Last Updated: 2026-10-03
A recall is closed by tracing one pallet, not one product. A batch coding machine prints the reference that makes that trace possible, plus four fields beside it, each answering a question asked by a different person down the chain.
The Short Answer
It prints the batch or lot reference, identifying the production run a unit came from. On most packs that joins a production date, a best-before, a line or shift code, and a symbol carrying the same data in scannable form. Five fields, one pass, on a moving line.
The distinction that matters when specifying the machine is that these fields are variable. A lot changes when the raw material changes, a date changes daily, a shift code twice a shift. What is being bought is a printer that can be told what to print without stopping, not a stamp set once.
Whether all five fit on the pack is a layout question settled by band height and accuracy rather than by a feature list. The fields and their jobs are below.
Five Fields a Batch Coding Machine Automatic Job Carries
Each line answers a different question, which is why dropping one costs more than it looks:
| Field | What it answers | What is lost without it |
|---|---|---|
| Batch or lot reference | Which production run this came from | A recall has no boundary to stop at |
| Production date | When it was made | Shelf-life disputes cannot be settled |
| Best-before or expiry | How long it may be sold | Retail rejects the delivery |
| Line or shift code | Which crew and machine ran it | A fault cannot be traced |
| Scannable symbol | Carries the same data for a reader | Every step is keyed by hand |
A batch coding machine automatic build is chosen by how many of those five must appear together and how small they may print, because GS1 application identifiers decide how the same data is packed into a symbol a customer’s reader will accept, and ISO 9001 quality management is the framework under which a layout is approved and kept on record. Next, how that is laid out on a real pack.
How SHICAI Lays Out a Batch Job
SHICAI commissions batch work from a sample of the customer’s pack: fields are printed at line rate, read back with a handheld scanner, and only then is a band height agreed. Frames in this class print at up to 120 m/min with 600 dpi accuracy and a band selectable between 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm, which decides whether five fields fit without a second pass.
The recurring conversation is not speed but what a receiving dock actually scans, since a lot keyed in by hand at the far end of the chain is a lot that will be typed wrong.
Related questions on batch coding
- Is a batch code the same as a serial number?
- No. A batch reference identifies a group of units made in one run, while a serial number identifies one item. Unit-level numbering needs a data source and a printer able to change the value per item, which is a different specification.
- Does every field have to print at once?
- Not necessarily, but every extra pass is another position that can drift. Most layouts work better with five fields printed together on one band than with two passes split across the pack.
- What decides whether a code stays readable?
- The ink grade against the surface, the working gap held steady, and whether the symbol keeps the module width its standard asks for.
L10 Online inkjet printer
an inline frame specified for this layout:
- Prints up to 120m/min
- 600dpi print accuracy
- 2-12.7mm/2-25.4mm print height
- 7-Inch Capacitive Touch Screen
- 2-5mm throw distance
Where to Go From Here
- See the product: L10 Online inkjet printer
- Read next: the FAQ index for how a code survives wash and handling
- Talk to us: send a photo of the panel you code through our contact page. We print all five fields on your pack, free of charge and without commitment.
Need help choosing the right printer?
Talk to our engineers for a free production-line assessment and quotation.
Request a Quote