Archived from groups: comp.periphs.printers (
More info?)
You did much better than I did on this search.
Here's some interesting details:
The machine leases for $12-14K a year, it weighs 300 pounds, and can
imprint 17 fruits per second, or about 1200 per minute. It uses a CO2
laser.
On fruits which lack contrast when they are imprinted, a dye is added
which is very low cost (about $5 a month at full production).
Sunkist is already using it on lemons and oranges.
Consumers and retailers love it, because the stickers usually used are a
real pain and end up everywhere but where they should be, and are
difficult on soft fruit to remove.
One California company claimed to save over $.5 million the first year
over cost of labeling with stickers, due to no labels required, and less
labor costs for operation.
The developer/inventor has created the product nine years before
offering it to bid for production units.
Sounds like a great use of technology, saving money, and environmentally
better and safer, and more convenient for producers, retailers and
consumers.
Of course, if any of the inkjet companies owned the patents, the printer
would be free and the dye would sell for $400,000 an ounce ;-)
Art
Taliesyn wrote:
> piotr barañski wrote:
>
>> hello everybody!
>> i am searching for some information about a device, which is able to
>> print on fruits (for example apples). unfortunatelly i do not know
>> anything about technology, company who developed the printer.
>> have you ever heard of that? please reply
>
>
> I recently read in the newspaper that a Canadian has developed a machine
> that burns (prints) messages on fruit using a laser. There are many
> advantages to this. No sticky labels to peel off (or to ever buy, print
> and apply!) and no worries of toxic ink on your fruit as the laser only
> etches the very top of the skin of the fruit (about 18 millionths of
> an inch). In other words, it won't cook your apples in the process of
> labeling them.
>
> Here's the link to the story:
http://www.cjoh.com/view_info.asp?id=2496
>
> And here's the link to the company that makes the laser printer:
>
>
http://www.durand-wayland.com/laser_coding/index.html
>
> Good luck!
>
> -Taliesyn