maziarz, line leader at the Peterborough site, ‘I am very happy with the Smart Cartridge and ink replacement. The process is so easy. It is just like replacing the cartridge in your printer at home. With the older printers, the ink would leak and get all over your hands.’

The Smart Cartridge fluid delivery system virtually eliminates spills and ensures that all the fluid in each cartridge is used while the embedded microchip confirms the correct fluid is being used, saving money on supplies. Mick Williams, engineering supervisor for the Peterborough site, said, ‘We now use a lot less ink and consumables with the 1000 Line. It has really had a positive impact on our monthly budget.’

Finally, there were some ink issues during the first part of the trial. There was not enough time for the ink to dry before the folder on the cartoner smudged the ink on the cartons. As Bokomo is primarily a private label and contract manufacturer, it wants a high quality code that reflects the quality of its customers’ products. But the issue was quickly resolved with Videojet’s assistance. The company’s portfolio of CIJ inks is the broadest in the industry and includes specialty inks for almost any application. After replacing the first ink with a higher performance, fast dry ink, the codes on the cartons are now crisp and clear.

With the success of the 1000 Line at Peterborough, Bokomo placed an order for an additional four for its Wellingborough site. It is also looking  to invest in more case coders across both sites. Neil Hackney, group engineering manager, said, ‘The printers work in the background which is good news. I never really hear about any problems from them. They offer the reliability factor that I need without any headaches. They do exactly what you want them to do which is what you want from an engineering and production perspective. I am a happy customer.’