Is it time to automate your labelling?

The report claimed the top reason for automating was to reduce labour costs (61%). Remaining aims were said to be increasing speed and throughput, improving both accuracy and worker safety, and to minimise the difficulties of finding workers. As we enter a new year, manufacturers still face significant labour and skills shortfalls, geopolitical and financial uncertainties and new regulatory landscapes. 

But automated labelling solutions can go some way towards mitigating the impact of such issues. They replace manual workflow for better efficiency, they reduce high costs caused by human errors, and they increase 24/7 productivity.

Last year, one of our foodservice manufacturers was able to increase its throughput to as much as 3500 packages per hour by updating its print and apply system. Return on investment was achieved in just a very short time. Its number of unreadable labels and QR codes were also drastically reduced, another important consideration for manufacturers risking chargebacks or compliance fines for unreadable barcodes.

Our ‘cool’ solution operates as low as -5°C

Our foodservice client produces high-quality small meat dishes, menu components, dips, sauces, and salad dressings for large-scale catering. Its customers include hotels, restaurants, quick-service chains, corporate canteens, bakeries, petrol stations, grocery retailers, and individual caterers.

Two of its existing print modules in its automatic labelling system had become outdated and needed replacing but there were two fundamental technical challenges: firstly, the manufacturer wanted to retain all its existing mounts and options and, secondly, any new module needed to operate reliably in a chilled processing area. This latter requirement was a real deal-breaker that excluded many conventional print modules, which typically need an ambient temperature of at least 5°C.

Not so with our PEX-series print modules as they can reliably perform at temperatures as low as -5°C.

Phased integration

The foodservice manufacturer uses a wide range of packaging types for food production but, for products packed in vacuum-formed pouches, flow packs, or trays, it has two dedicated production lines with integrated print-and-apply systems for top-side labelling. 

It couldn’t afford to lose productivity to integrate the proposed solution, so implementation took place in two phases, each one scheduled over a production-free weekend. This allowed our client to avoid downtime and, at the same time, test the new food-labelling solution on one line before moving on to the second.

The PEX modules automatically print on blank 100 mm x 100 mm labels and apply them to the primary packaging inline during the sealing process. Labels feature GS1-128 barcodes for shipping and distribution and, in some cases, other consumer-readable information like QR codes.

The company’s ERP system supplies all relevant product and logistics data, such as article number, name, ingredients, nutritional values, best-before date, and batch number.

Further automation planned

Thanks to the increased productivity and improved quality achieved by replacing its print modules, our client has now planned several follow-up projects, including integrating more of the PEX-2000 devices into other production lines and support for new product formats.

Our robust print modules are designed for long-term operation in demanding production environments where temperatures can be as low as -5°C. They are ideal for manufacturing - especially cook/chill food - for transport and logistics, and for healthcare.

The 4" models reach print speeds of up to 457 mm/s (18 ips) with a maximum resolution of 600 dpi while the 6" versions print up to 356 mm/s (14 ips) with a maximum resolution of 300 dpi.

A DB15, or optional DB25 interface, GPIO emulations, and customisable firmware supporting a wide range of printer languages all ensure simple integration of our print engines into existing systems.

The PEX-2000 modules are compact and can be mounted in any orientation within label applicators. Their functional design allows for expedient maintenance thanks to a rear housing section that is easily accessible and removable. Optional features include RFID encoding and ribbon-saving technology for reduced operating costs.

Don’t let operating temperatures of -5°C hold you back from automating your labelling this year, see how our print and apply solutions could benefit your productivity, efficiency and sustainability.