Large Character Ink Jet Printer

A large character inkjet printer prints text, barcodes, logos and graphics in large format directly onto cartons, cases, sacks and trays as they pass on the conveyor. The Nexus large character printer is a hot melt wax printer: it heats a wax-based ink to liquid, jets it onto the surface, and the ink sets on contact to give a sharp, durable print on coated and uncoated board, plastics, wood and some metals. Supplied and supported Australia-wide for secondary packaging coding by Nexus.

Also known as

• Large character printer or large character coder
• Hot melt wax printer or wax-based ink printer
• Carton coder, case coder or box printer
• Large character inkjet (LCIJ) or high-resolution case coder

How a hot melt wax printer works

Solid wax-based ink is melted in the print head and held at temperature. As each carton passes, the head jets droplets of liquid wax onto the surface, where they cool and solidify almost instantly. Because the ink does not soak into the substrate the way a solvent ink does, the print stays crisp on coated board, glossy plastics and other non-porous surfaces, and there is no solvent to evaporate or fumes to extract. The printer holds the image in memory and prints it on every case, with variable fields such as date, batch and count updated automatically.

Substrate

Coated and uncoated paper and cardboard, corrugated shipping cases, folding cartons, plastic crates and trays, shrink film over multipacks, wood and timber packaging, and some metal surfaces. Where the substrate is plain porous corrugated board and only plain alphanumeric codes are needed, a lower-cost valve jet printer is usually the better fit; the wax printer is chosen when the surface is coated or non-porous, or when print quality has to carry barcodes and logos.

Capability

• High-resolution text, up to several lines per head, readable at a distance.
• Scannable barcodes: GS1-128, ITF-14 and 2D codes for case and pallet tracking.
• Logos, graphics and brand marks on plain shipping cases, replacing pre-printed board.
• Batch or lot numbers, expiry and manufacturing dates, serial numbers and shift codes.
• Ingredient and allergen panels, warning text and handling instructions on outer packaging.
• Variable data driven from the line controller or ERP system.

Large character printing versus print and apply labelling

Both put variable data on a case. A large character printer prints directly onto the box, so there is no label stock, no adhesive and no applicator to maintain, and it suits high-volume lines with a consistent case colour. A print and apply labeller applies a printed label, which suits dark or glossy cases where direct print would not scan, and mixed lines where the label carries a lot of data. Our guide to large character coding compares the options.

Speed

Large character printers print from low up to high speed applications, with print heads mounted on one or both sides of the conveyor to code two faces of the case in one pass.

Consumables

Hot melt inks in a choice of colours cover a broad spectrum of applications and substrates. The solid ink format means no solvent, no make-up fluid and no ink drying in the head between shifts, so consumable handling is simpler than continuous inkjet.

Related coding and marking systems

• Continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers
• Thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers
• Laser coding systems
• Thermal transfer overprinters
• Valve jet printers
• Print and apply labelling

Tell us your case material, line speed and what each code has to carry, and we will specify the printer. Contact Nexus Australia for a quote on a large character inkjet printer.