The Project Scope
Jorgensen Engineering, headquartered in Denmark, and Domino Printing Sciences‘ Danish distributor (Domino Systems A/S), have a well-established partnership in delivering bespoke handling systems and coding solutions to major multinational food manufacturers.
In 2020, a large multinational food manufacturer, which has been successfully utilising Jorgensen handling systems and Domino coding solutions at multiple locations for many years, presented Jorgensen and Domino with a new challenge.
Domino CO2 lasers were already marking blue-varnished tinplate can ends at various production sites of the food manufacturer. However, one site in France encountered the additional challenge of marking clear-varnished can ends as well. Consequently, they needed a versatile solution to address both requirements.
Jorgensen Engineering was in the process of upgrading the existing filling and packaging line, which included a handling station for laser marking can ends from below. The previously mentioned requirements were to be integrated into this application.
Domino and Jorgensen’s Flexible Laser Solution for Marking Cans
Marking the can ends from below allows for the use of different heights without the need to change the format or adjust the focus distance. This approach also makes it easier to control the risk of scattered or reflected radiation (such as the laser beam impacting the rim of the can).
By marking the can ends from below, two motor-driven can twisters can be eliminated from the infeed and outfeed stages of the production line, resulting in reduced energy consumption and lower maintenance costs. The extremely compact Jorgensen can coding system can be retrofitted to existing can lines, and both CO2 and fibre lasers can be integrated according to customer requirements.
The robust design ensures high performance with minimal maintenance. Additionally, the retractable laser rack system allows for user-friendly operation, easy cleaning, and convenient access to all components.
Domino’s Approach to Finding a Tailored Solution
To determine the best solution, Domino’s Laser Academy, based in Hamburg, was brought into the project. To facilitate extensive testing, the multinational food manufacturer provided a large supply of varnished and unvarnished can bottoms. With these samples, the Laser Academy conducted tests using both CO2 and fibre lasers, considering various power ranges, wavelengths, marking field sizes, and focus lengths/spot sizes. To meet the new requirements, the team, led by Stefan Stadler (Team Leader at the Domino Laser Academy), needed to identify the most suitable laser system for the project. The solution had to apply a QR code alongside alphanumeric text within a specific time frame and achieve a predefined quality grading, ensuring the QR code could be read by a smartphone camera.
Domino Laser Academy’s Findings
The investigations revealed that the Domino F720i fibre laser was the ideal system for marking both blue and clear varnished can ends. The proposed print layout (QR code plus 4-line alphanumeric text) could be applied to the various cans (differing in diameter, height, and volume) within the required timing and quality parameters. This was accomplished by using the F720i fibre laser at a maximum marking speed of 300 products per minute.
Fully Comprehensive Can Coding Station for Maximum Flexibility
In partnership with Domino and the food manufacturer, Jorgensen Engineering has developed a fully integrated laser marking solution within a can handling unit.
Advantages of the All-in-One System
This system features a robust, safety-tested housing with a compact footprint, ensuring reliable, vibration-free marking from both above and below the can. It includes integrated camera inspection and rejection systems, along with serialisation software, all contributing to potential environmental and cost savings.
The flexibility of the can coding station allows the end customer to adapt quickly to changing market demands. In the medium to long term, the food manufacturer may consider transitioning entirely to clear-varnished can ends, aligning with their commitment to developing sustainable packaging for consumers. By eliminating the need for the blue dot marking field, customers can benefit from reliable laser technology that is not only easy to operate but also significantly reduces the use of varnish in production, leading to environmental savings. Moreover, the fibre laser solution offers further cost benefits, as only one fibre laser is required to achieve the desired print layout, depending on data volume, whereas a CO2 laser solution would necessitate two systems. Additionally, the fibre laser beam has an estimated lifespan of around 100,000 hours (MTBF value).
