Food Manufacturers Can Print and Check Labels in One Single Step

METTLER TOLEDO’s Label Check Station handles 500 labels per minute, offering both speed and compliance

Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - 12:50

(METTLER-TOLEDO: Columbus, Ohio) -- The latest addition to the METTLER TOLEDO CI-Vision portfolio is the newly developed Label Check Station (LCS), which prints and verifies labels automatically. Food manufacturers can use the LCS to print high-quality, product-specific labels at a rate of up to 500 per minute. The Label Check Station integrates into existing production lines and is also available as a compact table-top solution.

Food production companies understand how important it is to optimize the efficiency of their production lines. With Label Check Station, manufacturers can print labels that provide batch or other product-specific information and comply with all applicable standards, without sacrificing high throughput rates or system availability.

Features include:
• Print and check in a single step. The Label Check Station prints and checks up to 500 labels per minute. The system combines a printing module with a high-resolution camera and a reject system for faulty labels. The printing module contains a thermal transfer printer, which applies high-contrast ink to every label with outstanding precision. This ensures mandatory information such as the use-by date, provenance, list of ingredients, and allergens is communicated reliably to the customer. Once the labels are printed, a high-resolution camera checks them for quality factors such as legibility and completeness. This allows manufacturers to determine any deviations from the specified quality.
• No recalls. The Label Check Station processes a multitude of different label formats and automatically adjusts to the current line speed as necessary. The LCS helps food manufacturers implement the specifications contained in the “Lebensmittel-Informationsverordnung” (“Food Information Regulation” or LMIV) and prevents incorrect or illegible labels from getting into circulation. This protects manufacturers from the threat of contractual penalties or even costly product recalls due to incorrect labeling.
• Compact table-top version: The robust housing, which has a steel-tube frame, protects all components from dust and contamination and has two large doors to provide easy access for cleaning and maintenance. The LCS is also available as a space-saving, manual table-top solution—the LCS-C. This version is ideal for manufacturers with small numbers of batches, or for use in laboratory environments where manual packaging processes are required.

“Our new Label Check Station has been systematically designed to ensure durability and efficiency in operation,” explains Reinhold van Ackeren, head of marketing and product management at METTLER TOLEDO CI-Vision. “The LCS allows food manufacturers to optimize the implementation of their labeling obligations without having an unnecessary impact on the production process.”

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Mettler-Toledo

Originally known for weighing technologies, today Mettler-Toledo International Inc. is a recognized leader in the research and development of products and services in communications, optics, robotics, and other technologies as well as software to integrate these technologies into powerful laboratory, industrial, and retail solutions. Mettler-Toledo offers the most comprehensive range of services in the precision instrument industry on a global level. It is a pioneer in the field of automated chemistry and in developing automatic, accurate, dimensioning and data capture technologies for the transportation/logistics industry.