Putting a unique bar code onto fruit may sound easy, but the restrictions that a food product introduces, such as food-safe inks, plastics, and adhesives, combined with high-speed product packaging lines make conventional solutions inapplicable. To meet this challenge Sinclair turned to TTP.
In collaboration with Intense Photonics, TTP developed a novel non-contact, food-safe label technology based on a laser array for direct application to fruit. The laser array remotely writes a barcode onto a thermal label, moments before the label is applied to the individual piece of fruit. The unique geometry of the label and its application to the fruit required the development of a reverse-marked thermal label.
This resulted in an innovative thermal tape being specifically designed for the laser array. A novel scanning optic and laser array design allows the bar code label machine to be compatible with typical packaging line speeds of 12 labels per second.
