When coding pharmaceutical products, manufacturers must be able to rely 100% on the flawless and durable printing of variable data, such as the use-by date and batch information. In many cases, however, the printed image produced by thermal transfer technology, which is most widely used at present, does not offer resistance to wear and abrasion. Atlantic Zeiser's DIGILINE Label printing system, as installed in a plant operated by a global manufacturer of vaccines, now offers a solution.

The danger of the codes being damaged by friction occurring between the vials of serum on the production line or inside the secondary packaging has been successfully eliminated in a project pursued in collaboration with Atlantic Zeiser. The greater process security afforded by DIGILINE Label has also minimised the risk of costly production interruptions throughout the packaging line.

DIGILINE Label uses high-performance UV-curable inks developed in-house. The system ensures brilliant print quality and supreme resistance to abrasion and alcohol-based solvents. In the absence of ink ribbons and print bars, operating costs can be reduced by as much as 30 percent. Compared to thermal transfer technology, the system offers other substantial advantages in view of printing speeds that are up to four times higher. A further argument in its favour is the integrated label buffer of the nearline version, which enables the system to respond effortlessly to fluctuating applicator speeds.

DIGILINE Label is also very easy to install in any packaging line without any complications or intervention in the existing production system. The vaccine manufacturer has already been operating DIGILINE Label absolutely troublefree for six months and is so impressed that it now intends to install three more systems. Process security will be further enhanced as they enter service. 

The Packaging division of Atlantic Zeiser ranks among the leading suppliers of sophisticated individualization, serialization and track & trace solutions that efficiently and seamlessly monitor product movements, securely verify authenticity, and reliably protect against counterfeiters. Innovative digital printing uses drop-on-demand technology to create superior-quality labelling, coding and marking solutions – from primary packaging to late-stage customising in the pack printing segment.

Specifically for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors, the division develops tailored systems to facilitate the reliable, legally compliant, cost-efficient and fast application of unique security features to individual and mass products. Atlantic Zeiser's track & trace systems bring together the latest machine and printing technologies with intelligent and fully compatible software architecture. The company addresses the particular needs of the pharmaceutical industry with its MEDTRACKER serialization solution, and offers BRANDTRACKER to support the sophisticated brand protection endeavours of the cosmetic segment.

Atlantic Seizer's other divisions are Card Systems – for personalizing ID cards, bank and credit cards, as well as gift and other customer loyalty cards; and Banknote & Security Printing, which develops and markets solutions for numbering banknotes in any currency, and personalizing passports.

Atlantic Zeiser has its head office in Emmingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and oversees eleven facilities worldwide as well as sales and service partners in around 50 countries.