Herma has introduced the option for a continuous labelling process on its 132M HC wraparound labeller. With the EasySplicer and EasyCutter modules, label reels can be changed and the backing paper reels disposed of practically without the machine having to come to a standstill.
In the EasySplicer, two label reels are arranged vertically, one above the other. The respectively active label web is guided over a splicing table, where it is fixed at the end of the label web. Since the module has a buffer, the labeller will continue to run even when it reaches the end of the label web.
A skilled operator can then carry out the splicing process in such a way that the new label web is spliced to the fixed web before the buffer runs out. If the operator should fail, the machine stops automatically and can be started up manually.
The EasyCutter makes it possible to vacuum up the empty backing paper and chop it into small pieces, collecting the shreds automatically. The manual removal of the rewinded backing paper web is no longer required.
“With EasySplicer and EasyCutter, downtimes on the 132M HC caused by reel changes can be reduced to a minimum,” said Ulrich Fischer, Head of Product Management at Herma.
“Given the 400 cycles currently being used, a typical label roll with 5,000 labels is emptied in just over ten minutes," said Fischer. Individual downtimes add up in a three-shift operation, especially since not only the label reel has to be changed, but the empty backing paper web also has to be disposed of.
With the Herma 500, increasing the speed (the number of cycles) would be no problem. "The limiting factor is due to the printing systems that have to apply, for example, the expiration date and batch number," Fischer said.
