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Out in the plant labeling occurs after cases are top- and bottom-sealed with pressure-sensitive tape. The thermal-transfer printer enclosed in an industrial housing prints the bar-code label. The label is automatically peeled from the liner and fed to a vacuum grid labeling arm via stepper-motor-driven carrier belts.
The label waits on the carrier belt until a sensor detects the oncoming case. The labeling arm extends to apply the 3"H x 12"W label to the leading edge of the case which "collides" with the applicator arm applying a 6" length of the label to the front of the case. The arm then retracts to follow the contour of the carton and completes the application of the remaining 6" of label to the side with a brush that wipes the label down. A secondary brush that's stationary provides a second wipe down to ensure a solid application.
The printer/applicator provides Nakano with speeds of upwards of 20 cases/min according to Kluss. "We're exceeding [Weber's] specs" says Kluss. The labelers are rated at 18/min. The high speed is due to the fact that the labelers print the next label while simultaneously applying the current one.
Labeling and ink-jet coding
Although Nakano uses the printer/applicators for bar-code and human-readable text it continues to print much of the same human- readable text via its low-resolution large-character ink-jet coders. The reason? The large-character ink-jet printing permits easier reading from a distance says Kluss which is helpful to warehouse workers at both Nakano and its customers.
Nakano considered ink-jet coding equipment for the bar code but in the end felt more comfortable with a thermal-transfer printer/ applicator. "We knew there was high-resolution ink-jet equipment that would cost less but because we run into so many different types of corrugated surfaces we weren't convinced that high-resolution non-contact coders would be able to handle that. Print-and-apply is more expensive but we definitely get 99-percent scannability." Printed bar-code labels are verified once each hour with a hand-held unit. "To date we have not gotten one that we couldn't read" says Kluss.
While Nakano could have purchased the printer and applicator separately and married them together on the packaging line the company wanted single-source accountability that could be provided by a large vendor like Weber. "We were looking at the service aspect of it. I'm glad we did because some initial problems we had were quickly taken care of. Their service and support center has been absolutely excellent and fast in response."
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