Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery has installed two laser coders from Linx Printing Technologies to reduce downtime on its whisky and gin lines.
Isle of Islay-based Bruichladdich installed its first Linx CSL30 coder on its gin production line last year and has now incorporated the same machine on its malt whisky line.
Installed in the bottle labeller, the CSL30 codes two lines, 5mm in height, onto the bottom of the glass gin bottles. The codes comprise a line number and a batch code, including a unique bottle number and the bottle’s production date and time.
The line currently runs at 2,100 bottles per hour, nine hours per day, producing 1.2 million bottles per year.
Linx said its coder can apply codes from a wide range of distances, ensuring easy integration into production lines.
The capability of laser coding to produce a visible code on every colour and shade of bottle is particularly important to Bruichladdich, as many of its whisky bottles are black.
Bruichladdich bottling hall manager Jonathan Carmichael said: “We installed our first Linx CSL30 during a period which saw a 47% growth in our Botanist sales in the previous year.
“In order to adapt and keep up with this unprecedented demand, we took the opportunity to re-configure our line in another warehouse, adding some new machinery – and the Linx CSL30 was an extremely important addition to our line.
“As a producer of premium spirits, it’s vitally important that the codes on our bottles are clear and sharp and in keeping with the brand’s expectations.
“Another key factor in the decision to install a laser coder was the low maintenance required, meaning less downtime in production. For these reasons we’ve not hesitated to install a CSL30 on our whisky line as well.”
Originally founded in 1881, and reopened as a progressive distiller in 2001, Bruichladdich produces and sells whisky distilled using much of the original Victorian machinery. In recent years it has expanded into gin under the brand name The Botanist.
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