Pressure sensitive labeling is a lot more complicated than one would think. It’s hard enough to produce the adhesive stock, print on it, laminate it, wind it, and then properly store it, ship it and then apply it. There is a whole science and industry to making and printing labels that are designed for automatic label application. Considerations for liner stretch, die strikes, printing registration, adhesive selection, web coatings, top coating, lamination, even ink selection need to be seriously considered for each application. Then the rolls of labels need to be properly packaged, shipped, stored, unwound, precisely dispensed, applied, and adhered to bottles, cans, boxes, etc. without wrinkles and bubbles. Keeping all this equipment in working order, properly maintained with knowledgeable operators is hard enough.
Traditional Intermittent Motion in Pressure Sensitive Labeling
The traditional label applicator is basically a web handling device with a motor and a few registration sensors. The difference between label applicators is usually the mechanics and electrical component selection but bottom line, they all do the same thing; detect a product, apply a label, detect a division, and then stop. This is known as “intermittent motion labeling.” A draw back to intermittent motion labeling is with each label dispense, the web drive system needs to start and stop with each product; now imagine start and stopping 100, 200, 300 times per minute. Sixty stops per minute is taxing enough for some electro mechanical designs. The shock of the start and stop of the labeling head and label web is really extensive. With small diameter rollers, small axles, and thin side-plate construction, web tracking and premature wear of bearings, motors, transmissions, belts, even the peel plate is inevitable. Without an experienced and engineered design, self destruction, and web breaks, are almost certain the faster the cycle rate.
Continuous Motion Pressure Sensitive Labeling
Quadrel has developed a system that uses a labeling technology called “continuous motion.” This technology applies labels without stopping; say goodbye to “Intermittent Motion and the taxing start and stop of every label dispensed.” Three hundred products per minute is now behind us! The limit is now the rpm of the motors. With sealed bearings on all the web handling rollers, push pull label web drive, and cool to touch servo product and web handling motors, this system is engineered to run “Outside the Box.”
Merging the bottles and cans with the dispensing labels is truly innovative. The Continuous Motion Quadrel system is engineered to start out slowly and ramp up to a selected production rate while monitoring the system’s infeed and outfeed production status. If an infeed gap of products is detected, the system slows down to allow the product to catch up or the system will even stop if necessary. The intelligent software and mechanical design is truly designed for production performance. Labeling is no longer the “Bottle Neck.”
Call Quadrel Labeling Systems for more information about this technology and let us get your Labeling Production in this new dimension. Grow into your Labeler; don’t grow out of it!