Boxes, cartons, cases, totes…all refer to the class of packages defined by rigid construction and rectangular form. They range from the most basic corrugated box to full color, slick-coated primary packages. Cartons are relatively easy to control and due to their rigidity and consistent shape, label application is pretty straight forward. This does not mean that it is not without difficulty. Case and carton labeling is one of the most common applications for automated labeling equipment, and also requires the largest variation of application styles. Vac/blow, tamp, corner wrap, multi panel and their various combinations all have their place, the trick is to determine which one fits your needs the best. In addition to application type there is the question of whether or the label will be pre-printed or will require a Print and Apply Labeler.

When selecting a supplier for your carton labeling application it is import to know the answer to several questions. Which panel is the label to be applied to? (Top, side, front or a combination) How many cartons do I need to label in a given time? (Higher speed applications may rule out print and apply equipment) If the application calls for a print and apply Labeler, do I need label design software? Does it need to integrate with software or systems I already have in place?

There are lots of labeler manufacturers in the case, box and carton market space and prices, specifications, experience and quality vary dramatically, choose several to talk to, quiz them on their experience and ask for referrals that closely match your needs.

Our discussion of labeling from the package perspective begins with flexible packaging. Flexible packaging is largely comprised of bags, overwraps and pouches. These packages are generally constructed of roll film on either a Vertical/Form/Fill/Seal machine (VFFS), Horizontal/Form/Fill/Seal (HFFS) also called an overwrapper or flowwrapper, and a Pouch Forming Machine.

Because of their “flexible” nature, flexible packages present several labeling challenges. Once the package is made, control becomes the biggest obstacle to a successful label application, by their very nature; flexible packages do not lend themselves to being held and located accurately, and do not present a smooth surface for the label to adhere to. The result tends to be a skewed and wrinkled label. This type of stand-alone labeling system is sometimes, due to production constraints, the only option available. With proper design and forethought stand alone systems can provide acceptable results, but will generally not provide the best option.

A properly engineered Flexible Packaging Labeler integrates tightly to its parent machine, whether it is a VFFS, HFFS or a pouch. It applies the label while the package is being formed, providing the label a smooth, rigid, controlled place to land. The labeler should be rigidly mounted to the parent machine and, when done properly; the end user can expect accuracy of better than +/- 1/32”.

When working to determine which labeler supplier to go with, the best possible resources are the bagmaker companies themselves, ask them who they have worked with in the past and which companies they recommend. When talking to the labeler company, ask if they have experience with your particular bagmaker or overwrapper, do they have any installations near you and can they provide referrals to companies with applications very similar to yours.

Packaging designers have afforded industry with a dizzying array of packages to hold our products. The proliferation of bags, boxes, shells, tubs, bottles and pouches allow our products to stand out, blend in, hold shape, pack tighter, seal, reseal, breathe in and exhale. Combined with the thousands of options available to decorate the package, the millions of combinations can soon leave your head spinning.

It’s about the application

Our expertise is in labeling, and as such we are constantly scanning the market for innovations so that when our customers come to us to apply a label or a coupon to their new packages we are ready and capable to meet their needs. It is import that the end user has a working knowledge of the different types of labeling equipment and application methods so that they can make an informed choice when seeking a production labeler supplier. In the next few posts we are going to talk about labeling from the package perspective. We will answer the questions: What are the specific needs of a given package type? How do I assess the expertise of a supplier for a given package? And what are the various advantages of “stand-alone” vs. “integrated” solutions. Stay tuned.

It’s almost the first of November and to date there has been no mention of extending the very popular IRS Section 179 program.  Section 179 is one of the (very) few items from the 2008 stimulus package that is a real tangible benefit to small and medium size businesses.  It allows for bonus depreciation on asset purchases (including leases and installment purchases) of up to $250,000 on your company’s 2009 tax return.  If your company is going to have a tax liability for 2009, its time to start a little planning.  Your tax preparer is very aware of the program, (if he’s not, you need a new tax preparer) so talk to them.  If Uncle Sam wants to be in for a third of your purchase, who are you to deny him.  More information is also available at www.section179.org

We are working an getting the page up New Page is here, but wanted to get this information out to those of you that were unable to see the M-Series Debut at Pack Expo.  We recieved a tremendous response, and are very pleased with sales thus far, here are a couple of pics and the specs are below.

The all new EPI M-Series

Smart, Small, Simple

· Compact design - Main Plate dimensions 6” x 8.5”

· Accepts 8”, 12” or 16” unwinds (12” standard)

· Modular design allows for limitless configurations of unwind/rewind

· Easily convertible from right to left hand orientation (approx. 15 minute change over)

· Standard speed 1200 in (30m)/min. (speeds up to 6,000in (150m) /min are optional)

· CE Compliant

· Color touch screen HMI

· Legendary EPI simplicity – Train operators in less the 10 minutes

· Designed for stand alone or machine integrated applications

· Standard web width 5”

· Optimized for direct apply, wipe-on and merge applications

· Remote mounted controls for ease of integration/operation

· Hard anodized Aluminum, Stainless Steel, UHMW and Urethane construction.

· Built in the USA

Get more information

It’s been a few weeks since we got back for Pack Expo 2009 in Las Vegas (Pack Expo 2010 is in Chicago Oct 31 – Nov 3) and as always, we have been diligently following up on leads. There is a trend that we have noticed growing over the last few years that seems to be coming to a head…..that is the customer’s demand for information clashing with the supplier’s desire to protect their intellectual property. This was highlighted in a conversation we had with an R&D engineer for a fortune 100 company who attended Pack Expo Looking at labelers for equipment he is developing. This is a REAL customer, with a REAL, FUNDED, project, with a REAL company. After creating his short list of candidates, he went back to document the available equipment with pictures and notes. He was stunned to find that of the 8 companies on his short list, only 2, just 2 would allow him to take photographs of the equipment that they had on public display! One supplier’s employee went so far as to verbally accost him!

This goes to an idea that hasn’t yet filtered to the old guard industries just yet. It is the concept that we need to bring our customers in, we need to share all the information we possibly can, tell them what we do, how we do it, and why we do it that way. We need to open up on our manufacturing technologies and show them our software methodologies. This builds comfort and confidence in our skills, in our technology and in our ability to meet their needs, when faced with the option of an inclusive process or buying a black box, which are they going to choose?

Let’s be honest, there just aren’t that many secrets left and patents are only as strong as your desire to defend them. The belief that you are protecting your market by withholding what you believe to be proprietary information is flawed, security by obscurity is dead, it costs sales and alienates customers. How do I know? Our new customer told me so.

We are constantly e-mailing or faxing copies of these label wind charts to our customers, now they are available to everyone in .PDF format.  Click here to download.  It is also available under the support section of our homepage www.epilabelers.com

We recently launched our new website, which I assume, brought you here to this, our first blog entry. Why a Blog? That’s a good question. The reason is to give our customers some insight into our company and equipment, occasionally we will post topics of a technical nature as well as updates on future products. Additionally, and maybe more importantly, we would like to solicit input from you on what issues you are seeing and what opportunities there may be to improve. For the last 29 years, EPI has worked hard to make our labelers the best performing, most durable labelers available, hopefully this blog serves to open an expanded dialog that provides us the tools to serve you better. -Randy Cotteleer - President - EPI Labelers