As a result of the increasingly complex guidelines for labelling and marking foodstuffs, the product labelling process is becoming more and more extensive. With its software, ESPERA-WERKE GmbH, Duisburg, offers various features to support these complex processes.
The labelling of products involves an extensive and complex process. From weighing and calculating the weight-dependent price to printing variable labelling information and applying the label to a pack or product, several complex steps take place in the blink of an eye. Right from the start Highest precision with maximum performance of the machines. On the one hand, the output quantity of products to be labelled per minute is an important argument for production operations. On the other hand, in addition to the classic machine performance in the context of price labelling, there are other important features that make up a perfectly labelled product.
Apply customised product information
Nowadays, more information than ever has to be included on a product or label. On the one hand to provide the end consumer with comprehensive information, but on the other hand also based on Europe-wide legal guidelines. It is no longer just allergens and nutritional values that have to be labelled on products. The origin of meat or fish products must also be declared in detail. Due to the many different pieces of information that must be printed on labels for each product, mislabelling can occur. In the worst case, this can lead to complaints from retailers and can damage the image of the producing company in the long term.
In order to cope with the ever-increasing volume of data, it is important to use appropriate supporting software solutions for data handling. This is the only way to record data quickly and easily and avoid redundancies. With the ESPERA software that comes as standard with every machine, customised data management solutions can be implemented. Create product information quickly and easily. Specially developed functions make it easy to record allergen, nutritional value and origin information and prevent confusion. Regardless of the language in which your product is labelled. This means that products are always labelled correctly.
Standardised and precise placement of labels
In addition to the correct labelling information, it goes without saying that the Placement of the labels in the right place and always in the same place is essential. Retailers demand visually appealing products and labels in the product display. The uniform and precise positioning of labels fulfils the marketing aspects of the retail trade and ensures a uniform, appealing image of the products. To make the operation of the machines as simple and intuitive as possible for the production staff, the operating software must be simple and self-explanatory. For example, the automatic adjustment of the printer, which is used to quickly and easily define the optimum label position.
About the Touch screen The label position is defined on ESPERA machines using the control monitor. Without having to make any manual settings on the printer. This saves time when changing product batches and significantly reduces set-up processes. Looking to the future, future ESPERA price labelling systems will even visually recognise the correct position for placing labels on grown products, such as whole chickens or vegetables in tubular bag packaging. These products need to be labelled in different places due to their different surface geometries. A camera automatically detects the geometry of the product to be labelled within just a few milliseconds and always applies the label in exactly the right place. Without having to adjust the printer. The The system itself makes the settings. This makes the entire labelling process even more efficient by minimising changeover times and ensuring that labels are always applied in the right place.
„We use the automatic printer adjustment via Espera's easy-to-use touch display to place labels automatically and quickly in any position with the printer adjustment. In addition, we change our labels in seconds without having to assemble any parts thanks to the quick-change system for label rolls. This saves us time and money in the long term, calculated over an entire production day,“ explains Frank Hausdorf, Head of Process Optimisation / Project Planning at Emsland Frischgeflügel GmbH.
Measuring the effectiveness of processes
The ESPV (Espera Production View) software provides a precise overview of the capacity utilisation of the individual production lines. Using a simple cockpit chart, it enables free capacities and bottlenecks along the entire production line to be identified at a glance and visualised in real time in a simple and understandable way. This allows production employees to influence the capacity utilisation of their line on their own responsibility, but also enables the production control centre to take appropriate measures. The production lines are visualised, for example, via monitors installed centrally in production or on individual PCs and terminals. The visualisation is simple and easy to understand using a classic Red-yellow-green traffic light system supplemented by the respective Real-time performance indicators.
A look into the future
In addition to the classic visualisation of processes and their utilisation, future ESPERA machine generations will visualise all operating states along the machine. This will allow Preventive maintenance measures and plan at an early stage. Sensors are used to continuously check all elements of the system for wear and tear and the corresponding information is passed on to the machine operator. The machine statuses can be viewed not only via the machine terminal, but also completely independently of location via any end device. Just as in everyday life, the information on future machines will also be retrieved entirely via smartphones or tablets. This offers a completely New flexibility for the production management and its employees.
