Date Coding
Date codes are essential for compliance, traceability, and brand integrity. In the UK and EU, accurate date coding is a legal requirement for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical products, ensuring consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Manufacturers must take care to ensure that their date codes are legible and consistent. Beyond meeting standards, manufacturers rely on date coders for internal tracking, batch control, and efficient logistics.
Date Coding Machines
Date code printers are all designed to print clear and durable date codes directly onto a product or packaging, such as manufactured dates, freezing dates, use-by dates or a minimum durability date, such as “best before” or “best before end”.
Whether you need expiry dates that are easily readable for your consumers or “closed dating” for meeting regulations on product traceability, Linx have an expiry date printer for every customer need.
Linx has a range of date code solutions capable of printing onto nearly any material or product, even at high speed, with multiple lines of text or in harsh production environments.
- Linx date code printers offer a full range of date coding capabilities including re-programmed formats, automatic date functions, and custom date and time editors. Using simple on screen prompts new formats can be easily created and stored as templates using internal memory.
- With real time clock functions our date coding machines can automate printing manufacture, best before or expiration dates; adding any number of seconds, hours, days, or months to the current date and time.
- Can auto-adjust for daylight savings time
Linx Solutions for Date Coding
Inkjet Date Coding
Linx 9000 Series CIJ printers
Features
Suitable for 24/7 operations | Data Matrix and QR codes | GS1 code builder | High-speed production | Print up to 6 lines | Primary and secondary coding | Black and coloured inks
Key Benefits for batch coding:
- Range of inks to ensure durable date codes on different materials and through processes such as sterilisation
- Non-contact coding
- Simple to use promted fields for different date and time formats, automatic date functions and date offset
- Compatible with Linx Iris vision system to check printed code matches the entered message and is a valid date
- IP65 option for washdown or dusty environments
Laser Date Coding
Features
Suitable for 24/7 operations | Data Matrix and QR codes | Large marking area | No consumables | Low maintenance | Versatile mounting
Key Benefits for batch coding:
- Permanent coding to ensure date codes are present and legible, no smudging or fading
- Non-contact coding
- Suitable for high-speed production lines
- IP65 options for washdown or dusty environments
Thermal Transfer Date Coding
Linx TT500, TT750, TT1000
Features
Data Matrix and QR codes | Large marking area | Black or coloured ribbons | High resolution | Compact & Easy to integrate
Key Benefits for batch coding:
- Ideal for coding onto plastic films
- Intermittent and continuous lines
- Suitable for high-speed production lines
Large Character Date Coding
Linx IJ355 & IJ375
Features
High resolution | Data Matrix and QR codes | Low total cost of ownership | Black and red inks | Print up to 70mm high
Key Benefits for batch coding:
- Cost-effective alternative to labels or pre-printed boxes for outer packaging, allowing variable data to be printed
- Durable codes on porous surfaces such as cardboard
Not sure which solution is suitable for your date code printing?
Date and Time Coding Applications
Pharmaceuticals
Date codes are critical on pharmaceuticals to show expiry dates, ensuring medicines are used safely and remain effective
FAQ
Date coding is the process of applying dates such as best-before, use-by, or production dates to products, helping ensure safety, compliance, and efficient stock management.
Linx coders can print best-before dates, use-by dates, production dates, expiry dates, and time stamps in a variety of formats to suit your requirements.
Date coding is widely required in industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and manufacturing to meet regulatory and quality standards.
Yes, Linx printers are designed to deliver consistent, high-quality date codes even on fast-moving production lines without slowing operations.
No, Linx solutions are engineered for reliability and minimal maintenance, helping you apply date codes smoothly without unplanned downtime.
Linx technologies can mark date codes onto a wide range of materials, including plastic, glass, metal, cardboard, flexible film, and labels.
Yes, Linx printers offer flexible message setup, making it easy to update date formats or coding information as requirements change.
Linx date coders offer superior reliability, low maintenance, and advanced coding technology, ensuring consistent performance in demanding environments.
Yes, Linx solutions are designed for seamless integration with various packaging lines, reducing installation time and complexity.