You are Reading LabelOn™ Basic Top and Bottom Label Applicator which is a post from: LabelOn™ Labeling Machines If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus

The LabelOn™ Basic Top and Bottom Label Applicator Range incorporate advanced, and sophisticated label dispensing system with user-friendly interface and easy to use adjustments.  Virtually maintenance free, they are easy to change label application height, thus saving valuable time and achieve higher production capacity.

The LabelOn™ Basic range has models that can label one or two panels of a flat bottom/top product from above and below. Also an Overhead Conveyor can be added to help stabilise the product during conveyor transfer.

LabelOn™ Basic Top and Bottom Label Applicator Picture

LabelOn™ 610 Front, Back and Wrap Labeler

LabelOn Al100 Stand Alone Labeler

You are Reading How a Bottle Labeler makes all the difference which is a post from: LabelOn™ Labeling Machines If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus

Bottle Labeler

Critical to a bottled product’s success is its appeal to the eye and its ability to convey a recognizable product or brand name. Where first impressions count so much for new product uptake your product, no matter how good it is, may be judged and discarded – in the blink of an eye – by itd cover; its label.
Unspoken thoughts by most consumers are if the label is not put on properly there’s something wrong with that product. At the very least if the manufacturer cannot properly monitor its product’s look or label what hope has that manufacturer got in properly monitoring its products contents.

When starting to ramp up production the question will always come up ; when is it the right time to buy a Bottle Labeler? Usually this question comes up when it can be seen that it is a painstaking slow process to apply self-adhesive labels on by hand and when the hand labeling process simply cannot produce the consistency of placement.
A bottle labeler takes over the job of moving the label and the product’s surface at a synchronized speed while the pressure sensitive label is being pressed down. This is in essence what a person tries to do as they work to apply a label manually onto a bottle. The problem is, when a person is doing this tricky task of bottle labeling, they usually have to do it very slowly to get it right and to get it consistent.

Bottle Labeling Equipment

The label applicator can form the most tricky and critical operation of a production line. The LabelOn™ Modular range is an excellent choice of Bottle labeler as it is so intuitive to use and so responsive to adjustments. This responsiveness makes it straight forward for the operator to quickly realize the impact of any single adjustment in isolation from other adjustments on the machine.

The LabelOn™ Modular machine can be configured to label bottles that are flat sided, oval cross-section (that is curved sides) and round bottles. In the round bottles category this labeling is further divided into labeling that is not dependent on a feature of the bottle – one or two labels and labeling that is dependent on a feature of the bottle – one or two labels (otherwise known as Orientation Labelling).

An in line bottle labeling equipment can form part of a complete production line that can include a bottle unscrambler, bottle filler, bottle capper, induction sealing machine, and a case packer. Of all these machines the machine that will need the finest control and the most sophisticated electronics and motor control is likely to be the label applicator. For those looking into a new production line it can be the labeling machine that needs the most consideration as it is this machine that will require the most settings and adjustments it is also likely the machine with the most sophisticated electronics.

The LabelOn™ bottle labeler represents a best value label applicator that has self-evident machine adjustments and is built for fast swap in swap out electronics service.

You are Reading Used Labelling Machine Buying Guide which is a post from: LabelOn™ Labeling Machines If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus

Label On Labelling Machine

Having decided it is definitely time to automate your label application, the next step is finding a labeller that you can afford.
Labelling a flat or oval sided bottle you can be faced with new machine proposals that range from USD 30K to USD 120K. Labelling a round bottle can involve new machine proposals of USD 13K to USD 100K. These price tags can be scary and fall into a range that you simply cannot afford.

A potentially very low cost source for second hand and used labelling equipment are auctions for packaging equipment. A simply internet search will bring up many auction houses and listings. There are also places that buy up lots of surplus or liquidated packaging lines and then offer the line components separately.

Ideally you will have well qualified electrical and electronic staff and a good mechanical workshop to support the used labelling machinery. The model machine you find should be a machine that spare parts can be purchased from the manufacturer or the representative to that manufacturer. A good preliminary step would be to do research on the cost and availability of spare parts for that model from that manufacturer. A word of warning here, some used equipment may be past the service life of the machine and hence spare parts may no longer be available.

When reviewing the used label applicator you locate there may not be the luxury of seeing the machine operate or having a guarantee the machine will work for your application. Therefore, look for machinery that, when advertised, is advertised as “versatile”. If you are not sure about what a versatile labelling machine means take a good look around the LabelOn™ Modular Label Applicators.

The machinery should have facilities for very easy and quick adjustments to cater for product a wide range of product widths and heights. The label Heads should have tilt controls in two directions. Tilt adjustments should be available along the direction of the product conveyor and towards the product conveyor. Given there is double axis tilt control there is a very good chance the machine can be configured to the shape of your product, from the shape of the products for which the used equipment was originally produced and supplied. The electronics should be Modular and ideally plug in and plug out electronics. The electronics should use standard components. Steer very clear of used label applicators that have proprietary electronics and touch controls as these will usually be very expensive to replace and very difficult to repair without paying top dollar from the machine supplier.
Wherever possible get as much information from the original machine supplier to determine the capability and serviceability of the used label applicator. There are bargains to be found and there are cheap used labelling machines to be found, on some rare occasions it can turn out to be that $50 lying on the side of the road that nobody else noticed. In most cases used labeling machines will represent a compromise on what you need as compared to what is available.

You are Reading The LabelOn™ Modular Labeling Machines which is a post from: LabelOn™ Labeling Machines If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus

Label Applicators

The LabelOn™ Modular represents a machine concept born from extensive labeling experience.This experience involved design, sales, and overseas distributor establishment.  Distributors in over a dozen developed and emerging economies enjoyed remote servicing, sales support and frequent visits.

What you are seeing is the result of that experience – the LabelOn Modular label applicator. It is a labeler that can be sold and represented throughout the world.  This machine is manufactured and configured in modules to cover a vast majority of the most common labeling tasks.

This LabelOn Modular machine has modules available to label front and back labeling of Flat Sided Bottles ,   Oval Sided Bottles and Round Bottles or Jars.

The Round products can have a single label of up to 100% Wrap label. The Round bottles can also have their label or labels placed; orientated to a reference feature or mark like a bottle handle or a pre-existing label.

Extra Labeling System

Adding to this impressive configuration of modules is the Extra Labeling System or E.L.S. – seen here ready to label the top of a product as it passes through the LabelOn Modular machine. On its own the ELS  is an impressive piece of labeling equipment, capable of placing spot labels from Above, the Side or On to angled panels like necks of bottles.  The ELS can be wheeled up to existing conveyor lines to work in a Stand-Alone Capacity.  However, the real ingenuity of the ELS is its design to “dock” with the LabelOn modular machine and synchronize to the modules of the main machine.  Even its controls are passed over to the Main LabelOn modular unit.

Clients, like contractors with multiple lines, will appreciate having one or two ELS systems that can dock in minutes to one of their more numerous LabelOn Modular machines for when promotional spot labels are required; say on the neck of the bottle or even its cap.

For a given labeling task the required modules integrate smoothly and present a machine that has the adjustments and feel of a machine that was dedicated to that task. Adjustments are easy to make and self-evident in most cases. These adjustments are easy to record and replicate for future runs.

Labeling Machine Support System

Extensive 3D mechanical records, and comprehensive electrical records of each machine enable over the phone and internet based sessions to quickly identify service items or parts.  To date, we have not come across a service requirement where a LabelOn technician had to attend on site; it was all handled remotely.

The LabelOn Modular Machine offers:

• Unprecedented versatility and upgrade paths
• Technology utilised to the fullest for machine service and support
• Intuitive and predictable machine adjustments and
• Amazing value for this level of labeling equipment

Labeling Machine Quotations

Labeling Machine Quotations

Before spending on a capital piece of equipment like a label applicator, due diligence will usually require you obtain a number of quotations to compare; this is especially the case if you have not used label applicators before.

You want the best value piece of equipment that fits your budget to apply labels.  This article seeks to assist you in logically prioritizing the quotes you have received and to help point out the key targets that must be satisfied.

1.0 Bottom Line – The Price

Here it is important to understand that the price and the cost of a machine are very different.

A very cheap labeling machine can cost far more than a medium priced machine if that machine causes significant line downtime with slow and difficult set-up procedures or unreliable mechanics and electronics that break down and need replacing.  Imagine your line down for a day or a week with your staff still needing to be paid and your clients being let down with supply, not to mention your lost profits on your product.

A medium priced machine can cost more than an expensive machine if spare parts pricing is prohibitive or if machine service and back up is difficult because that machine does not have well thought out design features to facilitate fast over the phone fault finding or onsite swap out and replacement of parts.

2.0 Who really listened to you?

Looking at your quotation there will be some quotations that stand out because the people providing you with your quotation appear to have really “listened” to what you want rather than supplying a machine they want to supply you with template quotations.  Quotations from people who listened are a good sign that you will be listened to in the future with after sales service and advice.

3.0 Were you dealing with a pawn or the king of the organisation?

Many machine sales people have little to no technical or management background so they will find it difficult to properly understand your requirements on these fronts.  It is often far better to be dealing with some-one senior in a small to medium sized company who can assist in all facets of the machine supply from machine proposals to machine maintenance and operational advice.  These key company people value long term client satisfaction and feedback far more than say a sales executive/manager in a large organisation.

4.0 Machine Service

A supplier boasting a big service team can indicate great after sales service but it can also indicate there is another self-funding business operating within that company.  Spare parts are often a quick and easy way for machine suppliers to make fast money supplying parts you would find hard to source and charging out relatively low paid employees at top dollar rates.  There is little incentive in such an organisation to solve your problems over the phone as they have a team that needs to charge out their time and needs to sell parts to make budget.  A supplier of well-designed labeling machine like the LabelOn™ modular should be able to advise that well over 95% of machine problems can be sorted out over the phone and possibly with the courier of parts.

Machines that rely on service technicians to be available for a visit to sort out a problem can indicate machinery is not that well designed for intuitive fault finding and repair, machine records are not available for the client or a high maintenance budget is inevitable.

Choosing Your Labeling Equipment

This article focuses on self-adhesive label applicators.  These are the type of label applicators that typically automatically apply sticky labels to bottles, tubs and/or cartons.

A good start to your search for labeling machines is to identify the benefits you hope to achieve by moving to automated product labeling.

The key benefits to look out for automating you product labeling are:

– Significantly increased production capacity
– Labour Savings on a per unit basis
– Consistency of label application and the product’s shelf appearance – especially important in the pilot launch volumes stage.

With the above benefits in mind it is a good idea to establish the maximum budget you can justify because properly allocating a capital expenditure budget will enable you to maximize the operational benefits that are available when selecting your labeling machine.  There are a significant number of Label Machine suppliers ranging from almost unbelievably low cost China options to high end high ticket suppliers in Europe or the US.  It’s a good rule of thumb to remember that for the very low cost options you get what you pay for.  For the medium to higher end labeling equipment the thinking needs to change from looking for the lowest cost option to looking for the “Best Value” option.

Unmentioned Cost with Operating Labeling Equipment includes:

Labeling Equipment

1.0 Maintenance and Servicing:

Many higher end machine suppliers have significant size service departments and these service departments often report as separate operating units within the machine suppliers company, operating units that have to make a profit.  To this end there is often little incentive for these machine suppliers to provide equipment that is intuitive to self-service or to supply parts at a low cost plus margin basis.  These suppliers usually charge high call-out fees and hourly rates.  On the up side you do get service and can operate with less technical staff or less technical contractors. On the flip-side low end machinery suppliers may not have adequate communications, machine records or service capabilities.

2.0 Product Change-Over:

Lower end machines are more dedicated and may not be able to accommodate for many variations in your product or label requirements.  If they can accommodate for product changes the change over time can extend into a many hours long process requiring a great deal of fiddling to get right.

3.0 Staff Acceptance:

Often overlooked, machinery that is not intuitive or looks daunting to operate and service can be a hard sell to your operating staff.  This cost can be the most costly one as machinery not properly accepted by staff will not be utilised properly or maintained properly.

The typical price ranges for a two labels (front and back labeling machine) you can expect for labeling machine suppliers would be:

Low End machinery            USD 10,000 – 25,000
Medium End machinery     USD 30,000 – 75,000
High End machinery           USD 60,000 – 150,000

For all but the most basic applications with few to no product change-overs Low End Machinery should be avoided if you have enough budget allocated.  For all but the most demanding high speed applications the High End machinery should be avoided.

For most applications, especially where some versatility is required, the medium end label applicators should be considered.  When looking at these ranges of equipment do look out for the Best Value Labeling Machine Proposition.

Why do people tend to shop in supermarkets? One top answer is, “Because they provide variety of products needed in everyday living.”  Wait, did he say variety?  How is this for variety?!

Supply and demand is probably one of the most basic principles of economics which is the backbone of a market economy. Demand identifies just how much (volume) of a product or service is desired by consumers.

The greater a merchandise is needed, the greater the demand, the more the production expenses are amortised within each individual item and could be sold at a more affordable value towards the consumer. The law of demand states that, if all other variables remain equal, the greater the cost of a good, the less people will demand that good. Put simply, the greater the price, the lower the quantity demanded.

Most Common Steps in Manufacturing a Product

Take into account the volume of merchandise produced daily! The most typical stages in manufacturing a product prepared for retail market involve Filling, Capping, Sealing, Labeling and Packing. While each one of these can be carried out manually, by far, the most difficult and often frustrating task is applying self-adhesive product labels by hand.

If a labeling machine would carry out its job flawlessly, it would likely raise the effectiveness of all the preceding steps carried out to be able to prepare a merchandise market ready. There will be no rejects, no wasted labels and containers, no product thrown away and no natural resources wasted.

The Labeling Machine Responsibility for the Manufacturer

The manufacturer’s labeling machine has a big responsibility because it is the labeling that is the primary presentation packaging of the product. During manufacture, if this stage of production goes wrong it could push costs through the roof for the plant operators and owners resulting in necessary price increases to recover these costs which are passed on to the consumer (if they will accept them). Higher costs or poor shelf presence due to borderline labeling may ultimately lead to the loss of sales.

In production, when you are letting through a lower quality item by not rejecting it because it is considered borderline or perhaps the best your labeler is capable of doing, you are working against your business’ personality in the market place. If you are interested in preserving your product and company’s identity, it would make more sense to do the job right the first time instead of having to reject a number of produced items.

The Right Labeling Equipment

Look at the picture above and decide whether you can sacrifice the look thereby the quality of your finished product just because you have decided you wanted to save a few dollars instead of investing in the right labeling equipment.

Contact us today.  We can certainly help you achieve your production goals.