PEZ has upgraded its coding and marking operations at its manufacturing facility in Orange, Connecticut, adopting continuous inkjet (CIJ) printing systems from LEIBINGER to support high-speed production in a sugar-intensive environment.
The site produces more than 1.5 million PEZ tablets per hour, with packaging lines operating at speeds of up to 350 rolls per minute. The facility includes both traversing and linear lines and operates in conditions where airborne sugar particles are present, which can affect the performance and maintenance requirements of coding equipment.
According to the company, PEZ introduced the LEIBINGER systems to reduce downtime linked to cleaning, maintenance and start-up, and to improve print consistency across production lines.
“Ever since we switched over to the LEIBINGER printers, the process is simple: turn them on, print, done,” said Gerry Figueroa, maintenance lead at PEZ. “Our downtime has been drastically reduced.”
LEIBINGER’s CIJ printers are designed to minimise cleaning and start-up issues associated with clogging. The systems use an automatic nozzle sealing mechanism to keep the nozzle airtight during downtime, alongside continuous ink circulation intended to maintain ink viscosity and reduce blockages. The printers can also be programmed to start automatically ahead of production shifts.
The company said the systems allow operators to monitor and adjust printers remotely using virtual network connectivity (VNC), reducing the need for manual intervention on the production floor. PEZ also uses a single ink formulation across its coding processes, simplifying consumables management.
“It’s more in the background. It’s no longer in the forefront – and that’s exactly what I want from a printer,” said Tony Cangiano, maintenance manager at PEZ.
The upgrade forms part of PEZ’s efforts to maintain consistent coding performance and operational reliability across its high-speed packaging lines.
