| ...or how to select a good label supplier. | | | | well. When labels are made, dust is created - more so |
| "Help! I need a service engineer quick, the labelling | | | | with paper labels. The gap sensor in your labeller |
| machine keeps snapping the labels." | | | | detects the edges where one label ends and the next |
| Whenever there is a labelling problem, for some | | | | begins. If the dust is not removed at the converting |
| reason the poor old label applicator is immediately | | | | stage, then it lies on the surface of the labels and builds |
| placed under suspicion. Occasionally it is justified and | | | | up covering the gap sensor, stopping the machine. The |
| the labeller will need servicing, however most times the | | | | only solution is to clean the sensor more often than |
| cause is down to the labels. "But you're bound to say | | | | usual, which means more down-time for the line. We |
| that", I hear you say but no - ALS is a label converter | | | | always ensure dust is extracted during manufacturing |
| too, which is why I would like to give you some | | | | and you should insist that your supplier also implements |
| pointers to help you select a good label supplier for | | | | such a procedure. |
| your label machine or your label printer. | | | | And another thing - when I previously said that too |
| Snapping of the web (backing paper/liner) at the | | | | much pressure on the cutting die is bad, so is too little |
| dispense edge, is more often than not caused by die | | | | as it can result in some of the waste material in the |
| strike, the term given to the cutting die, used in label | | | | gaps between labels, not being removed properly. If a |
| manufacturing, pressing too far through the face | | | | gap is not present then the labeller will continue to feed |
| material and striking into the backing. The affect of this | | | | until it does see a gap, giving the appearance that the |
| is that of weakening the backing material, which when | | | | machine has fed two labels from one product signal. |
| placed under tension through the labeller, causes it to | | | | This one can be hard to prove because the material |
| break. It is usually quite obvious and can be seen by | | | | left in the gap will also get dispensed along with the |
| peeling off some labels, you will see an outline. If it is | | | | two labels and being so small (typical label gaps are |
| less obvious then take a felt tip marker and rub it over | | | | 2-3mm) it can easily fall away and be hard to locate |
| the backing - the ink will show up the outline. | | | | again. |
| There should be no excuse for die struck labels. All | | | | Hopefully you can start to appreciate that there is |
| cutting dies wear down eventually and either need | | | | more to making good quality labels for automatic |
| re-sharpening or replacing by the manufacturer but this | | | | application, than meets the eye. Now, here's the pitch - |
| costs money. Some label converters will try to prolong | | | | ALS make good quality labels at competitive prices |
| retooling by pressing down the cutting die harder than it | | | | but we don't cut corners. Label pricing is fiercely |
| should, so the labels are still cut but the backing gets | | | | competitive and there are some great deals to be had |
| crushed. | | | | at the moment but beware, cheap labels can often be |
| A high-speed automatic label applicator requires there | | | | very costly in terms of production line down-time, |
| to be a certain amount of constant tension in the web, | | | | reject labelled products and more frequent machine |
| to allow the label to dispense correctly, so if your | | | | servicing. We know - our own service engineers still |
| application demands high-speed or uses a particularly | | | | get called out to many instances where the perceived |
| thin or clear material, then your label converter needs | | | | machine "fault" was actually due to the labels and |
| to know this. | | | | although we charge for the call-out, I think a little |
| However, snapping is one issue but a labeller which | | | | knowledge about labels helps you to help yourself and |
| mis-feeds labels can often be down to the labels as | | | | make the right choice of label supplier. |