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Diagraph’s E-Series labelers are considered the simplest, most reliable all-electric labeling solutions in the industry today thanks to years of continuous improvement and innovation. Our entire line up of Diagraph E-Series print and apply and automated label applicator systems build upon the durability of the proven Diagraph Platinum Series design, yet incorporate key electronic enhancements that allow it to perform more consistently and reliably over time. The result? A simpler, more reliable labeler that can do everything a pneumatic system can do, only better. It’s all in the design:
The high velocity vacuum fan offers greater reliability than pneumatic air Our high velocity vacuum fan design allows for full surface area control of the label across the entirety of the pad, achieving a uniform label transfer from pad to product. This consistently performs better than pneumatic designs that feature just a few pneumatic vacuum hole locations on the pad. Diagraph’s high velocity vacuum fan design eliminates the easily clogged small orifices found with pneumatic systems, allowing our labelers to perform more reliably in dusty environments.
The electronically controlled actuator arm movement guarantees precision label placement over time, every time Our electronically controlled actuator arm allows you to digitally set the application speed to ensure repeatable and reliable operation. Thanks to Diagraph’s all-electric SERVO motor driven design, you are no longer at the mercy of the questionable consistency and reliability of your plant air. Our electronic controls eliminate the need for manual adjustments to address system age and wear.
The color touchscreen display puts more of the information you need right at your fingertips The E-Series user interface features a larger display that enables you to view more system settings and system health information all at once. This larger, simplified display allows for fewer menus and less toggling between screens. You can now get to the system settings you need with fewer touches.
These are just a few of the many advantages of our E-Series labeling solutions. Contact us today to learn more about how trading up to our E-Series labelers can help save you time, money and the hassle of mislabeled products, cases, traypacks and pallets.
There is a debate in the packaging technology industry on which is a superior labeling power source for automated labeling equipment — pneumatic air or electric? Pneumatic labeling systems are built around timing-based commands that drive label movements depending on the reliability of the pneumatic air supply, while all-electric labeling systems are built around real time data-based commands that allow for total control of the labeling process.
The difference between the two approaches is night and day — like the difference between VHS and high-resolution digital streaming technology. The more manufacturers understand the advantages of all-electric labeling, the more pneumatic systems will go the way of VHS tapes and rotary phones.
Every labeling system, regardless of core technology, can incorporate sensors for feedback. Recall the times you have seen a product strike a pneumatic labeler’s actuator arm while moving down the packaging line. This happens all too often with pneumatic labelers because the control of the label feed and actuator arm is not reacting to real-time feedback from sensors. Instead it is following pre-programmed timing commands and relying on the programmed settings for the pneumatic air supply (regardless of the actual pressure in real-time).
Free from the timing control constraints found in pneumatic air powered machines, Diagraph’s all-electric labeling systems can interpret feedback from smart sensors in real-time to allow for total control of the label throughout transit. Combining strategically placed sensors with brushless DC servo motors allows Diagraph’s labeling systems to operate with extreme precision, guaranteeing one-to-one label-to-product matching time after time. The all-electric, servo-driven actuator maintains speed consistency, while “smart” sensors confirm that a label is present for application, and even provide the ability to control impact on the product being labeled. The system doesn’t have to rely on inconsistent air pressure to manage this process.
Another advantage of the all-electric method over the pneumatic air method centers around the tamp pad. Pneumatic driven label applicators utilize venturi vacuum technology to control the transit of the label from the tamp pad to the product. Nearly the entire surface of a pneumatic machine’s tamp pad needs to be covered by the label to maintain proper suction. Unlike pneumatic machines, Diagraph’s all-electric label applicators utilize an electric fan to create vacuum, allowing Diagraph labelers to accommodate multiple label sizes utilizing a single tamp pad. This saves time during label size changeovers as well as money.
With 130 years in the marking and coding industry, Diagraph has a rich history of providing highly durable and reliable labeling and inkjet solutions. Diagraph was the first to offer all-electric labeling solutions to handle all modes of label application including tamp, swing and tamp-blow. The result is a robust lineup of automated labeling solutions that offer benefits only found in all-electric systems that don’t compromise on labels sizes or performance.
Click here for a comparison of all-electric and pneumatic labeling systems.
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When it comes to labels used in packaging, not all are made the same way. Specific environments, like hot and humid, wet or frozen, will require a compatible label material to stay adhered properly to packaging. It is crucial that labels are readable, scannable, and safe to use and dispose of. To meet compliance, labels must remain adhered for consumer and retail-use despite the environmental factors the labeled package has to endure.
Something to be aware of when considering using labeling for product identification in a hot or humid environment is that labels are sensitive to temperature, making facility environment temperature a determining factor in choosing what label material to use on a product.
Some common issues with labels as environmental temperatures rise:
As summer kicks in, and temperatures rise, adhesive related problems will affect the quality of a label -- making it difficult to peel from the labeling machine and to stick to the product. Adhesives, the pre-applied glue specially engineered to perform on pressure sensitive applications, get softer and edges get tackier resulting in labels that are difficult to remove off the original roll. Strong adhesive can make release of these labels from the roll a struggle. Dispensing issues caused by adhesive can disrupt product labeling and lead to damaged labels and jammed applicators.
A label liner is likely to expand or curl with high humidity, causing the adhesive to ooze. This curling liner makes label processing challenging in a printer or label applicator. Also, the ooze from the adhesive can cause printer jams and damage to the printheads.
Even the most pressure-sensitive label adhesives soften as temperatures rise. Hence, storing labels properly can make the difference between a label that survives these changes in weather versus the one that will peel or deteriorate.
Some ideas for storing label rolls properly and protecting them from the heat include:
Many environmental factors must be called into question when assessing the labeling process. Temperature is only one of many considerations to determine how to effectively apply labels to product. Our Diagraph specialists are well-versed in providing site evaluations aimed at determining the best fit application for your labeling operation. Whether the survey is conducted on-site or virtually by answering a series of determining questions, we are here to help you understand your labeling solution options and what it looks like in even the most extreme industrial environments. Reach out to us today to start your evaluation.
Plant managers and maintenance managers alike are deserting pneumatically driven label applicators in favor of all-electric label applicators for one BIG reason – dirty air lines. Unpredictable, unfiltered air supplies disrupt the efficiency and performance of air supported tools and machinery, especially label applicators. Water, oil and particulate matter are hard on label applicators, impeding the performance and reliability of the tamp pad suction and the actuator arm – the key functionality of any automated labeling machine!
With all of this being said, not all electric label applicators are created equal! Contact us today to learn why Diagraph printer-applicators and label applicators lead the industry in both reliability and performance.
The Art of Automatic Label Dispensing
By Steve Dods, Product Manager
Automated Labeling Products (ALP) and Thermal Transfer Overprinter (TTO)
The Art of Automatic Label Dispensing:
· The amount of release agent (silicone coating) applied to the paper portion of the liner substrate
· The aggressiveness of the adhesive being used for the label, usually determined by the application need
· The angle of the peel blade
· The tension that is developed on the opposing sides of the peel blade
· The addition of an air knife or pressurized flow of air to force a separation between the label and the liner at the peel point
· The depth of the die-cut (the cutting process of forming the label within the continuous adhesive top sheet)
· The age of the materials and storage conditions
When these factors are not within the bounds of system acceptability, the possible results are:
· The label does not separate from the liner at all, and follows the liner over the peel blade. No label is separated. Extreme case.
· The label begins to peel, but the angle of separation changes (due to adhesive aggressiveness/lack of tension/not enough release agent) and the label does not feed out to the designated retaining surface for application
· The label peels out to the retaining surface for automated application, but the trailing edge is still connected to the edge of the liner. Upon application, the label hinges or rotates about this edge, and is ultimately not applied to the product
Two views of labels hinging onto the liner after traversing the peel blade edge. The labels remain attached to the liner.
Problems with the Current Solutions:
· Alternate designs will use an air knife and air pressure to separate the label from the liner. This creates a potential issue of blowing the label off of the tamp pad and into the air, since the amount of pressure is constant and the bond resistance varies from label to label. No label applied to product.
· Alternate designs will allow the label to feed out to the tamp pad, and then use articulation to move away from the peel edge. This results in extra moving parts and more failure points. This method does not solve other aspects of peeling, such as label face stocks with increased friction and drag resistance.
The Solution:
To solve the issues of dispensing labels with the aforementioned attributes, the system was modified to perform a vibrating function by way of the preexisting brushless dc actuator motor. Since the heart of the All-Electric labeling system design is based on a proprietary circuit design and control algorithm, changes could be instituted to allow the surface of the tamp pad (the holding plate for the label prior to application) to vibrate during the feed of the label. The vibration effect is only active after the feed of the label, which breaks the adhesive fiber bonds that would normally be maintained between label and liner without this technology. By vibrating in the low Hertz range, the system can separate labels that would otherwise hinge and cause label jams or cause the label to avoid being applied with adhesive side facing the product. This patented method of ensuring the labels are freed from the liner is known as VibraFeed.
Innovation Benefits:
· Automatically separates the label adhesive fiber bonds with the liner without increasing the process time
· Uses inherent components of the system that are normally tasked with the application of the label to the product
· Increases the range of label material quality that can be used for automatic application
At Diagraph, we are dedicated in solving your coding and labeling challenges. Diagraph has been assisting customers for over 120 years improving production line efficiencies with simple, reliable, cost-effective coding and labeling solutions. Contact us to learn more about the Automated Label Applicators product line. Visit us at www.diagraph.com or contact us at 800.722.1125.
All-Electric Labeller Utilizes Smart Sensing Technology to Maximize Reliability
Diagraph recently launched the LA/4750 – a servomotor-controlled label applicator system featuring enhanced smart sensing technology. The intuitive design allows the LA/4750 to auto-detect irregularities in operation, reducing complications from missing labels, variable line speeds and inconsistent product distances – resulting in the industry’s smartest, most reliable all-electric label applicator.
The new label applicator system builds upon Diagraph’s proven Platinum E-Series labelling technology to offer greater total-system reliability. Utilizing precision control made possible by high performance brushless DC servomotors, the LA/4750 reads smart sensor signals in real-time to adjust label dispensing commands. Diagraph’s smart sensing technology ensures precision label placement, reducing the need to rework improperly labelled products.
The LA/4750 features key enhancements that allow it to accurately dispense hard-to-read clear labels, prevent missed products and double feeds, and auto-adjust outputs to changes in line speeds. The system also features an independent rewind drive that works as a clutch-less, no adjustment system that is easy to web – a major pain point with other labelling machines.
Available in wipe and tamp models, the LA/4750 can apply labels to the side, top, bottom and corner-wrap of primary products and cases. Diagraph’s all-electric labelling technology allows manufacturers to move away from expensive, dirty and unreliable pneumatic air without compromising performance.
The LA/4750 is designed to be simple to set up and easy to use. For more information, call 800-722-1125 or visit diagraph.com.