Compact pallet labeller offers universal appeal

Logopak International has announced a new compact print & apply pallet labelling machine, developed to suit a broad range of applications as standard and bring reduced capital cost through the economies of volume production.

The machine monitors its own operation, reducing maintenance cost and risk of downtime, while sharing proven components with the Logopak 500 and 400 Series of print & apply case labelling machines to reduce the cost of manufacture.

“Logopak has taken its latest mechanical and software technology and applied this to the new 800 Series labellers through a programme of value engineering,” says Logopak UK general manager Wilson Clark.

“The result is a machine of universal appeal, offering a small footprint, fewer components than its predecessors, and the ability as standard to provide a host of IT functions with no need for additional software to be written.”

Capable of 100 pallets an hour, the Logopak 800 provides a comfortable operating margin over the 60-80 pallets an hour requirement of most production lines, although the Logopak 920 Series remains in production for speeds up to 150 an hour.

The machine incorporates Logopak’s new PowerLeap 3 control system, which provides a comprehensive link with different warehouse management systems and production line PLC controls using, for example, Ethernet data and internet web browser solutions.

“Unlike most print & apply labellers, the Logopak 800 Series comes equipped as standard with the hardware and software necessary to link readily with computer-based production and warehousing systems,” points out Wilson Clark. “This avoids the cost and time involved in writing one-off application software.”

PowerLeap 3 employs a touchscreen based on full-size laptop PC screen technology, providing much easier viewing for the operator, and 32 bit processors to give high speed operation.

Logopak saw 11 % more installations during 2009

UK installations of print and apply labelling machines by Logopak International rose 11 per cent in 2009 compared with 2008. Most of the increase came from the food and drink industry, where Logopak UK general manager Wilson Clark reports a number of major installations, including 19 case labellers and six pallet labellers for a Scottish distiller and 13 custom-built machines for a cream and yoghurt processor in the North of England.

“Demand from food and drink manufacturers was particularly strong during 2009 although the paper tissue industry has also seen quite a surge in case and pallet labelling installations,” says Mr Clark. “There was increased demand also for custom-built machinery.”

Examples include a duplex gantry-mounted Logopak print & apply case labelling station for Cott Beverages and special three-side pallet labellers for wine and spirit bottler Constellation Europe.

Following the launch of its new generation print & apply machines able to monitor their own performance and give remote warning of errors or maintenance requirements via e-mail, Logopak is now also extending its product warranty.

Wilson Clark explains: “This new technology heralds such a major step forward in reliability for print & apply labelling that Logopak is now offering a 10 year warranty, the longest in the industry and a quantum leap from the standard two years offered by most suppliers.”

PowerLeap 3 control brings faster communication

The new Logopak PowerLeap 3 control system has been proved in service on the 400 Series of case labellers over the past 18 months and is now to be employed on all further new Logopak machines, starting with the 800 Series of pallet labellers.

The key benefit is faster and more powerful communications, providing easier integration with host packaging lines, self-monitoring and reporting for improved reliability, and the capacity to manipulate more data for factory management information systems.

At the same time, the enhanced processing power incorporated in PowerLeap 3 raises the speed at which images are formed at the printhead by up to 300 per cent.

However, it is the self-monitoring facility that breaks completely new ground, boosting line reliability by giving advance warning of component failure and alerting service engineers automatically to any faults or maintenance needs. As a result, fewer skilled personnel are required to supervise the labelling operation.

“PowerLeap 3 helps reduce still further the risk of costly line stoppage as a result of downtime in the labelling machine, significantly often the lowest cost item in a line,” says Logopak UK general manager Wilson Clark.

“First the aim is to prevent risk of machine stoppage from faults but then, should one occur, service staff can be directed immediately to the cause of the problem. Back-up from Logopak is also remotely available via modem.”

At its basic level the control system can be programmed to alert service staff via an E-mail or text message to simple problems such as breaks in the label web or print ribbon, and labels running out. However, the software also checks the operation of machine components to provide an early warning of potential problems.

Long-reach pallet labeller suits side-load fork trucks

Logopak International is developing a long-reach print & apply labeller to allow food and drink manufacturers to meet new demands for barcode labels on three rather than the conventional two sides of each pallet.

These new demands, which follow the introduction of side-load pallet handling trucks at major retail distribution hubs in the south of England, require an additional label on the long edge of the pallet, close to the back, to give drivers easy access for data scanning.

“With these side-load fork trucks the back of the pallet is to the side of the driver, who is unable to reach either of the conventional adjacent side labels applied at the front of the pallet,” explains Logopak UK general manager Wilson Clark. Use of turntables to orientate the pallets has been ruled out on grounds of layout and speed.

“So, in addition to placing the adjacent side labels at the front of the pallet, Logopak is designing the applicator arm of the new machine to travel all the way down the side, placing a third label towards the back, diagonally opposite the two other labels.”

This third label can be reached easily by the fork truck driver and data scanned into the warehouse management system via a hand-held wand.