‘We are increasingly moving towards using recycled plastics for our packaging and researching innovative materials,’ says Andreas Kiso, plant manager at ALPLA in Berlin, explaining the company's sustainable principles.

The challenge

• Labelling each pallet with a unique identification number
• Applying information such as batch, production time, item number and product name (in plain text and machine-readable)
• Compliance with GS1 standards (e.g. position of the label on the pallet)

The Result

• Unique identification using barcode labels from a Zebra label printer
• Automatic labelling of pallets on the conveyor belt with a Legi-Air 4050P pallet labeller
• Precise positioning of the label in accordance with current GS1 standards
• Data exchange between devices using Bluhmware software

Small barcode label

‘In the extrusion and blow moulding process, we heat and liquefy plastic granulate to form it into bottles,’ explains Andreas Kiso. We place the finished bottles on bottle trays, which are then stacked on pallets according to customer and order specifications. To keep track of everything, the pallets are labelled immediately. To do this, the higher-level plant control software sends the corresponding order numbers to a Zebra label printer from the Bluhm Weber Group portfolio. The device encrypts the numbers into barcodes and prints them on labels. An ALPLA employee then sticks the labels onto the pallets by hand.

The pallets are transported by forklift to the wrapper and the actual pallet labelling process. Here, the manually applied barcode labels are scanned, whereupon another Zebra label printer from Bluhm Weber Group prints two labels with product information per pallet. These are attached to both sides of the bottom of each pallet before they are wrapped in film. This allows customers to see which products are on the pallets even after the film has been removed.

GS1-compliant label content

While the pallets are being wrapped, the system control sends all the necessary print data fully automatically via the Bluhmware software to the Legi-Air 4050P pallet labeller. Its print module prints two labels per pallet with information such as batch, production time, item number and product name. In addition to plain text, most of the information is also encrypted in machine-readable form as a Code 128 barcode and printed on the label. This 18-digit code also includes the NVE number (shipping unit number) or the SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code). This information enables the pallets to be labelled in accordance with GS1 standards and uniquely identified worldwide. The NVE is also suitable for intralogistics purposes: ‘The NVE also helps us with pallet management,’ explains Andreas Kiso. ‘Once a pallet has been packed and labelled, a message is sent back to the merchandise management system indicating that it can now be stored or shipped. This ensures that our products can be traced at all times!’

The wrapped pallets roll along the conveyor belt to the pallet labeller. The Legi-Air 4050P adjusts its labelling speed to the conveyor belt speed. At peak performance, it can label up to 240 pallets per hour on both sides. That corresponds to four pallets per minute. The pallets do not have to stop for this. Labelling takes place in a continuous process.

The pallet labeller is housed in a protective enclosure. This not only ensures operator safety, but also protects the device from dirt and moisture, which it may be exposed to depending on the production environment. The enclosure also allows the labeller to be air-conditioned. This means it can even be used in deep-freeze production environments. For labelling, a pneumatic sliding window opens in the housing, clearing the way for the dispensing stamp.

GS1-compliant label positioning

The system then labels the pallets passing through it on the front and right-hand side in accordance with GS1 standards. GS1 compliance also includes precise positioning of the labels on the respective pallet sides: they must be affixed in a window between 500 and 800 millimetres from the floor and at least 50 millimetres from the edges. This ensures that the codes on the labels can be automatically read by scanners permanently mounted on gates or forklifts.

The Bluhmware software guarantees reliable labelling even in the event of power failures. If, for example, the front of the pallet has been labelled and the power then fails, this is registered by the software and taken into account accordingly. As an additional safety feature, it would be possible to attach a barcode scanner to the dispensing stamp of the labeller. On its ‘return journey’ to the ‘home position’, the scanner can not only check whether the label is actually on the pallet, but also verify the content of the barcode at the same time.