Inkjet alphaJET turns duty into pleasure

EU plant passport marking right onto the plant pot

As of 14th December 2019, the plant industry is obliged to implement the statutory requirements of the EU Plant Health Regulation 2016/2031/EU (PHR), or ‘plant passport’ for short, to ensure the traceability of all potted plants and plant products intended for planting. There are still many producers who are unsure how to meet such a requirement.

Relevant nurseries must provide precisely defined information in a specified sequence directly on the trading unit for the B2B sector – clearly visible and unchangeable. Regional associations and producer cooperatives offer assistance for the in-company implementation. The final choice of an appropriate technology, however, remains a matter for the plant company.

Engaged and future-oriented

Topfpflanen Velmans produces more than 3 million potted plants a year in Kevelaer in north-west Germany. Around 20 different plant varieties are processed for the retail trade using modern technology. The family business headed by Stephan Velmans is very proud of the know-how built up over a successful, 50-year company history. In the spirit of responsible corporate development, they have shifted the focus from cut flowers to potted plants and have steadily expanded the areas available for cultivation.With 22 committed employees, Velmans is a reliable partner supplying trade partners with decorative, herb and vegetable pot plants according to strict criteria and customised wishes.

Consistently sustainable

Velmans uses the mandatory implementation of the plant passport to further ongoing execution of its future-oriented sustainability strategy. The avoidance of plastic labels and the introduction of ecologically degradable plant pots are a consistent step towards more sustainable action. With the installation of alphaJET inkjet printers, the plant pots are now marked directly, i.e. without a label. In spite of the investment costs for the alphaJETs, the elimination of the otherwise required variety of labels and their storage results allows for a rapid payback and permanent cost savings.

“We are very satisfied with our solution. The daily maintenance for the printers is around 1 minute. Because we can now prepare and save the print images in a quiet environment on the PC, misprints have dropped to zero. We now produce not only in a more environment-friendly way, but also more cost-effectively.”

Stephan Velmans, owner

Added value for trading partners

By installing two alphaJET inkjet printers on either side of the conveyor belt, one step now suffices to mark a) the EU plant passport and b) an individual, machine-readable EAN 13 barcode on the pots of plants subject to mandatory identification. In contrast to the previous label solution, the code is now printed horizontally. This looks better, is more professional and simplifies scanning at the point of sale in the retail trade. The pot filling determines the cycle and the belt speed. With 8,000 pots/hour, alphaJET inkjet printers still have plenty of free capacity in reserve. The fact that the alphaJETs work almost silently also pleases the employees at the conveyor belt.

Efficient assortment changes

The printers were supplemented by the compatible software code-M. This software can be used, for example, to create print images on a PC in the office. The employee at the conveyor belt selects the suitable print image with a hand scanner and the printer immediately transfers all parameters into the new print job. The changeover from one plant type to the next takes place without interruption. The first print is already correct. The replacement of label rolls and the manual, error-prone preparations for print image changes are eliminated with this solution. Assuming a daily setup time of 15 minutes for a labeller, this saves almost 60 hours of lost production time over a year.

“The ecological aspect was decisive for our decision to choose the alphaJET inkjet printer. We now use recyclable culture pots and plastic-free plant pots – so it’s only consistent to do without plastic labels.”

Andrea Velmans

Velmans supplies more than 3 million pot plants with EU plant passport to trade partners every year

Iris Klühspies