With its imaginative range of products beginning to grow, it was important to Devon-based Portlebay Popcorn to have an efficient production line, so it made perfect sense to turn to Allen Coding Systems, when the time came to update one of its printers.
Says Jonty White from Portlebay Popcorn: “We have worked with Allen Coding for several years and use the company’s printers on our bagging machines. We know them to be reliable and understand their equipment so, when an old, now obsolete coder finally began to fail, it was an obvious move to replace it with Allen’s recommendation of an up-to-date 53XL80 thermal transfer machine.”
Compact, simple, reliable and very easy to install and use, the 53XL80 requires minimal maintenance.
Operating at speeds of up to 65 bags of popcorn per minute on a Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) bagger at Portlebay’s Plympton site, the Allen unit’s reliability has made a significant impact on the production process, with far fewer stoppages due to equipment breakdown.
Now bags of Kracklecorn® in Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Wasabi & Sweet Ginger, Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup, Chilli & Lime, plus the more traditional flavour of slightly sweet and lightly salted, are flying off the production line, as date codes and Julian codes are printed clearly and efficiently at 300dpi by the 53XL80.
The thermal printer offers many advanced features usually found on more expensive alternatives, such as state-of-the-art, high resolution printhead technology, the flexibility to print fixed and variable text, data and graphics, plus 600-metre ribbon capacity.
Concludes Jonty: “The product and service provided by Allen Coding was exceptional and way beyond our expectations. We would definitely recommend them to other manufacturers of snacks who are wishing to improve the efficiency of their production packaging process.”
Allen Coding is part of the ITW Marking & Coding Division, which also comprises Allen Spain, Norwood, Diagraph, Trident and Allen Germany.
Allen Coding Systems has been designing and manufacturing high quality overprinting equipment for over 30 years. As one of UK’s leading coding technology manufacturers, supplying hot foil, laser, ink jet and thermal transfer coding systems, Allen provides solutions for companies in a wide range of markets, including food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetics. Acquired by Chicago-based Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) in February 2006, the Allen brand continues to be recognised as one of the major players within the packaging industry.
Allen Coding Systems
Steve Ryan
Tel: 01438 347 770
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