Following printing of the thermal labels, each is immediately inspected by the LabelQ vision inspection system for quality of printed text, artwork and both 1D and 2D barcodes, ensuring that all are readable. Incorrect, incomplete, or unreadable labels are rejected before they can be applied to packaging and reach consumers. An additional option is a thermal ink jet marking device that clearly marks rejected labels to prevent their inadvertent use.
LabelQ is designed specifically to meet the print requirements of pharmaceutical and life science companies, and is built to be compatible with Zebra’s Xi4 and ZT600 series printers. The system includes OCR (optical character recognition) and barcode verification as standard inspections and offers an optional full label print quality inspection for in-process verification of variable text, barcode, and print quality. It comes with a standard resolution camera, but offers the option of high-resolution imaging.
An option that many customers find saves valuable production time is Acquire’s pdf artwork import feature. With this option, rather than training the system with an actual label image, artwork can be imported automatically directly from a network site, after which operators select key artwork inspection areas and start the system. Since this feature downloads the artwork from a network location, it can also notify operators if the artwork is current or has changed since the last date of printing or configuration.
Acquire’s LabelQ also offers a user-friendly operator interface, reducing setup and operational labor costs while increasing the quality and accuracy of label inspections. Acquire Automation backs LabelQ and all its systems with an in-house team of engineers dedicated to improving its customers’ manufacturing and labeling success.