How your coder can keep you competitive in the contract packaging industry

The contract packing industry is thriving.  But a strong market inevitably brings strong competition.  Many consumer packaged goods manufacturers look to outsource processes not core to their business, and so contract packers need to be competitive to either keep or acquire business.

Technological advancements over the last few years have allowed smart businesses to adopt lean manufacturing principles and reduce their overheads. With reduced costs and enhanced capability, the playing field has changed, leading to an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Key to maintaining and winning new accounts is ensuring that you have the right equipment in place to meet the needs and deadlines of your customers.

How does this translate into you presenting a more competitive offering?

Deliver flexibility
While there is no such thing as a “typical” coding run, as an industry we have observed a trend towards smaller production runs. This has been generated by an increase in promotional packaging strategies as retailers change a greater proportion of their merchandise more often.

This means different size packaging, frequent requests for customization, personalization and of course, last-minute changes.

Coding technologies allow you to meet the needs of your customers without investing in dedicated printers for each job, this allows you to offer a greater range of coding with a reduced turnaround time.

Linx Continuous Ink Jet (CIJ) coders have the ability to code onto a wide variety of substrate and the ability to code from the smallest bottles and tubes, right up to secondary boxes.

The Linx CJ400 is one of the lightest printers on the market, designed for portability allowing it to be moved quickly and easily between runs. It’s simple to setup and self-service and codes from 1.1mm to 20mm high. In addition to this, a range of inks assures code visibility of a range of colored substrates or clear bottles filled with colored liquids. This allows easy coding for products such as essential oils and bath products; one ink would show up on any colored content.

Aside from having the flexibility to quickly deploy a single printer to multiple tasks, contract packers are expanding their offering as many retailers are striving to reduce costs by consolidating suppliers. Offering flexibility as a coder also means being able to code secondary packaging. The Linx IJ355 and IJ375 Large Character Coders offers high resolution print to 180dpi with sharp graphics and text for barcodes. Other products such as the Linx TJ725 offers a complete out of the box coding solution; you can start coding right away with a compact printer with built in sensors that fits into the smallest space on your line. The combined printhead and ink supply means no messy refilling with ink and no leaks.

By equipping yourself with the right range of equipment you will be able to deliver the flexibility that manufacturers now expect.

Meet your deadlines with speed & reliability
Critical to building a long-term partnership is trust. Trust comes from delivering on-time by keeping your line moving and having short lead times.

Our research shows that one of the biggest problems faced by contract packers is coder failure holding up production. Hard to install coders that get damaged when moved or dealing with blockages and ink spills creates delays that you can’t afford, damages relationships with clients and ultimately eats into your profit.

Linx printers are renowned for their reliability and ease of use, qualities which will allow you to meet your deadlines. Linx CIJ models feature a protective sealed printhead that prevents damage to critical parts during operation, and the rare occasions when they need to be cleaned; Linx CIJ printers only need their printheads cleaning four times a year.. In addition to this, the Autoflush feature cleans the printhead and conduit at every shutdown, eliminating blockages and providing clean start-ups, resulting in fewer delays.

What can Linx do for you?

Find out how Linx coders can help you stay competitive – download our Expert Guide here.