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Production downtime and unforeseen costs due to faulty marking systems posed significant challenges for Arizona’s largest brewery, Four Peaks<\/a>. Frequent printhead clogs severely impacted production efficiency. The solution came with the switch to LEIBINGER’s<\/a> innovative printing technology. Thanks to the patented nozzle seal technology in LEIBINGER printers, clogs are now a thing of the past, ensuring smooth, uninterrupted production and maximum efficiency.<\/p>\n At the vanguard of the craft beer<\/a> industry in the US, Four Peaks is the largest brewer in Arizona and has built a loyal following since it was founded in 1996. Famous for beers such as Kilt Lifter and Wow Wheat, it was acquired in 2016 by beverage giant Anheuser Busch. Four Peaks is therefore not just the creator of awesome beers; it is a modern and highly efficient business, and the person responsible for ensuring high levels of both quality and quantity is Gary Fogg, Head of Production since 2018.<\/p>\n To enjoy craft beer at its best, you need to drink it fresh. The brewery therefore prints expiration dates on every can or bottle, which encourage customers to consume the beer within 120 days of leaving the brewery. This helps to ensure quality \u2013 but it can also create a headache for people like Gary because printing the expiration date can be problematic unless you have the right equipment. With LEIBINGER printers on every production line, Gary now enjoys problem-free operation, but it wasn\u2019t always this way.<\/p>\n Before the LEIBINGER machines were installed, quality issues would often arise as the print heads on the other manufacturers\u2019 printers became clogged. Every 15 minutes, the legibility of the print would be checked. If the expiration date was not perfectly clear, the production line would have to stop for up to an hour while the print head was cleaned.<\/p>\n Even worse, with 250 cans rolling off the line every minute, Gary might find himself with almost 4,000 misprinted beers. That either means unnecessary time and effort washing and re-printing \u2013 or the beer gets wasted. And this happened at least once a week, sometimes even every day.<\/p>\n This wasn\u2019t the first time Gary had seen this problem and he had learned early that switching to LEIBINGER would solve it. Starting his career in one of the country\u2019s largest beverage producers, Gary recalls similar problems with coding machines: \u201cWe were printing 24\/7 and we would struggle with every other brand of printer. There was always one down and it had a big impact on our productivity.\u201d The solution to that problem came from Tim Robinson of RMH Systems, a coding machine specialist, whose advice and support would prove invaluable throughout Gary\u2019s career. Tim replaced the faulty machine with a LEIBINGER to keep production running. Gary came to trust LEIBINGER to work reliably where other brands failed: \u201cEvery time he [Tim] would come on site, we would put a LEIBINGER on and it would work straight out of the box.\u201d<\/p>\n Fast forward to 2009 and his new position at Four Peaks, Gary faced the same problems with the same mix of manufacturers \u2013 and promptly replaced them with more reliable LEIBINGER printers: \u201cWhen we first started we had [other printers] and I think both of those are in a dumpster out back. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d do that to one of my enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n The impact on productivity was instant. \u201cWhen I first started we were doing cleanings every week at least \u2013 sometimes every day. Now we don\u2019t even have to do it every month.\u201d Gary admits that the cleaning schedule they follow may even be unnecessary: \u201cSometimes I think we just clean the heads for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n There were other benefits apart from saving time. Cleaning print heads requires solvent, which can have a harmful impact on the environment. If the print head doesn\u2019t need to be cleaned, you don\u2019t need so much solvent \u2013 improving the environmental impact of the plant while also saving money.<\/p>\n Gary also points out the environmental advantage of LEIBINGER cartridges\/bottles: \u201cThey\u2019re designed to empty completely \u2013 so no hazardous waste. With other cartridges, I had to empty residual solvent and ink into a tank and have it pumped out every month by specialists for proper disposal. That takes time and money.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Breweries can be busy, hot, humid places, which makes coding difficult for some printers \u2013 but not LEIBINGER: \u201cI\u2019ve seen LEIBINGER machines working perfectly in possibly the most difficult environment you could find, such as above the pasteurization funnel where the air is damp, hot and dirty. But it still worked fine.\u201d<\/p>\nThe challenge: A fresh approach to coding<\/h4>\n
The solution: Listening to the voice of experience<\/h4>\n
The sustainability<\/a> advantage<\/h4>\n
If you can\u2019t stand the heat…<\/h4>\n