Open Date expands inkjet range

Open Date Equipment has introduced thermal inkjet printers to its range of coding and marking machines which are claimed to make inkjet technology affordable and practical for many more end user markets. The new CleanCode LX, driven by Lexmark printhead technology, is available from December 2009 and adds to the company's existing range of EV I and EV II machines.

The LX delivers greater print distance, up to 9.5mm, and higher ink yield than the EV models, as well as print resolution of 300 or 600 dpi at line speeds of up to 61 m/min. Around 20 percent more printable characters per cartridge are claimed.

The coders are less expensive than continuous inkjet (CIJ) and offer lower running costs than CIJ or drop on demand machines, says Open Date.

The compact units require little space. The printhead is integral to the 42 cubic centimeter ink cartridge, so when the cartridge is replaced, so is the printhead. No make-up is required for the inks and virtually no maintenance is necessary. The coder is simply switched off when not in use and the cartridge stored; at start up the cartridge is simply reloaded.

Two versions of the LX are available:

• EVI-LX offers a basic system to print one line of 12.7mm text or two lines of 5.5mm text. Additional software is available for the EVI-LX to add memory, increase message length, print barcodes and allow sequence numbering and time/date formats.
• EVII-LX includes all of the standard and optional features of the EVI-LX. Additionally the EVII-LX can print three lines of 3.2mm or four lines of 2.4mm text.

Add-on printheads can be fitted via a dovetail slot which allows up to three additional heads to be slid into position on the same bracket. A small RS485 data cable is then used to connect the modules. This allows the hand held controller to network all the heads on the production line.

Open Date Equipment has been established for over 30 years, specializing in the supply of hot foil, thermal transfer overprinting and inkjet systems. Headquartered in London, UK, it has subsidiaries in Germany, France and the USA, and partners in more than 40 countries.