Plastic PVC Pipe Marking & Coding

PVC pipes are the veins and arteries of the modern world, bringing trillions of gallons of clean water into our homes and yards every year and then carrying away the waste. Public health and safety depend on the strength and reliability of these pipes—and on swift, effective repairs in the rare event that they fail. This makes clear and durable PVC pipe marking and coding a critical necessity for manufacturers.

PVC pipes are the veins and arteries of the modern world, bringing trillions of gallons of clean water into our homes and yards every year and then carrying away the waste. Public health and safety depend on the strength and reliability of these pipes—and on swift, effective repairs in the rare event that they fail. This makes clear and durable PVC pipe marking and coding a critical task for manufacturers.

PVC pipes require particular marks and labels to comply with safety regulations. Examples include:

Gas content identification codes
Fire safety color codes
Ammonia refrigeration codes
Country-specific identification codes
Traceable lot codes/batch numbers
Production date codes

Finding the right printer and ink combination is, therefore, vital to success—and our experts here at InkJet, Inc. are happy to help you discover the ideal pair for your production line's specific needs.

Reliable Printers for PVC Pipe Marking and Coding

Production keeps going even when the going gets tough—and so should your printer. Our printers can print high-quality, high-contrast codes quickly and accurately with minimal downtime and maximum efficiency, even in harsh industrial settings.

This table lists our various PVC pipe marking and coding systems and their general specifications. Additional information for each option can be found further below in this post. Click the linked title in the table’s leftmost column to jump to a specific solution.

InkJet, Inc’s PVC Pipe Marking and Coding Options
Coding Technology	Operating Method	System Options	Maximum Resolution and Print Height	Maximum Marking Speed	Cost Factors
Continuous Inkjet Printer	Propels pressurized ink droplets toward the substrate	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, and Pigment	70 DPI at 15 mm height	320 m/min.	Low to moderate unit cost, low consumable cost
Thermal Inkjet Printer	Uses heat to pressurize and eject ink droplets toward the substrate	Anser U2 Models	400 x 300 DPI (height varies by model)	76.2 m/min	Low unit cost, moderately consumable cost
		Anser A1	600 x 600 DPI at 1” height (2” height with stitched print heights)	300 m/min with HP cartridges, 150 m/min with IUT cartridges	Moderate unit cost, moderate consumable cost
		Anser X1	600 x 600 DPI at 1” height (2” height with stitched print heights)	300 m/min	Moderate unit cost, moderate consumable cost

Continuous Inkjet Printers: DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, and Pigment

Continuous inkjet (CIJ) printers are non-contact production line printing systems designed to mark substrates moving at 300 m/min and above. Built with powerful ink circulation systems, CIJ printers can operate up to 24 hours daily without downtime. The speed, wide ink compatibility, and versatile printheads of CIJ printers enable users to mark thousands of products a day with long-lasting, highly legible codes.

InkJet, Inc. meets diverse coding needs by maintaining a comprehensive CIJ ink catalog that contains dozens of formulas ideal for industrial PVC pipe coding. We have more than 30 years of experience producing ink and carry many formulas with special properties, including:

Heat resistance
Extreme temperature resistance
Oil/grease penetration
Condensation penetration
Soft and hard pigmentation
Superior substrate adhesion
Ultra-quick dry times
Anti-transfer properties
Rub resistance
Alcohol resistance

No matter where your PVC pipes are used or what coding regulations you must meet, InkJet, Inc. provides the ideal printer/ink combo for your application.

InkJet, Inc. carries three CIJ systems:

All DuraCode systems can mark porous and non-porous substrates at speeds up to 320 m/min. Equipped with an IP55 outer structure and able to operate in temperatures ranging from 41-113° F, the DuraCode CIJ can withstand potentially hazardous environmental elements to deliver consistently excellent results.

The DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen offer the same specifications and compatibility with ink formulas. The only difference between them is their input medium. The DuraCode Pigment has identical specifications as the DuraCode Keyboard and Touchscreen but uses pigmented ink instead of dye ink.

See the chart below for a closer look at the DuraCode models’ most important specifications.

Specification	DuraCode Touchscreen, Keyboard, & Pigment CIJ Printers
Nozzle	40, 50, 60, 70 μm
Print Height	1.2-15 mm
Maximum Print Speed	Up to 1,050 ft./min (320 m/min)
Print Distance	1-3 in. (25.4-76.2 mm)
Input System	Touchscreen or Standard Keyboard / WYSIWYG
Print Font	5x5, 7x5, 9x6, 11x8, 16x11, 24x17, 32x22
Operating Environment	Temperature: 5-45° C (41-113°F) Humidity: 0%-90%, no condensing
User Defined Field	Bar Code, QR Code, Logos, Clock, Counter, Classes, etc.
IP Rating	IP55 Industrial Protection
Gross Weight with Complete Package	45 kg / 99 lbs
Standard Features	Font library - Multi-language support - Traverse printing - 90-degree vertical printing - Special counter Counter replacement - Clock replacement - Encoder port - USB port - Ink recovery pump - Solvent flush pump - Micro print
Optional Add-Ons	Serial port - Network LAN connection - Positive air pump

Thermal Inkjet Printers: Anser U2, X1, and A1 Models

Thermal inkjet (TIJ) printers are smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective than CIJ systems. While CIJ systems typically weigh around 100 lbs and can cost well over $10,000, most TIJ models weigh 5-10 lbs and cost as low as $1,499.00.

Although thermal inkjet systems are compact and lightweight, they offer impressive coding specifications. For example, the Anser U2 Smart can create 400 x 300 DPI codes up to 0.5” tall (1” tall with the Anser U2 SmartOne). Higher-end TIJs like the Anser X1 can create 600 x 600 DPI codes up to 2” tall with stitched printheads.

TIJ printers are often designed for slower speed lines and intermittent coding tasks, but some TIJ models offer high-speed capabilities as well. InkJet, Inc. carries numerous TIJ printers of varying specialties and price points. Our current options include:

The Anser U2 Smart and SmartOne Thermal Inkjet Printer: Compact and cost-effective, the Anser U2 Pro-S is a great choice for operations that don’t require CIJ-level marking speeds. Like the Anser U2 Smart and SmartOne, the Anser U2 Pro-S has 76.2 m/min max speed and 400 x 300 DPI max resolution. However, the Anser U2 Pro-S is compatible with more materials, for the printer can mark porous, semi-porous, and non-porous substrates.

The Anser A1 Thermal Inkjet Printer: The first all-in-one TIJ that offers 2” printing and mid-message DPI adjustments, the Anser A1 is both powerful and affordable. Built with 2 cartridge slots, the A1 can create 2” tall markings with varying DPI elements (e.g., 300 DPI QR code with 150 DPI text). The A1 maxes out at 300 m/min for product marking applications with certain cartridges. Users control the A1 through a large touchscreen interface.

The Anser A1 Thermal Inkjet Printer:

The Anser X1 Thermal Inkjet Printer: Even though the Anser X1 is a thermal inkjet printer, you wouldn’t know that from its spec sheet. With printing speeds up to 300 m/min, the Anser X1 is one of the most powerful TIJs on the market today. Beyond industrial speed marking, the Anser X1 offers a 600 DPI max resolution, a 2” max print height (with stitched printheads), IP66 protection, and the ability to control two production lines simultaneously.

See the chart below for a closer look into how our TIJ options compare to one another:

InkJet, Inc’s Thermal Inkjet Printer Options
Specification	Anser U2 Pro-S	Anser A1	Anser X1
Max Printheads	1	2	2
Display	3.5” Color LCD with LED backlight	5” Color LCD Capacitive Touchscreen 480x800 (portrait)	7-inch Color LCD Capacitive Touchscreen (800 x 480 px)
Input Device	Pocket-sized IR remote keypad	Touchscreen	Touchscreen
Print Height	0.5”	1” with single printhead, 2” with stitched printheads	1” with single printhead, 2” with stitched printheads
Print Resolution	400 x 300 DPI	300 DPI	600 x 600 DPI
Print Speed	76.2 m/min	121 m/min	300 m/min
Print Distance	0.25” (6mm)	0.25” (6mm)	0.25” (6mm)
Operating Temp.	0°C ~ 40°C (32°F ~ 104°F)	5°C – 40°C (41°F – 104°F)	5°C – 40°C (41°F – 104°F)
IP Rating	N/A	N/A	IP66
Dimensions & Weight	(L/W/H) 4.5” x 3” x 2.4” 0.49kg (1.08 lb) – excluding cartridge and bracket	(L/W/H) 6.7” x 5.4” x 4.9” 1.8kg (3.97lb) w/o guide plate	(L/W/H) 11.5” x 5.6” x 2” 2.7kg (6lb)
Compatible Materials	Porous, semi-porous, and non-porous materials	Porous, semi-porous, and non-porous materials	Porous, semi-porous, and non-porous materials

Durable, Permanent Ink for Printing on PVC Plastic

When it comes to PVC pipe coding, using "good enough" ink is anything but. You must achieve high-contrast codes that are easy to read and can stand up to the challenges of the production environment and the wear and tear of long-term use. You need high-quality industrial ink.

We recommend OEM-compatible industrial ink for CIJ printers. These quality alternatives are:

Cost-effective
Efficient
Guaranteed compatible
Quick and easy to change
Perfect for high-contrast printing
Available in a variety of colors

Our experts will also be happy to work with you to create a custom ink, should you require a more specialized solution for your business's particular needs.

Cutting-Edge Solutions for Coding and Marking PVC

Illegible marks, melting ink, and printer breakdowns become a thing of the past with the right PVC pipe marking and coding solutions. Our experts here at Inkjet, Inc. are happy to help you find exactly the right printer and ink combination for your plant to ensure smooth operations—and crystal-clear codes—for years to come.

Inkjet, Inc. is a leading-edge inkjet printer distributor and high-quality ink manufacturer. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide swift, effective solutions to any PVC pipe marking and coding challenges you may be facing—including the need for a custom ink creation. Contact us or call us today at 1-(800) 280-3245 to learn more.