A trigger for innovation of a new industrial marking technology
In the world of innovation, inspiration can strike in unexpected places, even a small French garage. Introducing the Marking Trigger Device, a revolutionary industrial marking product that is set to add game-changing flexibility for a range of coding and marking applications across industries.
This original industrial inkjet printer device originated from an internal innovation contest within the Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) Product Division in Markem-Imaje based in Bourg-lès-Valence, France. Embracing an open and collaborative approach, individuals were encouraged to contribute their ideas and prototypes. The winning concept was a revolutionary new industrial inkjet printer accessory, the Marking Trigger Device.
Conceived by Continuous Inkjet Expert, Guillaume Poncet, in his home garage over the course of several months, with an early prototype tested out on a bag of dog food and a diary, this device addresses a common challenge faced by CIJ coders.
While these printers are known for their reliability, like other marking technologies, they sometimes lack the flexibility needed to reach specific areas or code certain objects due to size or shape constraints. This can be a particular challenge in industries such as aviation or automotive, where you have large, heavy and difficult-to-move objects that require coding but where no inkjet technology has, until now, fulfilled their needs.
Guillaume recognized the need for a fresh perspective, which led him to the development of the Marking Trigger Device. Distinguished from existing devices, the Marking Trigger Device offers remarkable flexibility and user convenience. Designed to be easily handheld, it triggers the code directly onto the object, eliminating the need for complex mounting procedures. The device's installation is swift, taking only a matter of seconds.
Game changer in inkjet technology
The impact of the Marking Trigger Device extends beyond its convenience – it is a game-changer for industries relying on coding and marking solutions. The innovation can potentially be used on many large and unwieldy objects from aircraft and aeronautical parts to large tubes, pipes and construction materials. Another major possible use case scenario is for reworking existing materials that are already installed far from a production line or workshop, without the need to dismantle, move and reassemble them. The Marking Trigger Device can also be used for example to modify and personalize objects for traceability post-production.
The device can currently mark at a font size of up to 32 characters up to five meters away, or 16.4 feet, from the nearest mains socket. There is also the possibility to further extend the device’s maximum font to 48 characters. In addition to its high level of maneuverability, the device is highly versatile in terms of consumables use, with its ability to use CIJ ink of any color, including MEK-free varieties.
“I was inspired by the portability of a trolley that can access multiple different places thanks to its four wheels and how this principle could be applied to circumstances where you need to mark but there is no way to move a printer to,” Guillaume says. “In this case, it would need to be a hand-held device in order to give it the maneuverability required for off-line printing of awkward objects but with the basic stability a trolley provides through the use of its wheels.”
The Marking Trigger Device exemplifies how innovation can yield breakthrough solutions to real-world challenges. It underscores the significance of collaborative efforts and the value of unconventional thinking, and its first prototype has just been launched.
If you're intrigued and wish to delve deeper into the capabilities for industrial marking of the new Marking Trigger Device or explore its applicability in your business, contact us and discover how this innovative product can transform your most challenging coding and marking processes.
