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Case Study: Eliminating Under-Hood Label Failures in Auto Manufacturing
In the automotive industry, traceability is highly regulated. If a car is recalled, the manufacturer must be able to scan the barcode on every single component—from the brake pads to the engine block—even if the car is 10 years old.
This case study examines how a Tier-1 automotive parts supplier solved a critical compliance failure by upgrading their Thermal Transfer Ribbon.
The Problem: “Under-Hood” Degradation
The Client: A manufacturer of engine cooling fans supplying major European automakers. The Issue: The labels applied directly to the fan motors were failing during the automaker’s accelerated aging tests.
The environment “under the hood” of a car is brutal. Temperatures routinely reach 120°C to 150°C. Furthermore, the engine compartment is exposed to motor oil, brake fluid, and anti-freeze. The client was using a standard Wax/Resin ribbon on a PET label. After 48 hours in the heat and chemical chamber, the printed barcodes were smudging and fading, resulting in an immediate Quality Assurance (QA) rejection from the automaker.
The Diagnosis
Our engineering team analyzed the failed labels. The Wax/Resin formulation was breaking down because the wax components melted at 80°C, causing the entire ink matrix to lose its bond with the PET substrate. They needed a pure, high-temperature resin.
The Solution: Only Imaging SP-500 Resin
We deployed our SP-500 Ultra-Durable Resin.
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Heat Resistance: The SP-500 is formulated to remain stable up to 150°C continuous, with peaks up to 200°C.
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Chemical Shield: The dense resin polymer network is completely impervious to synthetic motor oils and ethylene glycol (anti-freeze).
The Result
The client printed a new batch of test labels using the SP-500 and submitted them to the automaker’s QA lab.
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Outcome: 100% Pass Rate.
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Cost Impact: Not only did they secure their multi-million dollar supply contract, but the SP-500 was also 15% more cost-effective than the branded specialty ribbon they previously considered buying.
Conclusion: Don’t Compromise on Traceability
If you manufacture parts that face extreme heat, friction, or chemicals, your ink must be as durable as your product.
ONLY IMAGING is a leading supplier of labels, printing equipment and associate consumables, including TTR products in various widths and lengths. Please take the opportunity to learn more about our range of high-quality thermal transfer ribbons and explore our other products for any further questions you may have click Here.
