Videojet launches laser technology for high-performance pharmaceutical and medical device applications

Videojet launches laser technology for high-performance pharmaceutical and medical device applications

Flexible CO₂ laser marking system designed with pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in mind for more compliance, performance, and data handling capabilities

Wood Dale, Illinois – December 22, 2016  – It is believed that approximately 10% of all pharmaceuticals in the global supply chain are counterfeit¹. This is one of the largest issues still keeping pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers awake at night, and can vary across regions, with an estimated 10% – 30% of medicines sold in developing countries believed to be fake².

The lives of patients are being put at risk every day, and there are social responsibilities and costly lawsuits associated with counterfeit drugs and medical devices in the market. It is imperative that all pharmaceutical and medical devices are genuine, and can be tracked and traced throughout the supply chain, from manufacturer to end consumer. Laser is an ideal marking solution to help minimize the threat of counterfeiting and ensure that a permanent code is visible through the lifetime of the product.

In response to the needs of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers for permanent, high-quality codes, Videojet Technologies, a global leader in coding, marking and printing solutions, has advanced its range of CO2 laser marking systems with the introduction of the Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking solution.

Recognizing that superior codes are important for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, the new Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system offers speed improvements in data processing and communication over its predecessor laser range. The 3340 Pharma Line has the ability to handle high-speed communication and buffering of variable code content at ISO and GS1 standards. This improved performance benefits pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers by providing more time to engage the product, more time to finish the required mark, and ultimately producing higher quality, machine readable codes.

The improved marking speed of the Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system is remarkable, and manufacturers can now benefit from up to 60% more speed than predecessor Videojet lasers, enabling them to apply up to 2,000 characters per second; equivalent in speed and capability of one of the leading 60W lasers on the market today. With optimized marking head control to deliver high mark speeds, the Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system can now achieve serialization and four lines of variable data, plus 2D codes, at 400+ products per minute.

“We know that market trends are changing, and customers have to comply with varying counterfeit legislation in multiple countries,” said Sascha Ammesdoerfer, Laser Business Unit Manager at Videojet Technologies. “Laser has been proven to be the best solution to tackle the threat of counterfeiting, enabling manufacturers to mark permanent codes on a range of varying materials.”

The advanced 3340 Pharma Line CO2 laser marking system offers the largest marking field in the industry and is 20% wider than the closest equivalent on the market today. The Videojet 3340 Pharma Line can now cover up to 600mm marking field width, allowing certain wide web applications to be addressed with one laser that previously would have required two lasers. The large marking window helps to increase throughput and productivity, as well as optimizing return on investment (ROI) reducing the need for two lasers.

“The speed, legibility and flexibility in substrate application makes the Videojet 3340 Pharma Line CO2 laser marking system the ideal choice of marking solution for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry,” said Fernando Damiani, Pharmaceutical Marketing Manager at Videojet Technologies.

Accompanying the 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system, Videojet also offers a range of fume extraction systems and filter options that can be tailored for the given application, helping to remove smoke and particulate debris and improving uptime by keeping the laser lens clean. Specifying the right laser solution supports easy integration, speeding up the installation and changeover process and ultimately increasing uptime. In addition to this, the detachable umbilical cable can be easily routed during set-up, helping to eliminate the need to move other machinery.

“The Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system offers the flexibility needed to deliver peak performance in diverse pharmaceutical and medical device environments,” said Damiani. “Its vast range of standard configurations, our substrate flexibility, and the high-resolution marking heads all combine to deliver the marking performance pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers need to help them meet compliance.”

The Videojet 3340 Pharma Line laser marking system is one of a number of innovative new laser products being launched by Videojet in 2016.

For more information on the new ink and Videojet UHS inkjet printers, please call 0800 500 3023 or visit
global.videojet.com/cz

About Videojet Technologies:

Videojet Technologies is a world-leader 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 help 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 labeling, 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 3,000 team members in 26 countries worldwide. In addition, the Videojet distribution network includes more than 400 distributors and OEMs, serving 135 countries.

1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23769-global-crackdown-seizes-fake-drugs-worth-41-million/

2 http://www.cdc.gov/features/counterfeitdrugs/