Date and lot code legibility

The inspection point

A missing or illegible date code is grounds for return at retail and a fine at audit. Inkjet printing goes faint, shifts or doubles over itself, and a curved pack surface makes reading harder still. Legibility has to be inspected, not just presence.

How it runs on the line

The unit sits right at the exit of the printing station, so the fault is caught at the earliest possible point. The code is read, and the part is rejected when characters are missing or legibility falls under the threshold. The result reaches the line and warns that the printer needs attention.

• OK

• NOK