FrameCAD Solutions turned to Matthews Intelligent Identification ’s inkjet coders to update their printers.
Matthews Intelligent Identification’s inkjet coders were chosen for the following key facts:
- Code needs to survive lubricants and scratching
- Customers rely on accurate coding for construction
- Matthews’ coders chosen after trialling different equipment
- Upgrade to 16-valve 8000 print-head allows greater detail to be printed
- 190 machines used globally, so printer reliability is vital
Printer reliability is paramount at FrameCAD Solutions. The company rely on the Matthews V84i print controllers and 8000 series print-heads for their high-tech machines.
The machinery produces high, accurate profiles for steel framing in residential, commercial and light-industrial buildings, and uses Matthews’ inkjet printers to individually and uniquely mark each piece to enable easy identification for assembly.
FrameCAD Solutions have been using Matthews’ technology for more than 10 years and with about 190 machines operating across the globe, printer reliability is vital. FrameCAD Solutions recently upgraded to the 16-valve version of the 8000 series print-head to improve the detail of information printed, and have plans to provide more detail on each stick to improve efficiency for customers. FrameCAD Solutions sources all their Matthews equipment through RGL, Matthews distributors in New Zealand.
FrameCAD Solutions also use two V84i print controllers and four print heads on their 12m FrameMaster TT850 machine.
Before inkjet printers were used at FrameCAD, each stick was hand-marked with a felt-tip pen. This method was not only labour-intensive, but the lubricant that was used to push the steel through the rollers without scoring and scratching, destroyed the pen marks quickly. The company briefly trialled thermal printers: printing to sticky labels and then manually applying the labels on the steel, but the lubricant also interfered with this process. It made it difficult for the labels to stick as well.
Without the problems in using pens and sticky labels, Matthews Intelligent Identification inkjet printers proved to be a suitable solution for FrameCAD.