Full Labelling and Tracking System

Logopak, inventor and the leading innovator of print & apply pallet labelling, have recently concluded the installation of an extremely large project involving 18 x 515 f case / bundle labelling systems, 5 x 515 T tracking labelling systems, 6 double stacked 920 PFR GS1 (3 side) pallet labelling systems 4 VLP off line printers and a large number of Sick scanners into one of the leading international paper tissue manufacturers, with plants in three locations in the UK.

Print & Apply Pallet Labelling

Won against strong competition from 5 other labelling companies, initially the project was to provide GS1 pallet labels on pallets which are stacked in double format, however Logopak quickly identified that major cost savings could be gained by the installation of case/bundle labellers and the removal of plastic strips and ink jet units.

This part of the project was self funding with a very quick pay-back on the capital required for these labellers.

On one site a total of 12 x 515 F and T labellers were installed for the application of case labels, which are then palletised, as these pallets reach one of three stretch wrapping systems, the case labels are scanned into Logopak SYNCHRO PC software and the data for a "tracking" label is then sent to one of 5 x 515 labellers which applies a tracking label on the outside of the pallet stretch wrap.

This allows these pallets to be moved to any one of three production lines, where the tracking label is scanned into a different SYNCHRO software, which then creates the data for the GS1 labels, which are applied to THREE sides of each pallet one above the other.

In the other site 6 X 515F labellers apply case/bundle labels on 6 production lines, on this site after palletisation, pallets are tracked through stretchwrappers to GS1 labelling positions, therefore no tracking labellers are required.

Operating on double stacked and single pallets which are of different height, each bottom labeller labels at a fixed height from the floor, whilst the top unit has to label pallets at the same GS1 specification, this unit has to raise and lower to compensate for the height of the base pallet and operates from a table of pallet heights in its software.

If the base pallet is 1,400mm high then the label to be applied on the top pallet is a minimum of 1,800mm from the floor. If the base pallet is 1,700mm high then the label to be applied on the top pallet has to be a minimum of 2,100mm from the floor.

The installation of these Double stacked labellers in the tissue industry makes a total of 21 (42) double stacked machines installed by Logopak across all industries in the UK.

All of the installed systems were fitted with heated enclosures which were essential in this working environment, integrated bar code scanning and utilise Ethernet data connection and a robust PLC handshake between the conveyor line controls to ensure the labelling systems are fully integrated into the line management systems for the downloading of data files for printing and the uploading of pallets produced.

This allows a "back-flush" to the companies host to allow production costs from manufacture of the product through to what is shipped allowing efficiency of production to be calculated in real-time.

Logopak also installed and fitted "Logotrac" software to two production lines which would have had difficulty reading the case label and producing the tracking label accurately and reliably.

Additional PLC work and revisions to line controls were sub-contracted by Logopak to a company based in South Wales.

Airline type or fixed access steps were supplied by Logopak to allow safe and easy access to the top labeller for replenishment of consumables and for cleaning and service.