Generally speaking, labelers will present labels the same way every time. The best way to test this (and the first thing that you should test) is to trigger the labeling head multiple times with no product present. Use a pencil to draw a line on the peel plate along the edge of the label web and watch that as the labels go by. Also make a mark at the label gap. Either lay a straightedge along the leading edge of a label and use a pencil to extend that line beyond the label web, or stretch a rubber band across the peel plate above the label gap (not rubbing the labels) to give you a reference for the repeatability of the label stop position. Trigger some more labels with no product present and watch how much variation you get as the label web goes by. There should be next to none. If that is the case, then any misalignment problems you have are not caused by the labeling head. If you do have variation, then you must fix your labeling head before going any farther. Look for help with this under How to Stop a Wondering Labelel Web.
So once you have your labels coming out repeatably, the next step is presenting the products equally repeatably. On an automatic system, watch your products as they approach the labeling head. If you can see the top of the product bouncing to one side just as the label starts to dispense, you are guaranteed to have label placement variation. I see this often with round bottles bumping into wrap belts and other bottles bumping into peel plates. (If your labeler has a top hold-down belt, watch for a bump entering into this belt.) You should be able to bend over at one end of the conveyor, sight along the tops of the bottles, and not see any sideways movement or vibration the entire length of the conveyor.
Matching up the label and product is the third and final step in getting your label position repeatable. If the label is dispensing at any speed other than that of the product surface going by, then you are likely to get random variation in where the leading edge of the label sticks to the product (as well as wrinkles and web tears). Set the labeling head to match the speed of your wrap belt if you have one, or your conveyor if not. The idea is to have the product surface going by the labeling head under control at a constant speed, and then lay the label on that surface at the same speed. Once you match the two speeds, you should get a very repeatable label position.
Now that your label placement is repeatable, is it straight? The key to getting the label at the angle you want is to get the leading edge where it needs to be. The rest of the label will follow. That’s why any little sideways bump of the bottle will throw off the alignment of the entire label. If your label is aiming uphill or downhill on the side of the product, or spiraling up or down on a round product, you need to tilt the labeling head up or down to correct that. To determine which direction to make the adjustment, think about the leading edge of the label. Which way does it need to tilt? If the leading edge is tilted downhill, then you need to tilt the labeling head uphill (and then you will have to lower the entire head to maintain the same height).
Those are the four steps to getting a repeatable straight label position on your products. Any one of these steps could be greatly expanded upon, but it’s impossible to address every potential source of variation. Most important is to get your repeatability down first. Run enough products through at each of the above steps to see the full range of variation you’re getting. If you have too much variation at any one step in particular, look around for what is causing it. It may help to read Reasonable Expectations For Labeler Alignment. If you still need help after that, give me a call at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com. I may be able to help you eliminate that last bit of variation.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
How To Stop a Wandering Label Web
If your label placement is wandering around on your product, you may see that the label web is walking back and forth on the peel edge, or you may see that the rewind roll is spiraling one direction or the other. Either of these can be symptoms of roller misalignment in your labeling head.
First, it is important to make sure that the problem is not in the relative alignment between your labeling head and product. Watch the label web while you dispense labels into the air with no product in position. If your labeler dispenses onto a vacuum pad, be careful to give the label time to dispense completely off the web before removing it from the pad. If your label web has suddenly quit wandering, then you need to correct the alignment between your labeling head and product. Do not follow the instructions below, or you will just make matters worse. If with no product, the label web is still walking sideways, then proceed with the instructions below.
Next, let’s get the easy fixes out of the way. Check that your labeler is threaded the way the manufacturer’s instructions show. If your threading is wrong, then all bets are off. If you don’t have the manufacturer’s instructions, email me a photo, and I’ll show you the correct threading. Check to see if any rollers or other parts are wobbling around on your labeler, and if they are, tighten them and retest the machine.
Now, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it right. Line up the label web where you want it. Measure the distance from the labeler backplate to the near edge of the web along its entire path, making adjustments as necessary so the web edge is in a plane parallel to the backplate. Is the web against both the supply and rewind backing disks? If not, then bring them both into the same plane. Typically, they are held in place by either a collar underneath the disk or set screws through the hub outboard of the disk. (It is common for the supply roll disk to get knocked in from repeated slamming of label rolls into it.)
Every surface that the label web contacts must be exactly perpendicular to the backplate. Look at each roller that the label web goes around, and try to move it. Some lower-priced labelers use bushings instead of bearings, and they’ll wear out on the inside. If you can wiggle the rollers on their shafts, you may need to replace the roller assemblies.
Look at the peel edge. Is it worn down unevenly? If so, replace or sharpen it.
Look at the supply and rewind hubs. Are they perpendicular to the backplate? (Are the backing disks in line with the edge of the web?—same thing.) Some supply rolls are mounted to arms that can get knocked out of position. Loosen the mounting screws, line up the supply roll, then retighten the screws. You may find a lot of slop in the holes, so double-check that the support arm is where you want it after you have tightened it. Some rewind shafts move around in a circle. That’s okay if the center of the circle is perpendicular to the backplate.
Finally, look at the drive rollers. These are usually one rubber roller and one metal knurled roller touching each other where the label web goes through. The rubber roller is usually the drive roller that is connected to the motor; the knurled roller is an idler that is spring-loaded against the drive roller. The shafts for these two rollers must be parallel to each other. If they are just the slightest bit out, they will steer the web off a lot. The mechanism that supports the idler roller is probably behind the backplate. Look back there carefully for loose screws, broken springs, or anything else that may give an uneven pressure between the two rollers along their entire length. The roller surfaces may be worn out and need replaced.
The alignment of these two roller shafts is so critical that some labelers provide an adjustment for one of them. You have to test any adjustments here by jogging many labels through (with no product present). A small adjustment goes a long way.
Going through all of these steps should have led you to a straight label web path, which in turn should produce consistent label placement on your products. If you are still having problems, call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and I’ll help you find the root of your labeler problem.
First, it is important to make sure that the problem is not in the relative alignment between your labeling head and product. Watch the label web while you dispense labels into the air with no product in position. If your labeler dispenses onto a vacuum pad, be careful to give the label time to dispense completely off the web before removing it from the pad. If your label web has suddenly quit wandering, then you need to correct the alignment between your labeling head and product. Do not follow the instructions below, or you will just make matters worse. If with no product, the label web is still walking sideways, then proceed with the instructions below.
Next, let’s get the easy fixes out of the way. Check that your labeler is threaded the way the manufacturer’s instructions show. If your threading is wrong, then all bets are off. If you don’t have the manufacturer’s instructions, email me a photo, and I’ll show you the correct threading. Check to see if any rollers or other parts are wobbling around on your labeler, and if they are, tighten them and retest the machine.
Now, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it right. Line up the label web where you want it. Measure the distance from the labeler backplate to the near edge of the web along its entire path, making adjustments as necessary so the web edge is in a plane parallel to the backplate. Is the web against both the supply and rewind backing disks? If not, then bring them both into the same plane. Typically, they are held in place by either a collar underneath the disk or set screws through the hub outboard of the disk. (It is common for the supply roll disk to get knocked in from repeated slamming of label rolls into it.)
Every surface that the label web contacts must be exactly perpendicular to the backplate. Look at each roller that the label web goes around, and try to move it. Some lower-priced labelers use bushings instead of bearings, and they’ll wear out on the inside. If you can wiggle the rollers on their shafts, you may need to replace the roller assemblies.
Look at the peel edge. Is it worn down unevenly? If so, replace or sharpen it.
Look at the supply and rewind hubs. Are they perpendicular to the backplate? (Are the backing disks in line with the edge of the web?—same thing.) Some supply rolls are mounted to arms that can get knocked out of position. Loosen the mounting screws, line up the supply roll, then retighten the screws. You may find a lot of slop in the holes, so double-check that the support arm is where you want it after you have tightened it. Some rewind shafts move around in a circle. That’s okay if the center of the circle is perpendicular to the backplate.
Finally, look at the drive rollers. These are usually one rubber roller and one metal knurled roller touching each other where the label web goes through. The rubber roller is usually the drive roller that is connected to the motor; the knurled roller is an idler that is spring-loaded against the drive roller. The shafts for these two rollers must be parallel to each other. If they are just the slightest bit out, they will steer the web off a lot. The mechanism that supports the idler roller is probably behind the backplate. Look back there carefully for loose screws, broken springs, or anything else that may give an uneven pressure between the two rollers along their entire length. The roller surfaces may be worn out and need replaced.
The alignment of these two roller shafts is so critical that some labelers provide an adjustment for one of them. You have to test any adjustments here by jogging many labels through (with no product present). A small adjustment goes a long way.
Going through all of these steps should have led you to a straight label web path, which in turn should produce consistent label placement on your products. If you are still having problems, call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and I’ll help you find the root of your labeler problem.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Reasonable Expectations For Labeler Speed
There are a lot of misunderstandings and misrepresentations about labeler speed—more accurately termed as throughput—and a corresponding number of disappointments after purchase and installation. Many factors influence your ultimate labeler speed, but these are not often considered when specifying or selecting a labeler. Preparing yourself with a complete understanding of all these issues may prevent any false expectations and disappointments with your new investment.
If you are new to labeling and considering a semi-automatic labeler, you can get a pretty good idea of what your actual throughput will be by simulating the process. Gather up a quantity of product in the same form that the operator will see them: a case of 24 bottles, a tote of widgets, a loose pile of bags, or whatever. Carry them to the place where you will set up your labeler, pick up one product, pretend to label it using the actual hand motions required to operate the machine (this part will probably take 1/2 to 3 seconds with a semi-automatic machine—ask your supplier), place it into a "completed" case, tote, or pile, and repeat this process until you have completed at least ten products. How long did this take? Divide the number of products you labeled by the number of minutes it took (or the number of seconds divided by 60), and you will have the number of products you can label in one minute. Multiply by 50, and you'll have the number of products labeled per hour (allowing 10 minutes for micro-breaks like stretching, sneezing, etc.) You may feel silly doing this, but in my opinion, this will give you the most accurate throughput prediction possible. If you choose not to do this and then are disappointed by your actual throughput after buying a labeler, don't go crying to your supplier telling him his machine is too slow.
This exercise should point out several important points:
With all that said, on a semi-automatic machine a person can usually label approximately 15 round bottles per minute, 10 front-back bottles per minute (if the labels alternate on the liner), or 20 flat single-label products per minute while they are actually labeling—not hauling product around.
Fully automatic labelers have the same issues if you are manually loading or unloading them. A labeler may be capable of 120 products per minute, but if you can only load it at 40 ppm, that's the throughput you'll get.
Automatic labelers in line are a different story because you have automatic conveyor feeding via a conveyor. If your labeler is rated for 120 parts per minute and your conveyor is providing parts that fast, then that’s the throughput you’ll get. Until it’s time to change labels. Make sure you allow for 2-5 minutes down time for replenishing the label supply roll.
When looking at labeler throughput, just as important as the motor speed on the labeler is the stability of your products. If you are labeling empty bottles, it may not take much to knock one over and start a domino effect. Even full bottles can have this problem—water bottles are notorious for this. Bottles can easily be knocked over at transfers onto and off of the labeling conveyor, metering wheels, wrap belts, and turns in the conveyor. Make sure you understand how fast you can reliably transport your products before you plan on increasing any speeds.
Print-apply shipping or product ID labels on boxes present a different source of misunderstanding. A print engine may be rated for 12 inches per second (ips) and if your label is 6 inches long, you can print 2 labels per second, or 120 labels per minute…right?
Wrong. First, printing at 12 ips does not give you the same print quality you get at 8 ips. If you are printing bar codes or fine print, you may not be satisfied with the print quality at the fastest setting on your printer; test this. Second, you have to allow time for the tamp pad to cycle out and back between labels. If your applicator can cycle in ¼ second—which is quicker than typical—and you are printing at 8 ips, your 2 labels per second is now down to 1 label per second, or 60 labels per minute.
But wait, there’s more. For you to hit this theoretical throughput, you need to have your previous box out of the way and the next box in place every second. I won’t go into the many sources of variability to this, but trust me, the timing will vary. You need to plan on the maximum barcode scan/data transmit/print-apply cycle time and the minimum distance from the leading edge of one box to the leading edge of the next. You’ll be doing well to label 30 boxes per minute.
There are too many different cases to get more specific than this in this post, but for anyone who wants an independent opinion on your throughput capacity or anyone who needs help optimizing your labeling setup to increase your throughput, feel free to call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com.
If you are new to labeling and considering a semi-automatic labeler, you can get a pretty good idea of what your actual throughput will be by simulating the process. Gather up a quantity of product in the same form that the operator will see them: a case of 24 bottles, a tote of widgets, a loose pile of bags, or whatever. Carry them to the place where you will set up your labeler, pick up one product, pretend to label it using the actual hand motions required to operate the machine (this part will probably take 1/2 to 3 seconds with a semi-automatic machine—ask your supplier), place it into a "completed" case, tote, or pile, and repeat this process until you have completed at least ten products. How long did this take? Divide the number of products you labeled by the number of minutes it took (or the number of seconds divided by 60), and you will have the number of products you can label in one minute. Multiply by 50, and you'll have the number of products labeled per hour (allowing 10 minutes for micro-breaks like stretching, sneezing, etc.) You may feel silly doing this, but in my opinion, this will give you the most accurate throughput prediction possible. If you choose not to do this and then are disappointed by your actual throughput after buying a labeler, don't go crying to your supplier telling him his machine is too slow.
This exercise should point out several important points:
1. Your ultimate throughput may include as much product handling time as actual labeling time.
2. A one-person machine may require two people to operate at full speed--one to label, and one to haul product back and forth, tape up cases, etc. (If so, they can alternate jobs periodically.)
3. You cannot simply take the labeler speed that your supplier tells you, multiply that by the number of minutes in the day, and get a realistic throughput.
4. The people who did not point at you and snicker while you did this are your real friends.
With all that said, on a semi-automatic machine a person can usually label approximately 15 round bottles per minute, 10 front-back bottles per minute (if the labels alternate on the liner), or 20 flat single-label products per minute while they are actually labeling—not hauling product around.
Fully automatic labelers have the same issues if you are manually loading or unloading them. A labeler may be capable of 120 products per minute, but if you can only load it at 40 ppm, that's the throughput you'll get.
Automatic labelers in line are a different story because you have automatic conveyor feeding via a conveyor. If your labeler is rated for 120 parts per minute and your conveyor is providing parts that fast, then that’s the throughput you’ll get. Until it’s time to change labels. Make sure you allow for 2-5 minutes down time for replenishing the label supply roll.
When looking at labeler throughput, just as important as the motor speed on the labeler is the stability of your products. If you are labeling empty bottles, it may not take much to knock one over and start a domino effect. Even full bottles can have this problem—water bottles are notorious for this. Bottles can easily be knocked over at transfers onto and off of the labeling conveyor, metering wheels, wrap belts, and turns in the conveyor. Make sure you understand how fast you can reliably transport your products before you plan on increasing any speeds.
Print-apply shipping or product ID labels on boxes present a different source of misunderstanding. A print engine may be rated for 12 inches per second (ips) and if your label is 6 inches long, you can print 2 labels per second, or 120 labels per minute…right?
Wrong. First, printing at 12 ips does not give you the same print quality you get at 8 ips. If you are printing bar codes or fine print, you may not be satisfied with the print quality at the fastest setting on your printer; test this. Second, you have to allow time for the tamp pad to cycle out and back between labels. If your applicator can cycle in ¼ second—which is quicker than typical—and you are printing at 8 ips, your 2 labels per second is now down to 1 label per second, or 60 labels per minute.
But wait, there’s more. For you to hit this theoretical throughput, you need to have your previous box out of the way and the next box in place every second. I won’t go into the many sources of variability to this, but trust me, the timing will vary. You need to plan on the maximum barcode scan/data transmit/print-apply cycle time and the minimum distance from the leading edge of one box to the leading edge of the next. You’ll be doing well to label 30 boxes per minute.
There are too many different cases to get more specific than this in this post, but for anyone who wants an independent opinion on your throughput capacity or anyone who needs help optimizing your labeling setup to increase your throughput, feel free to call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
How to Calibrate a Label Sensor
Whenever your labeler is dispensing labels, the output LED on the label sensor should light up exactly one time per label. Generally, this is a quick flash as the gap between the labels passes through the sensor, but the LED can also be on for the length of the label and go out when the gap passes through. For these instructions, we will send an output signal when the gap is at the sensor.
To test your label sensor setting, simply power on your labeler and hold a length of labels in the normal path through the sensor. It is vital that you duplicate the exact location and tension that goes through the sensor during operation, so if you can hold the web of labels around the upstream roller and downstream roller or peel edge, that is best. Move the labels back and forth through the sensor. You want the LED to come on at the gap and never anywhere throughout the label.
The exact buttons you push to calibrate the label sensor are different on every machine, but generally you press and hold one button on the sensor for 2-3 seconds to put it into teach mode. Then, keeping tension on the web, place a gap in the sensor path (usually a red light will project onto the gap between labels) and press and release the same button. The LED will probably flash. Finally, place the label under the sensor and press the button again. The LED will flash again, and the sensor will automatically switch back into run mode.
Some sensors have two separate buttons labeled on and off. “On” goes with the gap, and “off” goes with the label. It really helps to have either the labeler manufacturer’s instructions or the sensor instructions to figure out the exact button pushing sequence. Also, the LEDs will flash in different patterns to tell you different things. Try to find the sensor instructions. Most of them are available on the Internet.
Some older machines have a dial you turn to adjust the label sensor. On these, position the gap at the sensor, turn the dial down until the indicator light goes out, then slowly turn it back up just until the light comes back on. Write down this setting. Now put the lightest part of your label at the sensor. The light will have gone back out. Turn up the dial until the light comes on again, and write down that setting. Now turn the dial to a number halfway between the two you’ve written down, and you should be there. Pass the label back and forth past the sensor to verify that the light comes on only at the gap. If it comes on at any point inside the label, turn the dial down a little. If the light does not always come on at the gap, then turn the dial up a little.
*Important* When you place the label in the sensor, you should put the lightest part of the label at the sensing point when you press the button. Hold a label up to a light. If you can see more light coming through one area of the label, then calibrate the sensor at that spot in the label. This is because the sensor will take a reading of the amount of light that passes through the liner (at the gap) and through the liner plus the label (at the label) and select a point approximately halfway between to switch its output between on and off. If you calibrate to an especially opaque portion of label—perhaps at some black or metallic ink—and the sensor averages that with the liner, it may end up at a switching value near what it sees at a less opaque area of label where there is no printing on it. This will cause a false trigger and your label will stop short.
Another way to prevent false triggers throughout the length of the label is to position the edge of the label halfway over the sensor for that part of the calibration. The sensor will see more light than when it is fully covered and will set the switch point closer to that of the liner by itself.
There will always be an unusual situation that requires another trick—or sometimes a different type of label sensor altogether. If the above instructions don’t work for you, call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and we’ll figure it out together.
To test your label sensor setting, simply power on your labeler and hold a length of labels in the normal path through the sensor. It is vital that you duplicate the exact location and tension that goes through the sensor during operation, so if you can hold the web of labels around the upstream roller and downstream roller or peel edge, that is best. Move the labels back and forth through the sensor. You want the LED to come on at the gap and never anywhere throughout the label.
The exact buttons you push to calibrate the label sensor are different on every machine, but generally you press and hold one button on the sensor for 2-3 seconds to put it into teach mode. Then, keeping tension on the web, place a gap in the sensor path (usually a red light will project onto the gap between labels) and press and release the same button. The LED will probably flash. Finally, place the label under the sensor and press the button again. The LED will flash again, and the sensor will automatically switch back into run mode.
Some sensors have two separate buttons labeled on and off. “On” goes with the gap, and “off” goes with the label. It really helps to have either the labeler manufacturer’s instructions or the sensor instructions to figure out the exact button pushing sequence. Also, the LEDs will flash in different patterns to tell you different things. Try to find the sensor instructions. Most of them are available on the Internet.
Some older machines have a dial you turn to adjust the label sensor. On these, position the gap at the sensor, turn the dial down until the indicator light goes out, then slowly turn it back up just until the light comes back on. Write down this setting. Now put the lightest part of your label at the sensor. The light will have gone back out. Turn up the dial until the light comes on again, and write down that setting. Now turn the dial to a number halfway between the two you’ve written down, and you should be there. Pass the label back and forth past the sensor to verify that the light comes on only at the gap. If it comes on at any point inside the label, turn the dial down a little. If the light does not always come on at the gap, then turn the dial up a little.
*Important* When you place the label in the sensor, you should put the lightest part of the label at the sensing point when you press the button. Hold a label up to a light. If you can see more light coming through one area of the label, then calibrate the sensor at that spot in the label. This is because the sensor will take a reading of the amount of light that passes through the liner (at the gap) and through the liner plus the label (at the label) and select a point approximately halfway between to switch its output between on and off. If you calibrate to an especially opaque portion of label—perhaps at some black or metallic ink—and the sensor averages that with the liner, it may end up at a switching value near what it sees at a less opaque area of label where there is no printing on it. This will cause a false trigger and your label will stop short.
Another way to prevent false triggers throughout the length of the label is to position the edge of the label halfway over the sensor for that part of the calibration. The sensor will see more light than when it is fully covered and will set the switch point closer to that of the liner by itself.
There will always be an unusual situation that requires another trick—or sometimes a different type of label sensor altogether. If the above instructions don’t work for you, call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and we’ll figure it out together.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Setting Your Label Stop Position
I commonly get calls from people who are having trouble getting their labels to stop where they want them to on their labeler. Here is the correct procedure to set your label stop position.
The first step is to verify that your label sensor is properly calibrated. This is the “eye” that detects the gap between labels to tell the machine when to stop. As labels go by the sensor, check that the indicator light comes on exactly one time per label. This is usually a quick flash at the gap, but if the light is on the entire time the label goes through the sensor and flashes off at the gap, that’s okay, too. If no light flashes, if the light is always on, or if the light flashes more than one time for every label, you need to recalibrate your label sensor, which I will cover in another post. Fix that problem, then return to these instructions.
There are two ways to set the label stop position, depending on your brand and model of machine. One is to physically move the label sensor; the other is to adjust the delay setting electronically. Many labelers will let you do both. First, I will assume that the label sensor is fixed in position and you have to adjust the label stop electronically.
You need to start at a known position, so set your label feed length to zero. This setting may also be called label stop, feed delay, off delay, label flag, or something else like that. Jog a label by either pressing the jog button or triggering the product sensor. The label web should advance until the next gap reaches the sensor, then stop. You will have one label extending partly past the peel edge. If anything else happens, you probably need to recalibrate your label sensor.
Generally, when you dispense one label, you want the next label to stop just barely short of the peel edge. Some technicians recommend the next label stick out past the peel edge a little, but I don’t. Either way, your next step is to make the label web advance until one whole label peels off the liner, then stops. Change your label stop position from zero to some arbitrarily small number, like 10. Jog another label and see where it stops. If it stops in the same place as before, then the machine may not have accepted your new setting. On some labelers, you need to jog a second label before you see the new result; on some others, you need to press an enter button.
Your label web should have advanced farther this time. Keep increasing or decreasing the label stop setting until exactly one label peels off the liner and the next label stops just barely short of the peel edge. What fools some people is the fact that you are looking at how far the label peels off the edge, but you are controlling this by how far the gap travels past the sensor. Always watch the gap and the sensor to understand what the labeler is doing.
If the setting that you need turns out to be zero because the distance from the label sensor to the peel edge is exactly the length of one (or two or three) labels, then you have a unique and perhaps unfortunate situation. When this occurs, many labelers will sporadically dispense a second label because the sensor is seeing some gap and some label, and its average light input reading is very close to its decision point. Try setting the label stop to a small number. This will advance the gap a little past the sensor and dispense a small amount of label over the peel edge. If this works in your application, go with that setting. If your labeler has a vacuum pad, then you don’t have this option; you will probably need to move your sensor upstream or downstream. You may have to get creative with this or enlist the aid of a machinist or a good handyman. There are also some tricks that are beyond the level of these instructions, so you can always call me if you’re still stuck.
If your labeler lets you move the label sensor, then you can slide it toward the peel edge to advance the label farther, or away from the peel edge to shorten the label advance. If you also have an electronic label stop adjustment, you probably want it at a number that is not zero to avoid the problem described in the last paragraph. Either follow the instructions above or move the sensor to where it makes the label stop where you want it. If you run out of travel, which is very common, then put the sensor in the middle of its slot or rail, and follow the above instructions to set the stop position electronically. You can always fine-tune it by moving the sensor a little if you want.
This should cover 99% of the applications out there, but if you think you may be in the 1% or you’re still having trouble in general, then call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and I will try to get your labeler setup working.
The first step is to verify that your label sensor is properly calibrated. This is the “eye” that detects the gap between labels to tell the machine when to stop. As labels go by the sensor, check that the indicator light comes on exactly one time per label. This is usually a quick flash at the gap, but if the light is on the entire time the label goes through the sensor and flashes off at the gap, that’s okay, too. If no light flashes, if the light is always on, or if the light flashes more than one time for every label, you need to recalibrate your label sensor, which I will cover in another post. Fix that problem, then return to these instructions.
There are two ways to set the label stop position, depending on your brand and model of machine. One is to physically move the label sensor; the other is to adjust the delay setting electronically. Many labelers will let you do both. First, I will assume that the label sensor is fixed in position and you have to adjust the label stop electronically.
You need to start at a known position, so set your label feed length to zero. This setting may also be called label stop, feed delay, off delay, label flag, or something else like that. Jog a label by either pressing the jog button or triggering the product sensor. The label web should advance until the next gap reaches the sensor, then stop. You will have one label extending partly past the peel edge. If anything else happens, you probably need to recalibrate your label sensor.
Generally, when you dispense one label, you want the next label to stop just barely short of the peel edge. Some technicians recommend the next label stick out past the peel edge a little, but I don’t. Either way, your next step is to make the label web advance until one whole label peels off the liner, then stops. Change your label stop position from zero to some arbitrarily small number, like 10. Jog another label and see where it stops. If it stops in the same place as before, then the machine may not have accepted your new setting. On some labelers, you need to jog a second label before you see the new result; on some others, you need to press an enter button.
Your label web should have advanced farther this time. Keep increasing or decreasing the label stop setting until exactly one label peels off the liner and the next label stops just barely short of the peel edge. What fools some people is the fact that you are looking at how far the label peels off the edge, but you are controlling this by how far the gap travels past the sensor. Always watch the gap and the sensor to understand what the labeler is doing.
If the setting that you need turns out to be zero because the distance from the label sensor to the peel edge is exactly the length of one (or two or three) labels, then you have a unique and perhaps unfortunate situation. When this occurs, many labelers will sporadically dispense a second label because the sensor is seeing some gap and some label, and its average light input reading is very close to its decision point. Try setting the label stop to a small number. This will advance the gap a little past the sensor and dispense a small amount of label over the peel edge. If this works in your application, go with that setting. If your labeler has a vacuum pad, then you don’t have this option; you will probably need to move your sensor upstream or downstream. You may have to get creative with this or enlist the aid of a machinist or a good handyman. There are also some tricks that are beyond the level of these instructions, so you can always call me if you’re still stuck.
If your labeler lets you move the label sensor, then you can slide it toward the peel edge to advance the label farther, or away from the peel edge to shorten the label advance. If you also have an electronic label stop adjustment, you probably want it at a number that is not zero to avoid the problem described in the last paragraph. Either follow the instructions above or move the sensor to where it makes the label stop where you want it. If you run out of travel, which is very common, then put the sensor in the middle of its slot or rail, and follow the above instructions to set the stop position electronically. You can always fine-tune it by moving the sensor a little if you want.
This should cover 99% of the applications out there, but if you think you may be in the 1% or you’re still having trouble in general, then call me at 800-331-7140 or email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com, and I will try to get your labeler setup working.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Financial Justification for a Labeler
(or any other equipment for that matter)
Are you still applying labels by hand? Is your labeler the bottleneck in your production? These are just two of several reasons to buy a labeler. So how do you determine if you would be better off buying a new labeler or keeping your current process? There are several ways to answer this question, but for now I am just going to deal with the financial aspect.
The most obvious cost benefit to using an automatic labeler is labor savings, so that’s where we look for our justification. What is the value of the labor you are replacing? If it’s more than what you have to pay for a labeler, then you save money by investing in the labeler. I’ll demonstrate this with an example.
Let’s say you have four people who hand label round quart bottles every morning for an hour. If your fully burdened* labor rate is $20/hour, then you are spending $80 every day labeling bottles. At 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, this is costing you $20,000 a year to label these bottles.
You can instead buy a semi-automatic labeler that will allow one person to label as many bottles in an hour as all four people labeled by hand, then you can have the other three come in an hour later and save those wages. You are now paying $20 every day to label your bottles instead of $80. This works out to $5000 a year. You just saved $15,000 a year. If the labeler costs $5000, that puts off one-third of your first year savings, but the machine just paid for itself in four months. From here on out, you save $15,000 every year.
If you are filling these bottles with an automatic filler, then you can add an automatic labeler in line and not require any additional labor at all. An automatic labeler for round quarts costs about $20,000—the same amount you were paying for labor every year to hand label—but with the machine, you only pay that one time. Starting next year, you save $20,000 every year.
A labeling machine also gives you other advantages like straighter, more consistent labels, and greater throughput.
If you have an old labeler that is worn out, this is costing you money in three ways:
How much are these three items costing you? Odds are, #3 is your highest expense, although this will never show up in cost accounting records. To prove this cost to management, you may have to look at bottling contracts that you didn’t win, overtime you are paying, even straight time when you could get your current 8-hour’s production done in 6 hours. Compare this total—which repeats every year—to the cost of a new labeler, and you will probably find a quick payback.
* Just a note on using a fully burdened labor rate in financial justifications. You have to consider your actual cash savings in these calculations. If you use temporary labor, this is easy. Whatever amount you no longer have to pay the temp agency is your savings. With your own labor, though, it’s not quite this straightforward.
If your machine investment allows you to operate with fewer employees than you would need if you didn’t have the machine, then you are saving direct wages, taxes, insurance and other payroll-related costs, and you are also saving some supervisory, HR, accounting and other indirect costs. Maybe you can turn on the heat an hour later each day—that alone would pay for a small machine in some plants. The direct costs are very easy to quantify, and hopefully, they alone are enough to justify your purchase, but the indirect savings are real and should be recognized as well.
If your machine investment does not eliminate any employees or prevent you from hiring more, then you still have direct wage and tax savings, but you probably do not have any insurance savings. You also still have indirect supervisory savings, but no HR or accounting savings. You need to look at all employee-related costs and evaluate whether each one is reduced when you reduce your labor for a specific project.
As always, I am willing to help analyze individual situations. I am not an accountant, but that may be an advantage! Email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com or call me at 800-331-7140.
Are you still applying labels by hand? Is your labeler the bottleneck in your production? These are just two of several reasons to buy a labeler. So how do you determine if you would be better off buying a new labeler or keeping your current process? There are several ways to answer this question, but for now I am just going to deal with the financial aspect.
The most obvious cost benefit to using an automatic labeler is labor savings, so that’s where we look for our justification. What is the value of the labor you are replacing? If it’s more than what you have to pay for a labeler, then you save money by investing in the labeler. I’ll demonstrate this with an example.
Let’s say you have four people who hand label round quart bottles every morning for an hour. If your fully burdened* labor rate is $20/hour, then you are spending $80 every day labeling bottles. At 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year, this is costing you $20,000 a year to label these bottles.
You can instead buy a semi-automatic labeler that will allow one person to label as many bottles in an hour as all four people labeled by hand, then you can have the other three come in an hour later and save those wages. You are now paying $20 every day to label your bottles instead of $80. This works out to $5000 a year. You just saved $15,000 a year. If the labeler costs $5000, that puts off one-third of your first year savings, but the machine just paid for itself in four months. From here on out, you save $15,000 every year.
If you are filling these bottles with an automatic filler, then you can add an automatic labeler in line and not require any additional labor at all. An automatic labeler for round quarts costs about $20,000—the same amount you were paying for labor every year to hand label—but with the machine, you only pay that one time. Starting next year, you save $20,000 every year.
A labeling machine also gives you other advantages like straighter, more consistent labels, and greater throughput.
If you have an old labeler that is worn out, this is costing you money in three ways:
1. Downtime
2. Parts and service expense
3. Lost capacity and opportunity from the rest of your equipment that is running slower because of the labeler.
How much are these three items costing you? Odds are, #3 is your highest expense, although this will never show up in cost accounting records. To prove this cost to management, you may have to look at bottling contracts that you didn’t win, overtime you are paying, even straight time when you could get your current 8-hour’s production done in 6 hours. Compare this total—which repeats every year—to the cost of a new labeler, and you will probably find a quick payback.
* Just a note on using a fully burdened labor rate in financial justifications. You have to consider your actual cash savings in these calculations. If you use temporary labor, this is easy. Whatever amount you no longer have to pay the temp agency is your savings. With your own labor, though, it’s not quite this straightforward.
If your machine investment allows you to operate with fewer employees than you would need if you didn’t have the machine, then you are saving direct wages, taxes, insurance and other payroll-related costs, and you are also saving some supervisory, HR, accounting and other indirect costs. Maybe you can turn on the heat an hour later each day—that alone would pay for a small machine in some plants. The direct costs are very easy to quantify, and hopefully, they alone are enough to justify your purchase, but the indirect savings are real and should be recognized as well.
If your machine investment does not eliminate any employees or prevent you from hiring more, then you still have direct wage and tax savings, but you probably do not have any insurance savings. You also still have indirect supervisory savings, but no HR or accounting savings. You need to look at all employee-related costs and evaluate whether each one is reduced when you reduce your labor for a specific project.
As always, I am willing to help analyze individual situations. I am not an accountant, but that may be an advantage! Email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com or call me at 800-331-7140.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Should I Buy a Labeler?
Are you considering buying your first automatic or semi-automatic labeling machine? Here are some things to consider and hopefully help with your decision. To start with the basics, there are three reasons to use a machine to apply your labels:1. To get consistency of appearance of your labels on the store shelf.
First: appearance. A labeler is nothing else if not consistent. Assuming the labeler is set up properly, every product will come out the same. Your operator may be tired, distracted, even taking a break, and the machine will keep churning consistently labeled products. If your products sit on store shelves, or if you want a professional, high-end appearance, consistent label placement is essential; you need a machine.
2. To reduce the cost of applying labels.
3. Your volume is so high that you have little choice in the matter.
Second: cost. How much are you paying now to apply labels? If you have three people applying labels eight hours a day, at a fully-burdened pay rate of $20/hour that’s $125,000 dollars a year applying labels. (It is important to use the fully burdened rate because the alternative is not having these employees at all—no insurance, no taxes, etc. I will discuss this more thoroughly in a future post.) If you buy a semi-automatic labeler for $7000 that requires one operator, you will save $83,000 every year in labor. Your investment pays for itself in just one month. If you buy a fully automatic labeler for $20,000, and still keep one operator, your labeler pays for itself in three months. Rule of thumb: if you can pay for your labeler with two years or less of cost savings, you should buy it.
Third: volume. You might also think of this as speed or throughput. If you need to get a 100,000-piece order out in a hurry, your choices are to throw people at it (see last paragraph) or use a machine. One person with a semi-automatic labeler can get this done in a month. A fully automatic labeler can fill this order in three days.
Another volume/throughput issue is keeping up with the rest of your process. If you are automatically filling bottles at 60 bpm, why would you not label in line at the same rate? Handle your product once and be done with it. Taking this even further, could you run your filler faster if your labeler could keep up? What is this costing you? Free up one day a week by filling (and labeling) faster, and either run four-day weeks or take on more jobs. Either way, you come out money ahead.
If you are outsourcing your labeling, all these same considerations still come into play. Are you getting good quality from you vendor? How much are you paying for this service—could you pay for a labeler within two years by bringing this operation in house? Can your vendor keep up with your order schedule? Any of these reasons may justify buying your own labeler and bringing this operation in house.
If you have any questions about your specific situation, feel free to email me at jdawson@su-solutions.com or call me at 800-331-7140.
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