Manufacturer of specialised digital printing equipment Primera Technology has announced the launch of its new AP-CODE Lot & Date Coder.

AP-CODE is designed to work with Primera’s AP360 and AP362 Label Applicators, including new and existing installed units.

The equipment doesn’t need a separate power supply and includes a full-colour touchscreen to enter data and configure date and lot codes. The print fields are free-format and can include letters, numbers and many symbols while formats can be stored for later use, speeding up production.

The single black ink cartridge adheres to many substrates, including glass, metal, plastic and laminated labels. Decap time is more than 24 hours, eliminating clogs and needing to cap print heads overnight.

Primera vice-president of sales and marketing Mark Strobel commented: “AP-CODE, in combination with our AP360 and AP362 Label Applicators, now allows our customers to apply their labels and simultaneously print dates, lot codes, and much more directly onto their containers – all with one integrated machine. This is an exciting development for Primera’s label applicators.”

Digital printing is a fast-rising area of product development, with major international packaging brands such as Peachtree, Roland DG, and DS Smith recently investing in new printing equipment for their operations.

In addition, GlobalData's thematic research finds that 3D printing has the potential to create packaging or plastic product prototypes at a greater speed and at a lower cost than ever before. 

Headquartered in Minnesota, Primera Technology’s specialised printing products are sold worldwide through Primera Authorized Resellers and Distributors in more than 200 countries and territories.