At Köster Bauchemie, a specialist for waterproofing products and systems, a label on the paper bags gives the user information about the relevant contents, prod-uct characteristics, weight and handling. To ensure that these important labels are easily seen and adhere well, this seal specialist relies on the Alpha 86 label applicator from Bluhm Systeme, a member of the BluhmWeber Group. The company also uses another device: a Compactline inkjet printer for the lot number.
Köster Bauchemie AG has its headquarters in Aurich and was established in 1982 by Johann J. Köster, a developer and manufacturer of sealing systems. Today, Köster comprises 27 companies with over 300 employees worldwide. The list of reference properties reads like a Who’s Who of famous buildings: from the Pentagon in Washington through the Frauenkirche church in Dresden and the Royal Palace in Bangkok to the parliament building in The Hague. Whenever there are complicated challenges waiting to be solved, Köster Bauchemie is the right contact for the job. The company relies exclusively on specialists, even for processes integrated in production or for labelling issues.
First remove the dust, then label
Each individual bag with sealing materials must be given a lot ID and a contents label. Udo Gleich, a purchaser and production planner at Köster Bauchemie in Aurich, described the situation to us as follows: “Every 15 seconds one filled bag leaves the new filling system and is transported to the palletising robot. Our time slot for labelling the bag falls between these two systems”. It was clear that the labelling process also needed to be automated and accelerated as human intervention successively disappeared from production.
The particular challenge of this task was provided by the conditions prevailing in the plant. Packing minerals used as building materials are a dusty affair. Even labels with specially formulated adhesives are bound to face insurmountable problems here very quickly. As Gleich explained: “It was relatively simple to find a pragmatic solution to the dilemma of the dusty surface: we installed an air shower just upstream of the station where the labels are attached, which cleans the bag as it passes using a strong shot of compressed air. The labels have adhered well ever since”.
Continuous labelling
The actual labelling process is carried out by an Alpha 86 label applicator. “The robust structure and simple handling of these systems convinced us from the start. They are ideal for use in rough production surroundings”, says Gleich, justifying the decision for this solution.
First, labels for each production lot are pre-printed on a thermal-transfer desktop printer on a roll with the relevant product data and then inserted into the Alpha 86. The very large labels are then dispensed using a wipe-on process, in which they are peeled off across the applicator edge and then pressed onto the prod-uct with foam rubber as it passes by. This ensures the best possible adhesion to the surface. The label applicator achieves a pull-off speed of up to 58 m per minute. In this time, the Alpha 86 can dispense up to 500 labels, depending on the size.
The system can be easily integrated into existing production lines because the controls are separate from the applicator. The symmetrical basic structure allows it to be converted flexibly and used in a left-hand or right-hand version as required. Another practical benefit is that the guide rollers on the applicator can be removed for simpler handling and easy cleaning.
Ink for the lot number
On the same station, the Compactline 2.5 inkjet printer marks the paper bags with the lot number or the product description. The Compactline printer shows its strengths particularly well in dusty surroundings. It differs from standard inkjet printers, on which the jets quickly become blocked or gummed up by dust and which are also difficult to clean, in that the ink cartridges – based on the patented Hewlett-Packard printing technology – can be easily cleaned with a damp, lint-free cloth.
As the cartridge also contains the print head, a new head is used every time the cartridge is changed. This provides additional production reliability when it comes to product marking. Wear or other modifications to the print head that could have a negative influence on the results are ruled out. The print quality is very good and stays that way thanks to the innovative technology. The print is pin sharp, even on absorbent materials such as paper bags. Another advantage of the Compactline systems is that the patented Klick’n Print holder makes it very easy to replace the ink cartridge. A single click is all it takes to remove the empty cartridge and install a new one.
Everything under control
The control unit on the Compactline 2.5 can control two print heads and thus achieves a character height of up to 25 mm. If necessary, it is also possible to install the two heads on the right and left of the conveying unit in order to print information such as text, logos or even barcodes with a resolution of 600 dpi simultaneously on both sides of the product.
One final advantage of the Compactline is also of decisive importance for Köster Bauchemie. “I can connect my laptop directly to the control unit of the Compactline 2.5 and create the texts that need to be printed quickly and easily using Bluhm’s i-Design software. This allows me to monitor the print during production and position it exactly where I want it. It really is very fast and easy”, says Gleich.
Hall 4, Booth E54
Online-Info: www.cpp-net.com/2111458
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