In Bern, beverage technologist Can Kalayci and his team are constantly working on new beverage creations. ‘We support beverage start-ups in implementing their ideas and get the ball rolling,’ explains Can Kalayci. Appropriately, Creative Food & Beverage AG is located in Bern's ‘Alte Brauerei Villa’ (old brewery villa).

Florian Kugler is responsible for production and filling: ‘Since we also fill small and very small quantities, we needed marking technology that could easily cope with frequent batch changes.’ The beverage experts found what they were looking for at marking supplier Bluhm Weber Group. Three different systems have been in use in Bern ever since.

Challenge

• Marking technology for frequent batch changes
• Easy handling during product changes
• Reliable best-before date and batch labelling on smooth surfaces

Result

Specific labelling parameters can be stored in the labelling system and called up at the touch of a button.
The system adjusts itself fully automatically to the new labelling situation.
The special ink adheres reliably even to smooth surfaces.

Front and back labelling

The Geset 314 labelling system handles the double-sided labelling of the beverage bottles. The containers are positioned manually on a turntable and automatically fed to the labelling system via a product separation system. To achieve very high labelling accuracy, the system secures the beverage bottles throughout the entire labelling process with the aid of a base and head band. As the bottles pass through the system, two Alpha HSM label dispensers apply the pre-printed front and back labels to the products. Depending on the product size, the labelling system operates at cycle rates of up to 120 products per minute.

‘To simplify handling during our frequent product changes and reduce set-up times, we stored all specific labelling parameters in the PLC of the labelling system in advance,’ explains Florian Kugler. At the touch of a button, the respective parameters such as position, angle of inclination and distance of the label dispensers can be called up and the system adjusts itself fully automatically to the new labelling situation with the aid of numerous small actuators. A digital display provides additional safety: only when all labelling parameters have been set correctly does the PLC give the ‘green light’ for the labelling process.

Best-before date and batch marking

Before labelling, the products must be marked with the best-before date and batch number. For this purpose, Bluhm Weber Group has installed a tiny Markoprint printing system directly into the Geset 314 system. The X1JET is a print head and printing system in one. Thanks to HP's tried-and-tested cartridge technology, the device achieves print results with a resolution of 600 dpi at extremely high speeds. ‘We use a special ink that adheres reliably even to smooth surfaces,’ reports Can Kalayci.

The Markoprint X1JET is intuitive to operate via a 3-button control with LED status lights, so even untrained employees can work with it easily and safely. Up to nine print layouts can be stored in the system. They can be created quickly and easily using the iDesign PC software and transferred to the system via a USB stick.

Labelling of outer cartons

Products packaged in outer cartons are labelled by a continuous inkjet printer at Creative Food & Beverage AG. This Linx 8920 device is capable of printing more than 2,000 characters per second. The print image can be split into up to four lines of text. The printing system is intuitive to operate via a 10-inch touch display. Self-explanatory symbols guide the operator when changing settings and print data. The production parameters for up to 99 different lines can be stored and called up at the touch of a button.

The Linx 8920 achieves production reliability not least thanks to its continuous monitoring of ink and solvent levels. A sensor in the printhead also continuously measures the viscosity of the ink and adjusts it automatically if necessary. If a specific coding speed is stored, a red or green screen background indicates whether this specification is being met or exceeded. To reduce the frequency of printhead cleaning, the system automatically flushes the print nozzle with solvent each time it is switched on and off. Maintenance is also straightforward: the ink and filter of the Linx 8920 only need to be replaced every two years on average. The due date is announced in advance so that it can be rescheduled during production breaks. No technician is required for this 30-minute procedure.