Linx coder ensures Hames chocolates meets deadlines

An award-winning inkjet coder from Linx Printing Technologies is enabling Hames Chocolates Ltd. to meet all deadlines through its market-leading combination of speed, reliability and quality of code.

At the company’s Lincolnshire factory, the Linx CJ400 runs for seven hours a day, coding between 80 to 120 units per minute. The exact amount depends on the products, which vary from individual chocolate bars to boxes of chocolate or fudge.

The Linx CJ400 delivers the best print quality on the variable line speeds at Hames Chocolates, while significantly minimising downtime, a key requirement for the company.

Key benefits include the printer’s outstanding portability, which allows operators to easily carry it between production lines, depending on where it is needed; its self-service maintenance and simple on-screen troubleshooting, which mean no engineers are required and operators can easily resolve issues; and its self-cleaning printhead that further minimises downtime.

The Linx CJ400 uses non-contact coding technology that enables it to print onto moving surfaces from the top, side, and underneath – while codes can also be changed quickly, without lengthy set up procedures. This flexibility is key to the high-intensity manufacturing operation at Hames Chocolates, with its extensive product range and frequent changeovers.

“Thanks to the Linx printer’s speed and great versatility, which minimises downtime, we can meet our tight deadlines efficiently,” says Carol Oldbury, Director at Hames Chocolates. “On top of this, the codes it produces are very clear, which is extremely important in the food industry.

“This is our second Linx machine and, once again, we’ve been impressed. The troubleshooting system works well too – and the rare times we need to speak to someone, Linx solve the problem easily with advice over the phone.”

With 70 years of history, Hames Chocolates manufactures a wide variety of chocolate and confectionery products and supplies them, including as private label, to trade customers in every retail sector from specialist chocolate shops to garden centres to department stores.