Printing, labeling and checking
The application determines the process.
Product labels are only worth as much as the reliability of the printed content. Data in code or text form that is essential specifically for further processing must appear on the label fully legible and absolutely error-free before the item reaches the retail sector and ultimately the end consumer. An automatic label inspection system should therefore not be missing from any production line.
With your TQS solution, the optical inspection of labels is combined with the modules for printing and application in a single control system. Depending on the configuration, the system can first apply the label after printing and then verify it (Print Apply Verify) or first verify the markings and then apply them (Print Verify Apply). Both processes offer advantages and are suitable for different applications.
Print Apply Verify
Let us look at a typical TQS solution for food labeling and checkweighing. If you process cold cuts and cheese, you will be very familiar with the thermoformed packages used for these products. These flat packaging types are ideal for checking the labeling after application, just like boxes or cartons.
During the demonstration, the first labeling unit on the upper side, which applies preprinted design labels and then verifies them using a camera, catches the eye. The second labeler is located beneath the product and prints variable data on the label while it is still in the line. Once again, application takes place before the mandatory check.
This sequence of individual steps enables full control of the result. This is because other factors come into consideration during inspection in addition to precise examination of the contents: Is the label even on the packaging? Is it intact and is it correctly positioned in the intended location? TQS checks all these criteria – for 100 % of the products.
Print Verify Apply
This method is particularly recommended for cylindrical products, whose round shape can make it difficult to check the marking at a subsequent stage. To achieve reliable results, the labels of bottles, cans and vials containing medicines or chemicals, for example, can be checked before they are applied. We also have the right system for you, as you can see in the application.
If the labeling unit attaches a label to the packaging following inspection, you can be entirely certain that it is in perfect condition. Defective printing or even incorrect labeling are detected and the affected label is rejected without ever coming into contact with the goods. This is a minor but significant difference that makes production much more sustainable.
You no longer discharge products that are in fact flawless and only have labeling defects. Otherwise you will regularly waste valuable contents if incorrectly labeled products are simply disposed of. The extra work involved in removing such labels by hand and feeding the items back in line is also eliminated. TQS can also minimize this effort by checking the labels before they are applied. All in all, Print Verify Apply frees up resources and reduces unnecessary waste.
TQS: All functions in one system
Print, apply and verify labels – or check labels in advance and then apply them. Which modules you need and when depends entirely on your production requirements. With TQS, you are always flexible thanks to the modularity of the system and you can integrate units for ejection, or for controlling weight or foreign bodies. No matter how extensive the application is, operators control everything via a single interface. This is the system character of TQS.