Label printers MACH 4S: Questions to Guido Denninger

What are the demands of cab key accounts when it comes to selecting a label printer?

For the most part this depends on the field of application and the profile of requirements. Many of our major national and global customers are at home in the industries. In this sector, rugged construction is a basic requirement for using a device. The printer has to work reliably even in harsh environments, and the chassis has to withstand shocks and vibrations. Dusts, oils or humidity have to be kept away from the print unit.

Especially with high print volumes of several thousand labels per day, a highly performant printing technology is required. In MACH 4S series printers, a powerful processor enables to process incoming print jobs within a second and provides continuous maximum print speeds of 300 mm/s. In addition, all common interfaces are included as standard.

The MACH 4S looks rather untypical for an industrial printer.

That’s right. As concerns the design, many industrial printers on the market look rather straightforward. However, the compact, aesthetic design of the MACH 4S has been carefully considered and plays into the cards of many applications, not only of our major customers.

Please tell us something more about that.

The MACH 4S, like its predecessor, is a toploader. To open the device, the cover can be opened wide to the top. The label material and the ribbon are inserted from above resp. the front. This operating principle is primarily known from desktop printers. cab had been among the first to transfer this principle to the industrial printer size. The benefit is obvious: Compared to most of the larger printers which have the cover to be opened from the side, the MACH 4S in case of a material replacement does not need additional space on its right or left. This is fine with space-critical applications on machines or packaging lines.

What prefers a centered material guide to a left-aligned one?

It is possible to process even the smallest labels. Basically, the width of the labels to be printed is the decisive factor. Many left-aligned 4" printers process minimum label widths of approximately 20 mm. However, various applications demand even smaller labels. I am thinking, for example, of the coding of printed circuit boards. At this, there is often hardly label space available between the electronic components. With the center-guided MACH 4S it is possible to print labels from 5 x 5 mm. Endless shrink tubes can also be marked. These are not only particularly slim, but also thicker than classic paper or plastic label materials.

A centered material guide also eliminates the need for alignments. Primarily, oval and round labels can be reliably detected and precisely printed without specific label sensor adjustment.

Does the centered material guide demand special treatment?

In thermal transfer printing, the ribbon and the media to be printed are moved along the print head. In case of applications with slim materials, I always suggest our customers to use appropriate slim print rollers. For the MACH 4S, we offer in addition to the standard roller included in the scope of delivery slim rollers with 25 mm, 50 mm or 80 mm rubber coating. These prevent from print roller wear, print head contamination and errors during material transport. The accuracy of the imprint is improved.

What about the operational habits?

They are highly relevant! The MACH 4S is operated via a colored touch display. The intuitive and simple menu navigation has been designed in the way users are accustomed to with their smartphones today. There is no need to discuss alternatives of any other kind.

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July 2018