The AP-1 semi-automated tube printer is the ultimate solution for direct printing onto plastic and glass tubes and vials. Featuring a cutting-edge dual-colour UV ink printing system, that prints durable, abrasion and chemical resistant labels, perfect for long-term storage. Designed for wide labware compatibility and seamless integration into automated workflows, maximising productivity and minimising downtime. With AP-1, adhesive labelling is a thing of the past.

Owing to the agnostic design, the AP-1's dual-head UV ink printing system applies a high-contrast label directly onto a wide range of plastic or glass tubes available on the market. Unlike laser markers, which are limited to etching laser-compatible tube surfaces, often resulting in poor contrast on clear or lightly coloured tubes. The AP-1 creates consistently readable labels on-demand across various materials and textures. This flexibility eliminates the need for specialised tubes, reducing labware costs, while ensuring precise and durable labelling. Laser markers are expensive and often bulky, requiring more than just a power supply to work.

In contrast, sticky label printers are prone to operational issues. Labels can detach during automated workflows, causing instrument jams and costly downtime. Additionally, labels are vulnerable to manual or accidental removal, peeling over time, risking the loss of critical identity and traceability of samples. AP-1 eliminates the risk of label detachment or tampering, ensuring reliable, traceable identification throughout the entire sample lifecycle, even under demanding automation conditions.

• This innovative technology incorporates three key components - tube surface cleaning module, dual printheads, and a UV curing module - all fully configurable through the printer’s intuitive software or remotely via API
• Dual-head UV ink printing system allows the user to create high-contrast labels for barcoding applications, offering unparalleled and superior performance to existing tube labellers and markers
• The background printhead applies a base layer directly onto the tube surface, while the content printhead applies clear and legible text, barcodes, and graphics on top; perfectly simulating a paper-based adhesive label - this unique design eliminates the need for expensive pre-barcoded tubes, providing the user flexibility to print text and barcodes personal to them and their application
• For situations where a background is already present on the tube or simply not required, the content printhead can be used independently, offering even greater versatility
• AP-1 printed labels are designed to endure mechanical abrasion, remaining intact even with frequent handling or friction, these labels can withstand exposure to common lab solvents such as isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and DMSO (resistance may vary depending on % of solvent used) without fading or smearing
• Compatible with cold chain transportation and long-term storage, remaining legible at extreme temperatures as low as -196°C
• UV curable ink printing system:
• Surface cleaning module prepares the tube surface by enhancing ink adhesion, ensuring long-lasting, smudge-resistant labels once UV cured
• Two-printhead design
• Background printhead applies a background to the content to be printed, enhancing legibility, essential when printing barcode labels
• Content printhead applies text (all TrueType fonts), 2D and linear barcodes and graphics
• UV curing module rapidly cures the ink using UV light for immediate, durable results, exposure time is configurable in the app
• Enhanced user experience.
• Intuitive software for full hardware control and custom label creation, including data binding from imported CSV files
• Automated print delay for smooth printing of manual workflows, detection of a tube triggers a print, delay time configurable in the app
• Versatile and adaptable.
• Wide tube compatibility - handles tubes and vials from 0.5 to 50mL across various plastic resins and glass materials
• Works on surfaces with raised graduations or textured finishes
• Interchangeable magnetic tube adapters allow for fast and easy changes of tube types
• Simple setup and maintenance
• Easy-to-install tube adapters, ink cartridges and cleaning materials for hassle-free maintenance
• Ingenious onboard printhead cleaning and protection module reduces downtime due to maintenance
• Highly economical solution, with the ability to print in excess of 100,000 dual-colour labels without changing cartridges
• Designed with integrators in mind, offering robust and flexible tools to streamline the development of mid to high-throughput custom applications
• Comes with advanced label design software that simplifies data binding with imported CSV files, giving users complete flexibility in label creation, for more advanced requirements, such as automated systems, the AP-1 can be controlled remotely via web API, C++ or C# communication
• Supplied with power supply, USB 2.0 cable, 5 x tube adapters, and printhead cleaning roll