Domino Laser Coder Offers High-speed Serialization of Plastic Pharma Bottles

Domino Printing Sciences has launched the U510 state-of-the-art UV laser coder for permanent codes on white and colored plastics, including high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) pharmaceutical bottles. The U510 has built-in data serialization and traceability management, and works alongside Domino’s range of vision inspection systems to provide a fully integrated solution for serialized coding on pharmaceutical products.

“Lasers are a popular coding solution for the pharmaceutical sector, owing to their high-speed operation and ability to create high-quality codes that meet pharmaceutical serialization and traceability requirements and last the lifetime of the product,” says Felix Rief, head of laser and extraction, Domino. “However, certain types of pharmaceutical packaging, including white and colored HDPE and LDPE bottles, are not ideally suited to printing with fiber or CO₂ lasers. Domino has developed the U510 to fill this gap to ensure that all pharmaceutical manufacturers have an option for laser coding their products.”

The laser coder creates pin-sharp human- and machine-readable codes directly onto white and colored plastic substrates without the need for additives or laser-activated fields. Coding is achieved by a photochemical reaction in the very top layer of the plastic substrate, resulting in a smooth, indelible code without the risk of compromising the product packaging. Codes appear bright white on dark plastics and deep black on white plastics. 

Like Domino’s existing laser ranges, the U510 has been developed to support manufacturers with high-speed serialization requirements. The laser coder can process large amounts of data while printing at very high speeds, generating unique codes for single product on a manufacturing line without slowing down production. The solution offers verified serialization via audit trail to support manufacturers with achieving 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. At the same time, integration with Domino’s R-Series vision systems enables all codes to be checked and verified at the point of printing.

The U510 has been designed for ease of integration, uptime, and reliability. The all-in-one print head and controller unit are lightweight and compact for seamless integration into existing production lines. The scan head can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical orientation to give extra flexibility.