Multi-format industrial labeling system for packaging

How to solve the labeling of industrial packaging made of different materials without penalizing productivity, costs or traceability?

In the industrial environment, labeling is not a secondary operation at the end of the line. It is a critical function for traceability, logistical identification, automatic reading in the warehouse and correct dispatch of the product.

The problem is that, in practice, packaging does not mean a single surface or a single mechanical behavior: a corrugated box, a grouped tray, an industrial bag, a sack or a shrink-wrapped package have very different requirements when it comes to printing and applying a label.

This is precisely where a multi-format real-time printing and application system acquires industrial value. MarCoPack manufactures two solutions for this purpose:

• ST418 Plus packaging printer
• ST 612 pallet and/or large packages printer

The strength of such a system is not only in placing the label, but in doing so with repeatability on packaging that changes in stiffness, geometry, surface texture and line-passage stability.

In industrial labeling, the problems are usually concentrated in five variables:

• real adhesion on the packaging,
• stability of the assembly during application,
• precision at the gluing point,
• print quality of variable data and
• maintenance of the production rate.

When the packaging changes format or behavior, the labeling system is no longer an accessory but a key element of line efficiency. A labeling system such as the ST 418, which is designed to work in different positions and with different packaging formats, fits in particularly well with this logic.

Packaging labeling by material type

1. Corrugated boxes: the most common packaging also generates labeling incidents.

The corrugated cardboard box is one of the most common packaging in industrial and logistics lines. It is used as secondary and tertiary packaging in food, chemical, cosmetics and a multitude of shipping processes.

At first glance, it seems to be the ideal substrate for labeling: large surface, stable format and several sides available. However, very specific problems arise online.

The first is the heterogeneity of the carton itself. Not all cartons have the same surface regularity. There are differences between kraft cardboard, recycled cardboard, microflute cardboard or cardboard with higher relief. In addition, there is a very common problem in the plant: dust, loose fibers or small deformations in the flaps.

All this affects the effective contact between adhesive and surface. In addition, in many lines the label not only has to be well adhered, but also perfectly positioned so that the codes can be read without error in the warehouse, traceability or dispatch.

Solution: A system capable of printing and applying the label at the exact time and position required is particularly useful here. MarCoPack offers the ST418 Plus labeler that can work with vertical, side, front or corner application, and that has an independent base to place the machine where the labeling requires it within the line, or the ST 612 that allows printing and placing 1 or 2 labels on adjacent sides of a pallet, in one or two stops.

This mobility approach is very relevant in industrial packaging, because the best labeling position is not always the most visible to the naked eye, but the one that best responds to the logistical reading, the direction of the packaging or the subsequent palletizing process.

2. Sacks and bags: when the added problem is the instability of the packaging.

Industrial sacks and bags introduce an additional level of complexity. It is not enough for the label to adhere well; the packaging must also remain sufficiently stable during application.

In this type of formats there are wrinkles, thickness changes, product displacements inside, deformation due to filling and surfaces that do not always remain flat as they advance along the line.

Solution: From a technical point of view, the challenge is to combine dispensing precision with an application system that does not displace the packaging or compromise the speed of the process. It therefore makes sense to work with solutions that allow the application mode to be adapted to the actual behavior of the substrate. MarCoPack’s ST418 range uses three types of application: shovel, blower and pneumatic arm, plus an optional electro-pneumatic system with pressure regulation.

The ST 612 applicator printer also offers variants that allow two labels to be dispensed at different heights on adjacent sides of a pallet using an electro-pneumatic sliding arm.

In a packaging line this brings a clear advantage: not all flexible packaging can withstand the same contact and application pressure, and having different configurations reduces incidents and improves operational stability.

In addition, when working with bags or sacks, real-time printing has additional value. It allows variable information to be incorporated without the need to maintain multiple pre-printed reels for each part number, batch or logistical configuration. This reduction in complexity not only improves production flexibility, but also reduces changeover errors and downtime.

3. Grouped trays and thermoformed packaging: application precision in limited spaces

Within the packaging field, grouped trays, egg trays and other semi-rigid formats used for grouping, protection and shipping are also common. In these cases, the challenge is often less about pure adhesion and more about geometric precision. These are packages with ridges, limited usable areas and points where a small deviation can encroach on a closure, reduce legibility or impair the overall presentation.

Solution: The ST418 and ST418 Plus showcase just such formats among usable applications, including trays, egg cartons and cases. This fits well with a production environment where the label must be placed in a specific area, with no room for improvisation and maintaining line productivity. When the label also carries variable information, the possibility of printing barcodes, logos or dates in the same application process avoids operational duplications and improves the traceability of the final packaging.

4. Shrink-wrapped packaging: a simple surface that is not always simple

One of the most common mistakes in the industry is to think that shrink-wrapped packages or secondary groupings are easy to label because they have an apparently clean surface.

In reality, the film may show uneven tensions, small air pockets, local curvatures or different behaviors depending on the degree of shrinkage. When the bundling does not maintain a completely stable geometry, the label may suffer from positional deviations or a less uniform application.

Solution: In this context, the value of a multi-format system lies in its ability to adapt to packaging that does not always respond in the same way, even within the same product family.

MarCoPack’s independent label pulling system providesgreater stability of the dispensing process, which is especially important when looking to maintain high production without compromising accuracy.

B. Labeling position on industrial packaging

On many lines, the real problem is not that the label sticks wrong, but that it is not applied on the right side, at the right angle or in the exact spot for later reading. In industrial packaging, this is critical.

A box may need a side label for conveyor reading, a front label for visual identification or a corner label to combine visibility and logistics control. The same is true for certain groupings or secondary packaging that must be identified from various points in the warehouse flow.

It is therefore important that the labeling system is not limited to a single orientation. MarCoPack has designed the ST418 labeler so that it can print labels vertically, sideways, front or corner, and that the machine can be positioned wherever the line needs it.

That flexibility is a real advantage of plant integration. It allows labeling to be adapted to the production and logistics process, rather than forcing the process to be redesigned to fit a single way of applying labels.

C. Real-time label printing and application

One of the clearest advantages of label application systems that include printing is that the label is printed when it is to be applied. From an industrial point of view, this print + apply system has several advantages:

• Improved Traceability. Being able to print barcodes, logos, dates or variable information at the time of packaging allows you to adapt the labeling to batch, order, customer, language or reference without depending on previous stock of already printed labels.
• Cost optimization: the print-and-apply system reduces label stock by printing labels at the time of application. In companies with many references or frequent changes, this reduces storage, material obsolescence and the risk of using incorrect rolls.
• Process simplification: When printing and application are integrated, intermediate steps are eliminated and the operational management of labeling is simplified. In packaging lines with high variability, this simplification often results in fewer incidents, fewer unproductive changeovers and greater responsiveness to production changes.

D. Costs: savings are not only in consumables.

When analyzing the real cost of industrial labeling, the most common mistake is to look only at the price of the label. In a packaging line, the real cost also includes format changes, stock management, identification errors, downtime due to misapplication, rework and productivity losses.

From this perspective, a multiformat system such as the ST418 Plus labeler can bring savings in several ways:

• reduction of pre-printed label stock.
• versatility to work with different types of packaging without multiplying independent solutions.
• ability to print and apply in-line, avoiding additional operations or external dependencies within the packaging identification process.
• flexible integration into the plant due to the free-standing base and design for different application positions.

E. System durability: a decisive variable in packaging lines.

In industry, top speed always gets the attention, but system durability is what really protects the investment. Packaging labeling equipment must maintain operational stability, application accuracy and operational continuity as references, shifts, line rhythms and actual plant conditions change.

MarCoPack printing and labeling equipment is built to be used as high-speed systems with coupled applicator and independent label drive, designed to adapt to demanding production. In addition, our equipment offers a versatile design and robust, high performance oriented manufacturing, with a high adaptability to different production lines.

This combination of robustness, flexibility and integration is especially important in packaging lines capable of maintaining accuracy and availability over time.

Do you need to optimize the labeling of packaging in your production line? At MarCoPack we help you to implement a printing and application system capable of adapting to different formats, improving traceability and reducing operating costs. Contact our team and study the best solution for the labeling of your industrial packaging.