Alepat Taylor has for many years, packaged wine and spirits for the Australian market; leading it to become one of the most influential liquor companies in Australia. Earlier this year, with a drive toward more efficient practices, the Preston based company invested in a HM Systems Linerfree Labeller supplied exclusively by Visy Technology Systems.
One challenge Alepat Taylor faced was the need to print and apply labels to a wide variety of product variants which demanded single side carton labelling as well as adjoining panel labelling. The unique 'print to any length' feature of the HM Systems Linerfree Labeller made that easy to achieve.
The system uses a continuous roll of label stock meaning no need to cut to size on the waste liner. The labels can be dispensed, printed and cut to any length; all while being supported by the application arm. For Alepat Taylor, this means a label up to 350mmL x 100mmH can be printed and applied in one smooth action.
To achieve the effect of labelling on adjoining carton panels, a label wrap device gently folds the label around the trailing edge. The benefits of the Linerfree Labeller means that the same roll of label stock can be used to produce and apply labels in different sizes.
The HM Linerfree Labeller is a compact machine that can be attached to an existing production conveyor. At Alepat Taylor the machine replaced an ageing and cumbersome die cut print and apply system. The existing exiting conveyor was adequate so no line modifications were required in order to commission the new system.
Integration of the HM Linerfree Labeller into existing control systems is aided by the virtue of the print driver being readily available in the labelling software already being used by Alepat Taylor. The new labeller was simply connected to the existing PC, updates made to the print driver where all of the existing label templates and data files could be utilised.
Now commissioned the HM Systems Linerfree Labeller is reducing waste, cutting energy costs and offering savings in efficiency – all while providing reliable operation.
