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Welcome to Cycjet. Professional manufacturer of intelligent inkjet coding and laser marking machines
Nestlé Iran & Shanghai Yuchang Industrial Co., Ltd. (CYCJET) Collaboration Project
Case Summary
This case study details the integrated laser printing solution developed by Nestlé Iran in collaboration with Shanghai Yuchang Industrial Co., Ltd. (CYCJET) for the bottom of food-grade tinplate cans. The customer's production line simultaneously handled both blue-lacquered and clear-varnished can bottoms, which existing equipment could not accommodate together. Leveraging extensive sample testing in its Laser Coding Technology Laboratory, CYCJET selected the CYCJET LMP120F Fiber Laser printing System paired with a customized can conveyance station. The solution achieves a high-speed printing rate of up to 300 items/minute, supports QR code and multi-line character coding, and balances retrofit compatibility, operational safety, cost reduction, and sustainable packaging requirements.
Project Overview
Nestlé Iran has established a long-term partnership with Shanghai Yuchang Industrial Co., Ltd. (CYCJET), dedicated to providing customized conveyance handling systems and coding solutions for Nestlé's manufacturing facility in Qazvin, Iran.
In 2020, the head of Nestlé's production base in Qazvin, Iran—a facility owned by the global food manufacturing giant—contacted CYCJET via its official website. They inquired about suitable solutions to solve conveyance and coding challenges on their tinplate can packaging line. For CYCJET, addressing this type of production line and coding requirements was a seamless task, and a complete, customized solution was quickly delivered.
Several factories under the food enterprise had already deployed CYCJET CO₂ laser coders to perform laser printing on blue-lacquered tinplate can bottoms. However, the plant located in Qazvin, Iran required printing on clear-varnished can bottoms as well, creating an urgent need for a flexible, integrated solution capable of simultaneously satisfying the printing requirements for both types of can bottoms.
At the time, Nestlé Iran was upgrading and retrofitting its existing filling and packaging lines. The line upgrade included a conveyance station designed to perform bottom-up laser printing on the cans, and the dual-bottom printing requirements needed to be seamlessly integrated into this equipment scheme.
Q1: Our line handles diverse can specifications with inconsistent bottom diameters, heights, and volumes. Does laser printing require frequent tooling adjustments or manual refocusing? A1: No frequent adjustments are required. This project adopts a bottom-up printing process from beneath the can bottom. This structure is inherently compatible with cans of varying height specifications without needing to swap fixtures or repeatedly adjust the focal distance, making it perfectly suited for multi-spec product switching. |
Flexible Bottom Laser printing Scheme
Q2: Does printing upward from the bottom introduce risks of laser reflection or beam scattering, creating safety hazards for the equipment? A2: The bottom printing process actually improves the control of laser scattering and reflection risks. By printing from below, issues associated with laser beam reflections off the can mouth rim are minimized. The complete system is equipped with a safety-tested protective enclosure, featuring full-machine safety guards to eliminate laser radiation hazards. |
Q3: The original infeed and outfeed lines had can rotation mechanisms. Does this solution still require rotation devices? A3: No, rotation devices are not required. The bottom-up printing scheme allows direct removal of the two motor-driven rotation devices at the infeed and outfeed ends. This simplifies the mechanical structure, lowers energy consumption, and reduces routine maintenance on rotating parts. |
Compact System Integration & Retrofitting
Nestlé Iran's highly compact can coding system can be retrofitted directly onto existing can production lines.
Q4: Does installing this laser printing station on our legacy filling line require large-scale demolition and reconstruction? A4: No large-scale reconstruction is needed. The entire coding workstation is highly compact and supports direct retrofit installation on existing can lines. The printing unit is fully integrated inside the conveyance unit, implementing seamlessly alongside line upgrades without replacing the entire packaging line. |
Q5: Is routine maintenance, daily cleaning, or component servicing convenient for operators? A5: It is highly maintenance-friendly. The system features a retractable laser frame design for easy operator access, thorough cleaning, and quick inspection of all components. Built with a heavy-duty industrial design, it ensures reliable high performance with minimal maintenance demands. Eliminating the rotation mechanism further reduces wear-and-tear component upkeep. |
CYCJET Customized Solution R&D Process
To engineer the optimal solution, the CYCJET Laser Coding Technology Laboratory joined the project team. The multinational food client supplied a substantial volume of coated and uncoated can bottom samples for comprehensive testing. The laboratory conducted rigorous test series comparing CO₂ lasers and fiber lasers across varying power ranges, laser wavelengths, printing field sizes, focal lengths, and spot sizes.
Led by Eason Ren (Head of Laser Coding Technology at CYCJET), the project task force selected the laser equipment best suited for the application. The operational criteria required printing a full QR code and alphanumeric text within the designated cycle time, while achieving high quality grades that ensure reliable readability by standard smartphone cameras.
Q6: What is the implementation roadmap, and what preliminary support is required from the customer? A6: The roadmap follows four phases: Sample Testing → Solution Customization → Equipment Integration → On-Site Commissioning. 1. Customer provides actual coated and uncoated can bottom production samples; 2. CYCJET Laser Coding Lab runs multi-parameter tests to select the ideal laser and verify printing quality and tact time; 3. Mechanical conveyance and laser systems are integrated jointly with Nestlé Iran; 4. System connects to the client's filling/packaging line for final on-site tuning and production launch. |
CYCJET Laser Coding Laboratory Test Findings
Following multiple rounds of testing, the CYCJET LMP120F Fiber Laser was selected as the ideal system capable of simultaneously handling both blue-lacquered and clear-varnished can bottoms. Even with varying can diameters, heights, and volumes, the system consistently delivered the required content (1 QR code + 4 lines of alphanumeric text) within the specified tact time and quality standards. The CYCJET LMP120F Fiber Laser achieves a maximum printing speed of up to 300 items per minute.
Q7: Since our facility processes both blue-lacquered and clear-varnished bottoms simultaneously, can a single laser system handle both? A7: Yes. Through extensive laboratory comparison tests, CYCJET selected the LMP120F Fiber Laser as the core engine. A single system marks both blue-lacquered and clear-varnished bottoms with a QR code and 4 lines of text, fully satisfying smartphone scanning criteria without swapping hardware. |
Q8: How should we choose between a CO₂ laser and a fiber laser, and where do the cost differences lie? A8: We recommend the customized LMP120F Fiber Laser printing System for this project. • Hardware Quantity: To output the exact same content, a fiber laser solution requires only 1 laser unit, whereas a CO₂ scheme would require 2 units. • Operational Lifespan: Fiber lasers feature a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of approximately 100,000 hours. • Hardware Flexibility: CO₂ or fiber laser configurations remain available as optional hardware choices based on actual site conditions. |
Fully Featured Coding Workstation Delivers Production Flexibility
Nestlé Iran, CYCJET, and the food client jointly engineered a complete laser printing solution fully integrated inside the can conveyance module.
Q9: How do we verify code quality after printing, and how are defective products handled? A9: The system features integrated inspection and rejection capabilities. The workcell includes a vision camera module to verify printing quality in real time, paired with an automated rejector to remove non-compliant cans. Serialization software is included to enable 'one-item-one-code' traceability. |
Significant Environmental Benefits & Cost Savings
This versatile coding station empowers end users to react quickly to evolving market demands. Over the mid-to-long term, the food manufacturer plans to transition entirely to clear-varnished can bottoms, furthering their commitment to sustainable packaging.
By eliminating the need for a blue background coating area, the customer relies entirely on stable laser technology to complete code production. Laser equipment operation is straightforward, and most importantly, eliminates large quantities of coating paints from the production process, achieving eco-friendly energy and material savings.
Furthermore, the fiber laser scheme yields significant direct cost savings: based on the code layout requirement, a single fiber laser unit completes the entire task, whereas a CO₂ approach would require two separate units. In addition, the fiber laser source delivers an average MTBF of ~100,000 hours.
Q10: If we transition entirely to clear-varnished bottoms in the future, can this system adapt without extra modification costs? A10: It adapts directly with zero hardware modifications. The solution natively supports clear-varnished can bottom printing. When full transition occurs, operators only need to adjust software printing parameters—no laser or mechanical hardware swaps required. Eliminating paint coatings enhances sustainability. |
Q11: Beyond reliable coding, what overall financial and environmental benefits does the complete system deliver? A11: The benefits span two key areas: • Cost Savings: Lower hardware capital expenditure by reducing machine count; removal of rotation hardware cuts power and maintenance; ultra-long laser operational lifespan. • Environmental Impact: Direct laser ablation removes the need for heavy tinplate coatings, reducing raw material paint consumption in line with corporate sustainability goals. |
Q12: For this tin-plate can project, what are the differences between QR codes and DM codes (Data Matrix codes) in product traceability? Does the equipment support both? A12: The CYCJET LMP120F fiber laser system supports both QR codes and DM Data Matrix codes to meet traceability requirements for food cans. - QR code: The currently-selected solution for this project. It can be scanned directly by ordinary smartphones without dedicated readers. Suitable for end-consumer-oriented and distribution-channel traceability. It stores business information such as batch number, production date, expiry date and factory code. - DM code (Data Matrix): It delivers higher data-storage density per unit area with a smaller code size and stronger anti-damage performance. It is more suitable for in-factory serialization traceability and regulatory compliance purposes. In some scenarios, an industrial reader is required for recognition; scanning stability via ordinary smartphones is slightly lower compared with QR codes. The system can switch output between QR code and DM code via software according to Nestlé Iran’s business requirements, with no hardware replacement needed. |
Q13: For can-bottom coding in this project, what are the key advantages of laser marking compared with conventional inkjet printers? A13: For the working conditions of tin-plate can bottoms, laser marking offers several distinct advantages over inkjet printing: Permanent tamper-proof marking: Laser marking etches onto the surface of the base material. Marks are embedded into the can-bottom substrate, delivering excellent resistance to abrasion, moisture and corrosion during storage. By contrast, inkjet prints are prone to scratching, fading and blurring when exposed to water, carrying a high risk of traceability-code failure after long-term warehousing. Consumable-free operation and lower maintenance: Laser systems require no ink, solvents or thinners. There is no need for cartridge replacement or pipeline cleaning. Inkjet printers need regular consumable replacement; their pipelines are susceptible to blockages, resulting in frequent production-line downtime for maintenance. Compatibility with coated surfaces: For blue-lacquered and clear-varnished can bottoms, the fiber laser generates high-contrast marks directly on the coating surface. On smooth clear-varnished can bottoms, inkjet printing commonly suffers from ink cratering, poor adhesion, ghosting and missing prints. Hygiene and environmental-friendliness: There is no volatile chemical emission from inks, keeping the food-production workshop cleaner and eliminating food-safety risks caused by ink solvents. Inkjet printing generates waste ink liquid and used ink cartridges. High-speed operational stability: Matching this project’s high-speed production line of 300 cans per minute, laser marking produces no overspray to contaminate can bodies. Under high-speed conditions, inkjet printers tend to generate ink overspray that mars the external appearance of cans. |
Contact Information
SHANGHAI YUCHANG INDUSTRIAL CO., LIMITED Tel: +86 139 1763 1707 | Email: sales@cycjet.com | Web: www.cycjet.com Address: 1/F, Bldg 4, No. 333 Huagao Rd, Huating Ind. Zone, Jiading Dist, Shanghai (201816) P.R.C. |
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