May’s machine of the month is a labelling head built for a Vertical Form, Fill and Seal (VFFS) machine manufacturer. The end user of this solution was a fresh produce supplier, who required a system to apply relatively large labels onto their bags during the packaging process. This allowed them to tailor their packaging to the individual products, reducing film inventory.
The machine supplied was an ALstep labelling head in an ultra-compact configuration, which due to its reduced dimensions, meant that the VFFS manufacturer was able to simply reconfigure the film path around the label head. This allowed the head to apply the label with a simple wipe-on device, synchronised with the feeding speed using a standard encoder.
This solution of applying the label directly onto the film is generally only recommended for the application of larger labels. For smaller labels, such as peal and reseal or promotional labels, ALTech commonly suggests an alternative system to apply the label after the collar of the forming tube; this is due to this type of label often having a greater chance of being pre-dispensed given the reduced adhesive contact area and rigidity of the label. Click here for this case study.
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