Variable Height Labeling with Less Air

At PACK EXPO International, Weber Packaging Solutions unveiled its latest label printer/applicator, Model 4050, designed with distribution centers and e-commerce operations in mind.

Based on a version of a Weber machine created by its engineers in Germany, Weber’s Model 4050 is engineered to be a modular, variable height labeling system that is easy to service while using 80 percent less air than comparable systems.

Less air, more precision

Weber’s machine combines modulated vacuum technology with integrated sensors that constantly measure the labeling pressure required and make adjustments as needed during the labeling operation. Chris Erbach, integrated marketing manager at Weber Packaging Solutions, says this technology should make the 4050 appealing to distribution centers and e-commerce businesses who need variable height solutions to accurately label packages and envelopes coming in sequence down the line.

“For anyone doing shipping address labeling for different sized packages, this model will sense the height of the box, and bring it down to a quarter of an inch and blow the label on from there,” says Erbach. “It’s a sort of a hybrid — not completely air-free label application, but it uses significantly less air than what is typical in the industry.”

Two compressed air circuits allow the label to stay on the tamp pad and the thruster to stay in position when an emergency stop occurs on the production line. This eliminates the need to reset the applicator when the emergency is cleared and the line restarts. Because it is a no-contact labeling system, Model 4050 can also handle fragile items and even do product labeling, Erbach says.