A well-chosen label that harmonises perfectly with the shape of the packaging is playing a growing role in drawing attention to the product, making it look interesting and encouraging impulse purchases. With jars, pots and bottles assuming more unusual forms, labelling equipment needs to be more precise and flexible than ever before – without slowing down production. Therefore, hair and body care product manufacturer Mann & Schröder has installed a new system for all-around labelling.
The labelling system installed at Mann & Schröder at the end of 2004 consists of two components: the Herma 040 for all-around labelling with a Herma 652 downstream for base and lid labelling. Thanks to a completely re-designed input belt and new servo motors for every main component of the system, the 040 M has accelerated throughput at Mann & Schröder significantly. “We can now run 60 cycles per minute,“ says Production Manager Werner Helgert. “Previously it was 40.“ In theory the system has the potential for 120 cycles – provided the upstream filling lines can match the speed. Efficiency has increased from 70 to 87 per cent. Despite the high dispensing speed, the error margin for vertical positioning is just ±0.5 mm.
Exchangeable components
Besides faster throughput, the greatest challenge was the wide variation in product shapes. “We are currently registering an increased demand for products in jars,” explains Werner Helgert. The old labelling system only accommodated a limited variety of shapes. “For example, tapered jars gave us some problems, but their high-quality appearance generates a lot of interest.“ A further complication is that they vary greatly in size, with diameters between 40 and 100 mm. The modular structure of the Herma 040 makes it particularly easy for production manager Helgert to deal with these situations. The rotary feeder, the guide rails and the pressure rollers are prefabricated components which can be removed or fitted quickly and easily, significantly reducing set up times. Further efficiency potential is realised from controlling the whole system from a touch screen. Maximum safety and optimum ease of operation are ensured by the ergonomically designed bodywork and the super smooth, easy-to-clean surfaces.
Continuous operation
The modular structure of the all-around labelling system offers further benefits: as well as the one Herma 400 label applicator supplied as standard, there are other optional dispensers that can be integrated as required, for example, for double labelling or for continuous labelling which is particularly economical – when the first label applicator reaches the end of the roll, the system switches automatically to the second. This means that the rolls can be changed as the machine is operating which reduces set up time considerably. The all-around labelling system offers furthermore the option to dispense several labels, possibly of different shapes and materials, for one product, and position them in relation to each other. This is important when instructions or graphics on the lid or the sides have to be aligned exactly with one another. First the label is applied to the lid. Then with the aid of an optical sensor, the product is aligned in the rotary feeder until the side label can be applied in exactly the right position.
Automatic synchronisation
Mann & Schröder are not yet using these options. Labels are applied to the bottom and the top of the product in a subsequent unit, the Herma 652. This is where two compact Herma 400 label applicators carry out their work reliably and precisely. The dispenser is automatically synchronised with the production speed to ensure minimum error margins and maximum precision. The latest drive technology with AC servo motors also plays a part. The Herma 400 applicators maintain this precision even at the high speeds of 160 m or 2000 labels per minute achieved with large, 400 mm diameter rolls. Processor-driven motorised pre-rollers, carrier tape winders and light sensor controlled loop belt rollers ensure that the carrier tape is 100 % decoupled. This means precise parallel feed even in high-speed operation. The label applicators are also very compact, requiring a fraction of the space occupied by comparable devices. The control system is completely integrated in the device, obviating the need for a large control cabinet. As it is equipped with a card for serial connection to the higher level SPC system, it can be operated via the touch sensitive screen on the all-round label system.
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Labelling machines from Herma
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