Direct
to Package coding made simple at
Meat packing facility
An
Alternative Labeling System Streamlines an industry leading Bacon Packaging Line
In
these days of "total traceability" of food products
and ever-increasing processing plant line speeds, package
labels need to be accurate and readily available. Any
delay in applying the labels to the packages will reduce
the facility's production efficiency.
For one pork processor, the problem with using wet,
ink-stamped labels on its products was becoming a serious
impediment to the plant's maximum production efficiency.
To address the labeling problem, Bell-Mark's team of
engineers designed the Easy-Print
Thermal Transfer Printer (EP2021). One of the key
features of the EasyPrint is that it eliminated the
need for ink stamps that must be physically applied
to the stamp holder.
Ink stamps can also fall off of the holder or can become
damaged, which would result in the printing of unreadable
labels. In addition, label printers, such as ink-jet
systems, require constant maintenance. Except for periodic
ribbon and print-head replacement, the EasyPrint is
essentially maintenance-free.
Just the Facts
The EasyPrint prints important label information directly
on to the packaging material-polypropylene, film, paper,
or foil. "The thermal transfer system eliminates the
need for pre-printed labels," Tom Pugh of Bell-Mark
explains. "Thermal transfer is the cleanest method of
coding available to meat processors."
The EasyPrint was introduced to the meat processing
industry in the fall of 2000. The company is now beginning
to receive feedback from meat processors on how the
labeling system has performed in the field.
In one case, an industry leading Packing Co. in the South East US, was modernizing its bacon packaging
line and wanted a labeling system that provided real-time,
sequentially numbered labels. The company had previously
used an ink and stamp system to apply "use-by" and lot
number information to the wrapped bacon.
However, as the company's Corporate Senior Engineer pointed out, "The printing was not clear
and was often illegible." This was a particular challenge
because of the cold, wet environment that caused the
ink to smear. Also, the stamps often became worn and
didn't track consistently over the face of the packaging
material creating an unattractive product. The distinct
uneven surface of the bacon package provided an additional
challenge. Bell-Mark met with the company's Plant
Manager and presented some new ideas.
With some slight modifications, Bell-Mark found that
its EasyPrint could meet all of the company's requirements.
After the system was up and operating, the company reported
that the print quality of the labels on the bacon packages
was excellent. This was due in a large part to the fact
that the thermal transfer system does not use ink, and
prints directly onto the packaging material before it
is applied to the product.
In addition, the operator found that the amount of time
needed to change the label information whenever a new
bacon product was being packaged or a shift change was
made was much less than with the previous labeling system.
The company representatives were instrumental in the system's application.
Bell-Mark had to make a few modifications to the EasyPrint
before it could be installed in the company's plant.
For example, Bell-Mark customized the micro-processor
in the printer to include the die number on which the
bacon was cut. If there are any problems with the cut
of the bacon, the operator can quickly identify the
problem die-from the 14 dies in the processing line-and
make the necessary repairs. This custom feature greatly
reduced the plant's down-time. Another modification
was to integrate the thermal transfer system with the
other equipment on the bacon packaging line.
What else did the EasyPrint
thermal transfer printer mean to the bacon packaging
operation?
The
amount of product returned from the grocery
stores was greatly reduced
There
was better quality control
There
was no need to maintain a supply of stamps
and ink
Of
course, the installation of the EasyPrint did require
some worker training and time for the workers to adjust
to the new system. However, the results have been positive.
"Replacing the old ink and stamp system with the thermal
transfer will ultimately help us to save time and increase
our overall production efficiency," a company spokesperson predicts.
