Thermal Transfer Barcode Ribbon Manufacturing in India
THERMAL TRANSFER RIBBON ( Popularly known as TTR ).
All the products and services available in the world have a name, a maker and a user, all of which add up to an identity that has to be recorded. If we replace the words recorded and identity by label and barcode, we find ourselves in the world of Thermal Transfer.
Printing by Thermal Transfer consists of applying thermo fusible ink onto a receptor – Paper, Polyester or Tags, using a heat source ( Thermal Head ) emitted by the printer.
The flexibility of TT is its capacity to meet very high demands of print quality and to provide a technical solution in keeping with user expectations. There are many variables of Thermal Transfer Ribbons whether from the point of view of the type of ink chosen, the nature of the printing media and finally the choice of printer technology. Each of these elements will have a big influence on the print result.
This is why to properly understand how printing by Thermal Transfer works, it is important to separate each of the elements involved in the process.
A Thermal Transfer ribbon is the consumable which contains the ink required for printing. Of virtually identical exterior appearance, TT ribbons differ through the properties of the inked ribbon (backcoating, polyester film, ink layer(s)) but also through all the components which make up the roll (core, trailer of ribbon end and leader of ribbon start).
INKED RIBBON :
During the manufacturing process, a transparent polyester film is unwound, with on one side a single or several layers of ink applied, and on the other a protective layer called the backcoating.
Backcoating
The backcoating is the part of the ribbon which is in direct contact with the printer’s printhead. Made from silicon, the role of the backcoating is to :
- protect the printhead as the ribbon unwinds,
- provide excellent heat conductivity to enable the ink to transfer to the print medium,
- reduce the formation of static electricity, which is harmful to the printer and its operator.
Polyester film
PET film is the basic medium for TT ribbon and is the thickest part (4.5 microns). Its principal properties are to offer excellent tear resistance which is required during the manufacturing process and subsequently during printing, and to ensure perfect heat conductivity.
Ink
Ink is made up of wax, resin or a mixture of the two, and also certain additives and colour pigments. The composition of the ink gives it very different print characteristics, making Thermal Transfer so versatile in its various fields of application.
Leader
A PET film which protects the inked part of the ribbon during transport and makes insertion into the printer easier. It may bear the customers brand name.
Trailer
Situated at the end of the ribbon, it plays an important role, namely to indicate the end of the ribbon which stops the film being unwound, thereby protecting the print head (depending on type of printer).
Core
Normally made out of cardboard, the core is the spool on which the film is wound during manufacture and then unwound during the printing phase. Depending on the model of printer for which it is designed, the mandrel will have different properties (interior and exterior diameter, width, notches, etc.).
TECHNOLOGY COMPARISON
The extensive use of bar codes for automatic product identification has brought about major advances for the whole of industry in terms of logistics and traceability.
One of the main requirements is the zero-tolerance of printing errors. A spelling mistake in a word does not necessarily change its meaning; however, a poorly printed bar code renders it unusable.
Different technologies exist for printing variable label information:
Which one is best suited to different operational demands?
Printing by "thermal transfer" works by combining a printer with thermal head, an inked ribbon and a print medium. The ribbon’s ink is transferred onto the label when it passes under the print head.
Advantages:
Printers ideally suited to the industrial environment,
Ability to print on numerous print media: paper, synthetics or textiles,
Very low printer maintenance thanks to robustness of materials used and the TT ribbon "back coating" which provides the print head with longer-lasting protection,
Excellent print quality (high resolution, sharpness and blackness of characters), even at very high speed,
Depending on the ribbon selected, TT offers excellent levels of resistance: abrasion, light, temperature, and solvents.
Disadvantages:
2 consumables to handle, the print medium and the ribbon,
Impossible to print more than one color at the same time,
Printed information is legible on the leftover inked ribbon which can give rise to issues of confidentiality.
Conclusion:
A particularly suitable technology for label printing in the industrial environment. TT meets the demands of very different applications: from the low-cost solution with a short shelf-life to the long-lasting and high resistance solution. Where quality and reliability are indispensable, TT is the solution.
Applications
The increased volume of goods moving around the world means a large amount of notices must be put on products to provide information about safety, logistics, hygiene or even the use of the product.
Each product is therefore marked individually during manufacture with a wide variety of information: bar codes, serial number, use-by date, composition, price etc.
Information technology enables to create such information, to record it and to process it throughout the logistics chain or at a point of sale.
Thermal transfer technology is able to print on many different media and in very different environments, giving a high quality and long-lasting result. These properties make it one of the most widespread print technologies used for product identification and traceability in the manufacturing, logistics and distribution industries. Ultimately, without even knowing it, Thermal Transfer is present on all the products we use in our daily lives.
Making Of Ribbon :-
Ink Production : Ink grinding operations consist of making a uniform mixture of a wide variety of components (resins, wax, pigments and many others), of dissolving them according to the formulation and finally grinding them according to the cycles particular to each formulation.
On the industrial scale, the manufacture of inks previously formulated and tested on a semi-industrial scale remains a sensitive process, in light of the variety and sophistication of the components used, but also with the technical development of equipment.
Production units have seen important changes over the past few years, the most significant being the recent arrival of the new generations of "continuous mode" grinders and the introduction of a grinding unit fully dedicated to the direct feed of coating machines.
Just as with every other stage of production, quality control inspections are made to check for such things as dry material concentration and viscosity.
Coating onto PET Film : One of IBC’s strengths is the ability to coat several layers of ink of different types and thicknesses onto a very thin polyester film (PET) to make it suitable as a consumable for thermal transfer printers.
Beyond this simple definition, the coating operation can be broken down into the following stages :
- The unwinding and feeding out of blank polyester film : To achieve a regular, consistent and clean coating of ink, ARMOR must control the passage from a static state to the unwinding of extremely thin polyester film at very high speed (several hundred metres per minute). Only the best suppliers of thin PET are used.
- Ink coating operation(s) onto film : This stage, which involves coating very thin layers of ink onto the polyester film, requires an optimal balance to be achieved between five possible coating techniques and a number of other parameters, such as the chemistry and the physico-chemical properties of the ink, the coating speed, the ink grammage, etc.
Numerous quality control checks are carried out automatically on the coating lines to guarantee conformity with specifications (e.g. ink grammage and the finish of the coating).
- Post-processing of coated ink layers :This operation is just as important as the coating operation itself, as it gives the finished product its definitive properties. During this stage, the ink passes from a liquid state to a solid via heating, drying or even cooling operations.
- Spooling the inked film: To complete the coating operation, the now ink-coated film is wound onto a core to make what is known as a "jumbo". This operation requires precise control of the tension and alignment of the film for the slitting operations to follow.
In summary, the successful completion of this part of the manufacturing process calls upon all the know-how and experience of all the ARMOR teams involved.
Slitting into Rolls
Roll slitting consists of transforming jumbos of inked film into ribbons to meet the specifications of the Thermal Transfer printer for which they have been designed, while still taking into account individual customization requirements.
The strength of IBC lies in its ability to perfect this highly demanding industrial process and to manage a database which includes nearly 12,000 different ribbon specifications. A thermal transfer ribbon may vary according to printer requirements (length and breadth of inked film, size and characteristics of the spooling core, positioning of the inked side and end of ribbon detection system) or customer-specific elements (whether or not to display the trade name on the ribbon and core).
Packing
Between the slitting stage and logistics processing, the ribbon undergoes a number of identification and packing operations. This stage seems straightforward but is in fact extremely complex due to the wide variety of individual customer specifications.
IBC is conscious of the need to offer a high degree of flexibility in the area of product customization and offers customers a wide range of solutions:
Marking of the core with customer and ARMOR traceability data,
Individual film-wrapping and labeling of ribbons for protection purposes and ease of identification of individual products and their designated printer types.
Packing in cardboard boxes, Box labels incorporating product and printer data, and complete traceability information.
These thermal transfer ribbons deliver long lasting durable printing impression. Our thermal transfer ribbons are of supreme quality and durable. They are based on latest technology that results in extended print head life. Our thermal ribbons are cost efficient and are manufactured as per the requirement of the clients.
Product Highlights:
•Reduced heat settings and extended print head life.
•Excellent printing across different face stocks including uncoated / coated papers, tag, stocks, gloss materials, and many synthetic products.
•Outstanding optical image density provides one of the darkest imaging ribbons in the market.
•Increased resin content offers excellent smear and scratch resistance
•Proprietary back coating system minimizes print head wear and buildup, while dissipating static electricity.
•Offers high-speed printing
Following are the kinds of ribbons we are making:
I ) IBCW 12A Normal Wax Ribbon.
II ) IBCW 14A Premium Wax Ribbon.
A complete line of wax ribbons is available for your general-purpose applications. Developed, designed and produced to printers’ manufacturer’s strict specifications, these ribbons offer excellent print quality at an economical price.
Recommended Media: Coated and uncoated Paper Tag and Label Stocks
Applications:
General Purpose Labeling
Retail Labeling
Shipping & Receiving Labeling
I ) IBCW 20A Normal Wax Resin Ribbon.
II ) IBCW 20N Premium Wax Resin Ribbon.
Designed for today’s high-speed printers, wax-resin ribbons provide an exceptional level of smudge and scratch resistance, while printing at speeds as high as 12 IPS. The level of print quality is also exceptional, especially for complex label formats – normal or rotated bar-coded, logos and graphics.
Recommended Media: Coated Paper Tag and Label Stocks, and Polyester Films
Applications:
Work-in-Process Labeling
Compliance Labeling
Textile and Apparel Labeling
I ) IBCR 22 Normal Resin Ribbon.
II ) IBCR 30 Premium Resin Ribbon.
Our line of premium resin ribbons offers maximum durability for demanding industrial applications where resistance to extreme abrasion, heat and/or chemicals is required. In addition, our premium ribbons operate at lower print head energy settings, allowing you to extend print head life and reduce maintenance.
Recommended Media: Nylon, Satin fabrics and synthetic label stocks
Applications:
Garment Care Labeling
Chemical Drum Labeling
Automotive Labeling
I ) IBCW 50 Wash Care Ribbon
Wash care Resin ribbon is capable of handling extreme environmental labeling. Highly chemical resistant including alcohol and petro chemicals. Unmatched in abrasion and solvent resistance. UL/CSA recognized with matching receiver .Wide print latitude to broad range of plastic films, synthetics and polyesters. Some Recommended Applications: extreme environment labeling, circuit board labels, chemical drum, automotive, signage, electronic component, product identification and asset tracking labeling. Specially formulated for use on care labels providing excellent resistance to dry cleaning, home washing, industrial washing and ironing. This super premium resin offers high definition and density and can be used on flat head and near edge printers. High printing density and definition wash care ribbon (premium resin ribbon) available for many types of barcode printers.
I ) IBCW 20NE Near Edge Ribbon
Near Edge-Wax/Resin for High speed (Near-edge Printers) with abrasion resistance. The perfect high quality resolution images on a wide variety of label stocks.
Characteristics: Abrasion resistance, Extensive label applicability, High blackness & High definition, Low print cost and antistatic formulation, easy handing and printing head protection
Recommend Applications: Common purpose labels, Shipping& receiving labels, Inventory labels and Bin labels, Pharmaceutical labels, Product identification labels, Textile & apparel application, Automotive labels, Hazardous material labels.
Recommend Substrates: Chrome paper, Pep film, Ppfilm, PE film etc.
5 Reasons why you should use IBC Thermal Transfer Ribbons for Your Barcode Printing?
Thermal transfer ribbons are a required component if you use thermal transfer printers to print labels. Finding ways to lower your ribbon costs and maintain high quality labeling printing in your operation can seem impossible. Using IBC ribbons is a cost-effective solution to get the ribbons you need for printing labels, without sacrificing print quality.
(1) IBC ribbons can save you money.
Ribbons are a repeat cost in thermal transfer label printing applications. IBC ribbons offer comparable or better quality label printing to other top ribbon brands, without the higher cost. Over the life of your thermal transfer printer, you can achieve significant cost savings by using IBC ribbons. It’s an easy way to cut costs on a product that is required in thermal transfer label printing applications.
(2) IBC ribbons deliver superior print quality.
IBC thermal transfer ribbons deliver barcode label printing quality that is comparable or better than other top ribbon brands. IBC ribbons offer superior definition and print quality for crisp bar codes, text and images for any application and price point. They are compatible with a host of barcode labels and printers to meet any application and barcode label printing need.
(3) IBC ribbons provide proven performance.
IBC ribbons are designed with specific ribbon formulations that have provided consistent performance for many years. All IBC ribbons have been tested in the field and by our product research and development experts to assure quality, durability, and print performance.
(4) IBC ribbons are available for nearly every application.
From simple shipping labels to harsh-environment film labels, there’s a IBC thermal transfer ribbon to meet any application and barcode label printing need. The newly expanded IBC ribbon family includes everything from standard wax for everyday use to specialty resins & Wash Care for harsh environment applications. You can see the full line of IBC ribbons and detailed specification sheets here.
http://www.indianbarcode.com/products.php?id=25
(5) IBC ribbons offer easy, no-hassle drop-in replacement of your current ribbon.
Selecting the right thermal transfer ribbon for your label and barcode printer is critical for any barcode label printing application. IBC ribbons make it easy to replace your current ribbon with a IBC ribbon, without compromising print quality. Many IBC ribbons can be used as a simple drop-in replacement for your existing ribbon that does not require any changes to your current print speed, temperature or label stock. Testing is always recommended to assure compability with your label, printer and application.
Complimentary IBC Ribbon Samples are Available
Test a IBC ribbon and see how you can achieve high-quality bar code label printing and save money.
Talk with our experts about your IBC thermal transfer ribbon options. To find out more information, contact or call +91-011-28032434/9810822688,
Email id: gm@indianbarcode.com
Thermal Transfer Ribbon Slitting Machine.
We are engaged in the manufacturing, supplying and trading of Thermal Transfer Ribbon Slitting Machine that is appreciated for its speedy operation and consistent performance. Our experienced professionals make use of superior quality raw materials for manufacturing these efficient and durable machines. Our clients can avail the offered machine range in different specifications as per their needs.
Features:
- Durable
- Cost effective
- High performance
Details:
- DC variable speed
- Ribbon width maximum: 220 mm
- Meter count with batch over stop