In the dairy industry, product packaging is not only a barrier to protect its contents but also a vital medium for carrying production information, traceability codes, and brand image. Dairy packaging materials are diverse, primarily including paper-plastic composite films (such as Tetra Paks, gable-top cartons), aluminum-plastic composite films (like milk powder bags, cup lids), and plastic composite films (e.g., Bag-in-Box packages, shrink sleeve labels). These packages are typically composed of 2 to 7 layers of materials with different functions, each crucial for ensuring product quality and safety. Therefore, how to apply clear, durable, and safe markings on these multi-layered composite packages has long been a significant challenge for the industry.
The Limitations and Risks of Traditional Marking Methods
1.Inkjet and Thermal Printing: Dual Challenges of Safety and Durability
Safety Hazards: Inks may contain harmful chemical substances. Their adhesion and volatilization processes pose potential risks to food safety, which is why this method has yet to receive formal approval from national food safety authorities.
Vulnerability to Tampering: Inkjet markings can be easily damaged by acids, alkalis, solvents, or temperature and humidity changes. They are also frequently erased by unscrupulous parties and re-printed with false information. This leads to issues like goods diversion and the re-entry of expired products into the market, severely damaging brand reputation and consumer rights.
2.Conventional Laser Marking: Issues of Material Damage and Environmental Pollution
Heat-Induced Damage: Traditional lasers use a heat-etching process that can easily damage the structure of the composite film, potentially allowing air or microorganisms to penetrate, thus compromising product quality and shelf life.
Smoke and Particulate Pollution: The fumes generated during the marking process cause environmental pollution and limit their use in clean production environments.
These shortcomings have caused many dairy companies to face difficulties when adopting laser technology, sometimes leading to underutilized equipment and wasted resources.
Innovative Laser Marking Solutions: Composite Film Internal Engraving and Color-Changing Marking
1.Flight-Mode Laser Internal Engraving for Composite Films
This technology, developed by Zhongqi Anti-Counterfeiting, uses a special laser that can penetrate the transparent top layer or UV coating of the packaging surface. It marks exclusively within the printed color layer beneath, without damaging any structural layer of the composite film. Its core advantages include:
Non-Destructive Marking: Ensures the integrity of the packaging, preserving product quality and safety.
Clean and Eco-Friendly: The "cold processing" nature of the laser produces no smoke, odor, or pollution, complying with food safety production standards.
Durable Markings: The marked content is resistant to acids, alkalis, solvents, high/low temperatures, and humidity, making it extremely difficult to tamper with or destroy.
High-Speed Line Integration: Supports line speeds of 0–150 meters/minute, achieving a marking capacity of 10,000–40,000 units per hour, and supports high-information-capacity codes like QR codes and electronic supervision codes.
2.Laser Color-Changing Marking for White Plastic Packaging
To address the issue of poor COâ‚‚ laser marking visibility on white plastic surfaces, such as the shoulders of Tetra Pak containers, lids, yogurt cups, and ice cream cups, Wuhan Lide Laser Co., Ltd. offers a color-changing marking technology:
High-Contrast Markings: Creates black marks directly on the white substrate, resulting in clear, eye-catching, and aesthetically pleasing content.
Shared Advantages of Eco-Friendliness and Durability: The process is pollution-free, and the markings are resistant to chemical corrosion and physical wiping, ensuring long-lasting readability.
3.Marking Solutions for Metal Cans
For the tinplate lids or bodies of canned milk powder, fiber laser markers or related innovative technologies from Zhongqi Anti-Counterfeiting can be used to achieve clear, wear-resistant, and permanent identification.
Conclusion: Laser Marking Drives the Evolution Towards Safer, More Durable, and Smarter Dairy Identification
Laser marking technology, through non-destructive internal engraving, color-changing marking, and eco-friendly processes, effectively solves the long-standing pain points of marking on multi-layered composite packaging in the dairy industry. It not only enhances the anti-counterfeiting properties and durability of the markings but also lays the technical foundation for enterprises to implement full-process traceability, such as "one code per can," and achieve transparent supply chain management.
The advancement from inkjet printing to laser internal engraving reflects the dairy industry's higher pursuit of food safety, product reliability, and digital management. Adopting suitable laser marking solutions will become a critical step for dairy enterprises to enhance brand reputation, safeguard consumer rights, and advance towards smart manufacturing.
Media Contact
Company Name: Zhongqi Xincheng (Beijing) Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Co., Ltd.
Email: Send Email
Country: China
Website: https://www.stickersupplier88.com/
