issue 1 2017

processing & packaging 49
operator teams to spend their time
elsewhere.
Is more detailed ingredients and
nutritional information becoming
more important to include onpack?
Consumers have increased
interest in what is actually in the
product, its origin, authenticity and
its story if you will. Nutrition and
ingredients are important to
convey, as are calorie counts and
allergens. Governments are
increasingly responding to this
consumer interest by implementing
a patchwork of different
requirements to drive food
producers to meet consumers’
expectations. That’s a good thing
for consumers, but it can cause
real headaches in the production
and labelling process if flexible
systems are not in place. If a
regulatory body passes a
requirement that says you have to
have a specific mark to represent
the fact that a product is, for
example, genetically modified, that
producer now has to change its
packaging. Hypothetically, if you
have 80 skews of existing
packaging, in a number of flavour
varieties, in different sizes for four
different markets, a small change
can really cause havoc. So
producers are increasingly thinking
about which parts of that
packaging can be printed on a
variable basis, either in order to
meet these regulatory demands or
to convey a message to
consumers about the origin of the
product.
With a TTO system, runs can be
changed digitally very easily
without any logistical or supply
chain changes. It builds flexibility
into this packaging process,
avoiding costly delays and
packaging changes. If producers
integrate TTO into their lines for
the printing of date/batch codes
and subsequently determine that
an additional mark such as
country-of-origin or batch website
is desired, no changes to the
production process are required.
The TTO can seamlessly include
this additional information in the
print with the few strokes on a
keyboard.
Q: Is TTO an environmentally
friendly technology?
Our customers consider their
sustainability footprints very
carefully and increasingly ask us
how their coding situation can
contribute to those goals. The
answer is that increasing use of
TTO printers can make a
significant contribution, both in
terms of materials and upstream
footprint. Using only precisely
controlled heated elements to
transfer the printed code from an
inert ribbon, TTO technology
avoids any need for solvents or
other fluids that may be common in
other coding technologies.
In addition to this, in working with
Videojet our customers can be safe
in the knowledge that we strive to
achieve the highest levels of
environmental sustainability within
our business. We are driving our
own operations to be in alignment
with ISO 14001 environmental
standards – reducing emissions
and our consumption of critical
resources, energy and raw
materials wherever possible. We
want our customers to be assured
that we take the environment as
seriously as they do.
About Drew Weightman:
Drew Weightman is a Global
Business Unit Manager at Videojet
Technologies. His primary
responsibilities include business
management, strategy, product
development and market expansion
of the Thermal Transfer (TTO) and
Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) business lines.
Drew has numerous years of
experience in the product
packaging and identification
industry. Previously he was a
Vertical Market Manager with
Videojet as well as a Danaher
Business System Leader.
About Videojet Technologies:
Videojet Technologies is a worldleader
in the product identification
market, providing in-line printing,
coding, and marking products,
application specific fluids and
product life cycle services. Our
goal is to partner with our
customers in the consumer
packaged goods, pharmaceutical,
and industrial goods industries to
improve their productivity, to
protect and grow their brands, and
to stay ahead of industry trends
and regulations.
With our customer application
experts and technology leadership
in continuous inkjet (CIJ), thermal
inkjet (TIJ), laser marking, thermal
transfer overprinting (TTO), case
coding and labelling, and wide
array printing, Videojet has more
than 345,000 printers installed
worldwide. Our customers rely on
Videojet products to print on over
ten billion products daily.
Customer sales, application,
service, and training support is
provided by direct operations with
over 4,000 team members in 26
countries worldwide. In addition,
the Videojet distribution network
includes more than 400
distributors and OEMs, serving
135 countries. n
Drew Weightman
Global Business Unit Manager, Thermal Transfer
Overprinting (TTO)
Videojet Technologies
www.videojet.com
www.foodmagazine.eu.com issue one | 2017