Mrs Darlington’s Improves Food Coding Reliability with Linx CIJ Printer

Reliable, low-maintenance date and batch coding on glass jars for a leading UK preserves producer.

The Challenge

Mrs Darlington’s required clear, high-contrast traceability codes across its range of glass jars.

The production line operates four days per week for approximately 7.5 hours per day, producing between 16,000 and 18,000 jars daily.

Their previous coding system required frequent attention from operators.

Key Issues:

• Daily printhead cleaning
• High maintenance requirements
• Problems restarting the printer after production shutdowns
• Need for consistently clear codes on glass jars
• Requirement for reliable performance across regular production runs

With coding forming an important part of product identification and traceability, Mrs Darlington’s needed a solution that operators could depend on without unnecessary maintenance interrupting production.

The Linx Solution

Mrs Darlington’s installed a Linx 8940 Spectrum Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) printer with opaque blue ink 1043.

The pigmented ink provides strong contrast for codes printed onto the base of the glass jars, while the printer was selected to support the company’s demanding production schedule.

The Solution Provided:

• Linx 8940 Spectrum CIJ printer
• Opaque blue pigmented ink
• Clear coding on glass jar bases
• Reliable operation across regular production runs
• Reduced operator intervention and printhead maintenance

The system gives Mrs Darlington’s a dependable solution for applying clear production and traceability information while helping minimise disruption on the line.

Results & Business Impact

The difference was noticeable after installing the Linx printer.

Since implementation, Mrs Darlington’s has experienced:

1. Daily printhead cleaning eliminated
2. Significantly reduced maintenance
3. Reliable restart after extended shutdowns
4. Clear and consistent print quality
5. Improved reliability during production

The printer can simply be switched back on when production resumes even after being shut down for several days.

“The old one we had to clean every day, this one we haven’t at all. There’s nothing there to clean. The print is nice and clear. It has been really reliable. It’s consistent, it hasn’t stopped. Its print is perfect.”

Paul Rigby, Production Manager, Mrs Darlington’s

Why It Worked

For a busy food production environment, coding equipment needs to deliver more than a readable code. It also needs to operate reliably without creating unnecessary work for production teams.

The Linx solution delivered:

• Reliable CIJ coding for glass jars
• High-contrast codes using pigmented ink
• Consistent print quality
• Minimal printhead cleaning
• Reliable operation after production shutdowns
• Reduced operator intervention

This combination helped Mrs Darlington’s maintain dependable coding while reducing the maintenance burden associated with its previous printer.

Need Reliable Date and Batch Coding for Your Food Production Line?

Whether you’re coding glass jars, bottles or other food packaging, Linx can help identify the right printing technology and ink for your production environment.

Talk to our UK coding specialists about your application.

About Mrs Darlington’s

Mrs Darlington’s is a family-run producer of award-winning jams, curds, pickles and chutneys.

Established in the 1980s, the company has grown from its family roots into a successful food producer whose products are sold in the UK and exported internationally.

With thousands of jars moving through production each day, dependable coding is essential for maintaining clear product identification and traceability.

Conclusion

By replacing its previous coding equipment with the Linx 8940 Spectrum CIJ printer, Mrs Darlington’s significantly reduced routine printhead cleaning while achieving clear and consistent codes on its glass jars.

For a production line handling up to 18,000 jars per day, the result is a simpler and more reliable coding process that requires less operator attention.

The project demonstrates how selecting the right CIJ printer and ink combination for food packaging can improve coding reliability while reducing maintenance demands.