Primera Announces Its Catalyst Laser Label Marking System

Industrial fiber laser-based marking system delivers top performance at a breakthrough price

Published: Thursday, October 7, 2021 - 12:00

(Primera: Plymouth, MN) -- Primera Technology Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialized digital printing equipment, announces that its new Catalyst Laser Label Marking System is now shipping.

What is catalyst laser label marking?

Catalyst allows fast and easy production of highly durable, synthetic labels for a wide range of rough-service applications. Labels produced with lasers, including Catalyst, are typically used to replace metal plates or far less durable labels produced by resin thermal transfer printers on polyester substrates.

Typical applications requiring such high-durability labels include the U.S. Department of Defense’s IUID program, UDI labels for medical devices and healthcare equipment, automobile VIN and under-hood part number, warning and instruction labels, aerospace and solar panel labels, serial tags for outdoor power equipment, vehicle and marine spare parts, building tools and materials, and much more.

Text, graphics, and linear or 2D/3D bar codes are laser-imaged onto color laser film, developed and manufactured by Schreiner ProTech GmbH in Germany. Color laser film labels are explicitly designed for extreme environment applications and do not require extra lamination to withstand extended exposure to UV light, chemicals, liquids, and temperatures of up to 300°C.

Instead of ink, Catalyst uses a bundle of two, four, or eight fiber-coupled laser diodes along with matched, high-precision lenses (patent pending) to image onto color laser film. Bundled fiber lasers have never before been used in a roll-fed, desktop laser label imager, making Catalyst unique in its class. After imaging the color laser film material, Catalyst’s built-in digital die-cutting system cuts the labels to any shape, eliminating the need for pre-die-cut labels. Unlike other laser-based marking systems, it uses a knife blade instead of the laser beam to cut out the labels. This feature eliminates the need for a smoke and fume extraction system, saving even more money on the initial equipment costs and the ongoing costs of periodic filter changes, cleaning, and other maintenance.

Compared to Yag and CO₂ lasers, Catalyst’s imaging method has several significant advantages for producing highly durable labels, including:
• Lower cost. Catalyst’s entry-level model’s price is just $3,295—about a tenth of the cost of machines with identical speed and imaging quality. Two faster versions are also available and sell for $4,295 and $6,295.
• Simple mechanics. Instead of a more traditional but more complex and expensive computer-controlled galvanometer with beam steering mirrors, Catalyst was designed more like a standard industrial label printer such as Primera’s LX910 color label printer. This approach results in a far less complicated and more rugged machine with no special maintenance or ongoing calibration required.
• Ease of operation. Catalyst installs on a PC as a standard Windows printer. Any popular Windows-based label creation software can be used to send image files. No special operator training or certification is required.

“We are excited to introduce this groundbreaking new laser-based label imaging system,” says Mark D. Strobel, Primera’s vice president of sales and marketing. “For companies that need labels for use in harsh and severe-service environments, and even for mission-critical applications such as aircraft parts identification, Catalyst is the most affordable and easiest to use laser-marking label printer available.”

A printer driver for Windows 10+ is available online for download. Also available for download is an easy-to-use label design and printing software from Seagull Scientific called BarTender 2021 for Windows. Wired USB and Ethernet connectivity are standard. Wireless Ethernet is available using an inexpensive (less than $50) universal Ethernet to Wi-Fi adapter.

Pricing and availability

Three different models are available:
• Catalyst V2: the entry-level model with two laser diodes—$3,295 (MSRP)
• Catalyst V4: four laser diodes for twice the speed of V2—$4,295 (MSRP)
• Catalyst V8: eight laser diodes for twice the speed of V4—$6,295 (MSRP)

Catalyst is available for purchase factory-direct at www.primera.com and from Primera’s authorized resellers and distributors worldwide. Prices may vary outside of the United States.

About Primera Technology

Headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota, Primera Technology Inc. is one of the world’s leading specialty printer manufacturers. The company sells its products either factory-direct or through Primera authorized resellers and distributors in more than 200 countries and territories.

About Schreiner ProTech

Schreiner ProTech, a business unit of Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG based in Oberschleissheim near Munich, Germany and production sites in Blauvelt, NY and Shanghai, China, develops innovative film-based functional components and industrial marking and security solutions. From thermal-transfer printing, laser marking, and RFID solutions all the way to pressure compensation seals and printed electronics, the certified development partner and systems supplier offers solutions that help optimize processes, reduce costs, make life healthier and safer, and enhance human mobility. All of Schreiner ProTech’s solutions for the mobility and electronics markets and mechanical engineering are specifically tailored to meet customers’ needs.

About The Author

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