A leading egg producer approached Packtronic to evaluate an alternative to its existing egg coding system. The objective was to improve print quality, reduce production losses and increase operational efficiency without slowing down production.
Packtronic conducted a live production trial using the R60 LVDS Thermal Inkjet Printer with five printheads.
The trial delivered impressive results, including a 98% print success rate and a significant reduction in printing rejects.
The Egg Coding Challenge
In high-volume egg production, poor print quality can lead to unnecessary rejects, wasted products and increased operating costs.
The customer’s existing printer was producing a reject rate of 11.39%. The customer therefore required a reliable egg coding printer that could:
- Maintain consistent print quality at production speed
- Print clearly across five production lanes
- Handle different egg heights
- Print on dark and speckled egg shells
- Reduce printing rejects
- Be easy for production staff to operate
The Packtronic Solution
Packtronic supplied and demonstrated an R60 LVDS Thermal Inkjet Printer configured with five printheads.
The five-head configuration allowed the printer to code multiple rows of eggs simultaneously while maintaining accurate and consistent print positioning.
The R60 LVDS provides high-speed, non-contact printing and is well suited to demanding production environments where reliability and print consistency are essential.
Key features of the system include:
- Five independently controlled printheads
- High-speed thermal inkjet printing
- Clear and consistent print quality
- User-friendly touchscreen controls
- Low maintenance requirements
- Reliable performance across multiple production lanes
- Flexible message creation and print control
Egg Printing Trial Results
During the live production trial, the R60 LVDS delivered strong and consistent performance.
Trial Performance
- Printer: R60 LVDS Thermal Inkjet Printer
- Configuration: Five printheads
- Eggs printed: 5,926
- Production time: Less than 40 minutes
- Print success rate: 98%
- Reject rate: 2.10%
The printer maintained stable performance throughout the trial and produced clear, consistent codes across the production line.
Significant Reduction in Printing Rejects
The customer’s existing egg printer recorded a reject rate of 11.39%.
During the Packtronic trial, the R60 LVDS recorded a reject rate of only 2.10%.
This represents a 9.29 percentage point improvement in the reject rate.
| Performance Measure | Existing Printer | R60 LVDS |
|---|---|---|
| Reject rate | 11.39% | 2.10% |
| Print success rate | 88.61% | 97.90% |
| Improvement in reject rate | – | 9.29 percentage points |
For a high-volume egg producer, this reduction in rejects can result in significant savings by reducing wasted eggs, production interruptions and unnecessary handling.
Successful Stress Testing
The R60 LVDS was also tested under more challenging production conditions.
The printer successfully coded:
- Eggs with mixed heights
- Dark-coloured egg shells
- Speckled eggs
- Eggs moving at normal production speed
- Multiple rows of eggs simultaneously
The R60 LVDS outperformed the customer’s existing printer during all the stress tests and continued to deliver consistent, readable codes.
Improved Operator Experience
The production team also rated the R60 LVDS highly for ease of use.
The printer’s intuitive interface and straightforward controls made it easier for operators to manage print messages and production requirements.
Packtronic also provided detailed on-site training during the trial. The thorough training and patient technical support helped the operators become comfortable and confident with the system.
The Business Value of Reducing Egg Printing Rejects
Printing rejects may appear to be a small percentage of total production, but in a high-volume egg facility, the financial impact can quickly increase.
A lower reject rate can help egg producers:
- Reduce product waste
- Improve production yield
- Lower operating costs
- Reduce unnecessary downtime
- Improve code quality and traceability
- Increase overall production efficiency
Based on the trial results, the reduction in printing rejects provided a strong business case for investing in the R60 LVDS egg coding solution.
Why Choose the R60 LVDS for Egg Coding?
The R60 LVDS is designed for high-speed industrial printing applications where reliability, flexibility and print quality are critical.
Benefits of the R60 LVDS include:
- Multi-head printing capability
- Accurate printing across multiple lanes
- High-speed production performance
- Consistent coding on curved surfaces
- Low maintenance requirements
- Easy operation
- Reduced printing rejects
- Reliable traceability
- Professional training and technical support from Packtronic
Conclusion
The live egg coding trial demonstrated the performance and reliability of the R60 LVDS Thermal Inkjet Printer with five printheads.
During the trial, the system printed 5,926 eggs in less than 40 minutes and achieved a 98% print success rate.
The reject rate was reduced from 11.39% with the existing printer to only 2.10% with the R60 LVDS, representing a 9.29 percentage point improvement.
These results demonstrate how the correct egg coding solution can reduce waste, improve production efficiency and deliver measurable cost savings.
Improve Your Egg Coding Process
Are printing rejects affecting your production efficiency?
Contact Packtronic to arrange an on-site demonstration of the R60 LVDS egg coding printer and discover how your business can improve print quality, reduce rejects and increase productivity.
To see the video, click here.
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