Inkjet coding matches speed of 180-a-minute product lines and uses nozzle-seal technology

Leibinger inkjet coders are keeping pace with Henkel haircare packing lines at its plant in Maribor, Slovenia, with nozzle-sealing to avoid frequent cleaning routines.

This is the largest haircare product factory in the Henkel group, and in 2024 was designated its European Centre of Excellence for Hair Coloration & Hair Care Products. It has 22 production lines, most of which are equipped with Leibinger JET3 UP coding and run at up to 180 items a minute.

“All our printers are networked and receive print texts from the production information system,” explains the plant’s technical director Borut Suhadolnik.

The printers incorporate Leibinger’s fully-automatic Sealtronic nozzle-sealing technology, ensuring that the cleaning cycles typically required for conventional continuous inkjet printers are not needed. According to the supplier, this “entirely eliminates production downtime”.

Sealtronic works by closing the nozzle as soon as the printer stops operating, so preventing the ink from drying out. When the printer starts up again, the nozzle opens and the printer continues working without interruption.

“The printers start up immediately and print very smoothly,” says Suhadolnik. “They are extremely user-friendly, which simplifies our employees’ work. The Leibinger printers have significantly increased the productivity of our lines. Thanks to their nozzle-sealing technology, there are no longer any production stops.”

The Maribor plant, which manufactures up to 260 million packs of haircare product under brand names such as Schwarzkopf, Palette and Syoss, has 700 employees. Products are exported to over 30 countries.

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