#industrial date coder

Walk into any modern dairy facility, and you will find two things in constant motion: product and time. Milk, cheese, yoghurt, and butter all share one unforgiving characteristic: they have a shelf life measured in days, not months. One missed print, one illegible date code, or one unexpected line stoppage can mean an entire production batch is held back or recalled.

In an industry where accuracy and speed are not merely desirable but essential, the choice of marking and coding equipment can be the difference between seamless operations and costly disruption.

At Newcode Partnership, we understand that dairy production brings a specific set of challenges that standard industrial printers simply cannot address. Cold temperatures, persistent moisture, rigorous hygiene protocols, rapidly evolving packaging formats, and the ever-present need for flawless traceability all demand equipment built with this environment in mind.

That is why we work closely with Hitachi, one of the world's foremost manufacturers of continuous inkjet CIJ printing technology, to deliver solutions that perform reliably day in and day out, even in the harshest dairy manufacturing conditions.

Key Challenges Facing the Dairy Industry

Dairy manufacturing is one of the most demanding sectors in food production. The combination of perishable products, strict food safety legislation, and high-speed production lines creates a pressure-intensive environment where every component of the process must perform without fail.

Short Shelf Lives and Date Coding Accuracy

With products measured in days, incorrect or illegible best-before and use-by dates can trigger costly recalls and damage consumer trust. Industrial date coders must print clearly, consistently, and at speed.

High-Throughput Production Lines

Modern dairy facilities run continuously at high speeds. Any printer downtime or maintenance interruption translates directly into lost output and financial impact.

Washdown Environments and Moisture Exposure

Hygiene regulations require frequent, thorough cleaning with water and chemical agents. Standard printers are not designed to withstand this level of exposure and will fail prematurely.

Product Traceability and Compliance

Regulatory requirements across the UK demand full traceability of dairy products throughout the supply chain, placing significant demands on coding accuracy and data integrity.

Evolving Packaging Formats

From glass bottles and plastic tubs to cartons and paperboard, dairy producers must code across a wide variety of substrates, each requiring different ink and printing approaches.

Odour and Contamination Sensitivity

Dairy products are highly susceptible to absorbing external odours and flavours. Inks and solvents used in printing must be carefully selected to avoid any risk of product contamination.

Performing in Washdown Environments: Built for Dairy, Not Adapted for It

Maintaining Continuous Production Amid Stringent Hygiene Standards

One of the most persistent problems in dairy marking and coding is keeping printers running through daily washdowns. In a typical dairy facility, production areas are cleaned multiple times a day using high-pressure water jets and chemical cleaning agents. This is a legal and food safety requirement.

The Hitachi UX2-Dynamic CIJ Printer changes that picture entirely. Engineered with a full IP65 ingress protection rating, it is specifically designed to operate through wet, aggressive cleaning environments without compromising performance or longevity.

Robust internal components resist moisture ingress, and for facilities with particularly demanding conditions, an optional printhead pressurisation kit provides an additional layer of protection.

The result is a printer that does not just survive in dairy environments, it thrives. Less downtime, fewer maintenance callouts, and greater confidence that your line will keep moving when it matters most.

Protecting Product Integrity: Eco-Friendly, Low-Odour Inks for Dairy Applications

Preventing Ink Odour Absorption to Preserve Product Quality

Dairy products are among the most flavour-sensitive items on any supermarket shelf. Milk, butter, cream, and soft cheeses can easily absorb external odours and taints during production.

Hitachi's eco-friendly, low-odour inks minimise volatile organic compound VOC emissions. These inks are safe for use in proximity to dairy products without risk of flavour contamination. They deliver crisp, highly legible print quality across a range of substrates whilst ensuring your products leave the facility tasting exactly as they should.

Reducing solvent use and lowering VOC emissions supports sustainability goals and contributes to a healthier working environment.

Enhancing Safety for Both Products and People: The Safe-Clean Station

Streamlining Printhead Cleaning Without Compromising Operator Wellbeing

Traditional CIJ printhead cleaning requires manual solvent handling and specialist training. This creates downtime and increases operational risk.

Hitachi's Safe-Clean Station automates the cleaning process. Once the printhead is placed into the station, cleaning begins automatically. Multiple cleaning modes are available directly through the printer interface.

Integrated air pumps remove vapours during the cleaning and drying cycle, helping protect both product quality and air quality on the production floor.

Common Printing and Packaging Applications in Dairy Production

Dairy packaging comes in a wide variety of formats. Your marking and coding solution must handle all of them reliably.

Our solutions support coding applications across primary and secondary dairy packaging, including:

Best-before and use-by date coding

Batch and lot number printing

Barcode and 2D data matrix marking

Traceability and tracking identifiers

Brand messaging and promotional print

Labelling data for retailers and supply chain partners

Why Choose Newcode Partnership for Your Dairy Coding Requirements?

Newcode Partnership has been supplying marking, coding, and printing solutions across the UK for more than 20 years.

Our offering extends beyond equipment supply and includes extended warranties, regular consumables supply, technical support from our UK-wide network of specialist engineers, and dedicated customer relationship management.

Conclusion

The dairy industry operates under pressures that demand the highest reliability from every piece of equipment. When it comes to marking and coding, there is no room for unreliable performance.

Hitachi's industrial coding solutions, supplied and supported by Newcode Partnership, are engineered specifically to address these challenges. From IP65-rated printers that continue working through washdowns to eco-friendly low-odour inks and the Safe-Clean Station, every component is designed with dairy production realities in mind.

If you are ready to upgrade your dairy coding and marking capability, contact Newcode Partnership.

References and Further Reading

UK Food Safety Act 1990 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/16/contents

Food Standards Agency: Labelling and Packaging https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-labelling-and-packaging

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on General Food Law https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32002R0178

Hitachi Industrial Equipment & Solutions https://www.hitachi-industrialequipment.com

Newcode Partnership https://www.newcodepartnership.co.uk