Fenner taps Leibinger for rubber marking solution

Tuttlingen, Germany – Fenner Conveyors, part of Michelin group, has adopted Leibinger’s IQJET inkjet printer at its Melbourne rubber production facility to mark the bonding layer on uncured rubber used in splice kits and conveyor products.

The Australian operation produces and processes rubber compounds for mining and industrial conveyor systems.

In a 6 Nov statement, Fenner said it required a way to distinguish the bonding side of the material during manufacture without altering existing processes.

The challenge, according to Jeremy Van Kaathoven, extrusion manager at Fenner, was ink adhesion on rubber.

“It was very important to select ink that is fit for purpose,” he said. “We tested a multitude of inks on different rubber products.”

In addition to addressing the issue, Fenner said the Leibinger printer also enabled product branding while maintaining line efficiency with a 'five-year maintenance-free system.'