With 83 million bottles produced in 2003, Absolut Vodka is the No.1 top-of-the-line vodka worldwide. The Ahus plant, in Sweden, is responsible for the entire production of this subsidiary of the V&S group.
1 | The demand
To strengthen its protection against unauthorized imitations and improve product traceability, Absolut Vodka defined a two-fold need.
To avoid refilling with imitation vodka, Absolut Vodka wanted to indelibly and legibly engrave (lase) a 9-character code directly onto the glass bottle and print a second 5-character code onto the cap safety sleeve.
Because Absolut Vodka is a prestigious product, these two codes had to be both discreet and elegant. In addition, the successful solution had to work with the intense pace of the Ahus plant – between 12,000 and 15,000 bottles produced per hour and per line.
2 | The solution
Imaje was the only laser supplier to be able to propose a global, multi-technology solution.
To print at high speeds on the dense glass used by Absolut Vodka, the Imaje Lightjet Vector laser coder quickly showed itself to be the best solution due to both its power (100 watts) and reliability.
The Imaje S8 inkjet printer prints on the PVC sleeves with an M head, selected for its high-resolution print quality. In all, five S8 printers and three Lightjet Vector coders now handle all Absolut Vodka’s coding needs.
3 |The expert’s opinion
Several parameters drove Absolut Vodka to selecting Imaje, as Laurent Martin, laser expert with Imaje, explains:
“We were the only supplier to provide Absolut Vodka with a reliable solution which met all their strict requirements.
The Lightjet Vector coder is one of the best-performing vector lasers on the market. "Even on a substrate as hard as the frosted glass used in the Absolut Vanilia bottles, and at the high speeds demanded, Lightjet Vector provides a consistently high-resolution code.
"A further asset is its compact printhead which easily fits on bottling lines.
"The fact that Imaje is established in Sweden and has local technical teams was another very important factor in the decision reached by Absolut Vodka,” said Martin.
IMAJE LASER TECHNOLOGY…DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Powerful coding for consistently high-resolution quality.
Proven reliability in years of intensive use.
For more information visit : www.imaje.com or call Christine on 1300 365 766
