HERMA Upgrades: expansions for labeling machines

It’s a common problem, especially when the backing paper for your labels is made of film: You find it difficult to extract the backing paper rolls from the roll take-up. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent when working at higher speeds, as high tensile forces make it more likely for the wound-up plastic web to contract very tightly – which results in the reel core on the disk side doing the same.

To counteract this issue, HERMA has developed a special expander core. This is installed in the roll take-up. When this is tightened, it exerts counterpressure on the core, acting as a spacer. When the roll take-up is released, the expander creates play that makes it easy to extract the backing paper roll.

The diameter of a reel core for a label roll can differ depending on the type, format and provider of the labels in use. The standard diameter for a HERMA roll take-up is 76 mm. This means that it fits the smallest reel cores on the market – which are also the most common. When using a reel core with a larger diameter, however, you will usually require a thicker roll take-up for your applicator.

An efficient solution to this problem is available in the form of a wide range of four-part HERMA adapters that are tensioned by an internal tension spring. The spring allows you carry out changes quickly and without tools, while also acting as a clamp to ensure that your label roll is always seated securely on the adapter – and that both are seated securely on the applicator’s roll take-up. An additional O-ring prevents axial slippage on the roller. This clever solution will save you time and safeguard your process.

Do you frequently change product formats? Or maybe you often find yourself switching between wraparound and two-sided labeling? If so, you can save a lot of time with a quick-change unit for your peel plate. Thanks to its Plug & Play locking system, it can be replaced in the blink of an eye to make your machine ready for operation again – all without extra tools or fiddly fine tuning. This clever upgrade option is available for almost all HERMA machines.

The quick-change unit holds the spigots of the swap-out part on the peel plate in place in the corresponding brackets in the rail, keeping them in exactly the same position the whole time. To open the retainer mechanism again, simply flip the lever and the peel plate can be removed. It couldn’t be easier!

The HERMA EasySplicer, designed for high volumes and cycle rates, allows a continuous labeling process – without the usual machine downtime during reel change. It is equipped with a label buffer so that your labeling machine continues running when it reaches the end of the reel, allowing leisurely label reel change.

The EasySplicer has two label reels arranged vertically, one above the other. The active label web is guided over a splicing table, where it is fixed at the end of the reel. The operator can then splice the new label web conveniently to the fixed web before the buffer runs out. Given 400 cycles at 5,000 labels per roll, this would happen every ten minutes. Do you see the efficiency gains from zero downtime?

When products that have been labeled are guided in backing packaging designated as a tray, continuous, error-free throughput is important. The HERMA tray loader puts you on the safe side. After being reliably separated, products are counted before a pneumatically driven switch routes a pre-set number of them towards the outfeed on one of two guide rails.

At the end of each guide rail, the correct product number is pushed over a transfer belt with back pressure plate onto one of the two run-out tables. During this process, products are stabilized on a plastic block; the operator then pushes them onto the inserted tray with a product sword. Backup features on the control panel ensure smooth operation.

Dispensing pre-printed labels often requires additional information on labels or products such as best before dates, batch numbers, bar and QR codes, and customer-specific data. A number of proven printing, stamping, and laser technologies are used, often complemented directly downstream by a control process with sensor, camera, and image processing solutions.

For customizing your new system or retrofitting and upgrading an existing machine, HERMA offers high-performance thermal transfer or direct thermal printers, hot-foil printers, and lasers. For immediate checking of the printed image, sensor-supported and camera-supported systems offer a number of recognition tools for flexible checking tasks. Sensitive information on the label or product can thus be reliably monitored, detected, and analyzed.

In a continuing labeling process, reel changes usually mean a great deal of lost time. A second unwinder can help here. Even if economic considerations preclude absolute zero downtime, this is a low-cost solution for greatly reducing downtime by changing to the next label reel faster. And handling is very easy.

The HERMA scope of delivery for a second motorized label unwinder includes a manual adhesion station. At the end of the reel, the machine stops, and the label web for the new roll is moved with the end of the old reel to the adhesion station and adhered. The new unwinder is activated with a mechanical switch, and the machine is restarted when the replacement process is acknowledged. The unwinder that is currently inactive is reloaded as operation continues.