Interest in technologies that can produce late stage customisation with batch sizes as small as one is growing among many sectors, including the pharmaceutical, food, FMCG, and other industries. The reason: these technologies enable brand owners to perfectly personalise packaging, save resources during the packaging process, and fulfil market-specific demands more efficiently.
At FachPack 2019 from 24 - 26 September 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany, HERMA (hall 3A, booth 236) will present the new PA8 4C Print & Apply System, a solution break through that meets the demands of personalisation, efficiency and market demands while providing optimal colour quality. The system, one of the first of its kind, allows for full-colour, edge-to-edge print on white labels and the exact assignment of each completely individualised label to the respective packaging unit. Possible labelling types are top labelling as well as L- and C-shape labelling. The label applicator, which was especially developed for this system, ensures that only the last label printed is applied. Memjet® VersaPass technology is used to manage the printing of the labels. “We choose Memjet for this solution because of its outstanding print quality”, says Ulrich Fischer, Head of Product Management at HERMA’s Labelling Machines Division. “In addition to image quality, the safety of the water-based ink is ideally suited for applications in the pharmaceutical or food industries.”
Suitable labels for Memjet® technology are available as paper or PP film versions with glossy or matt surfaces. Memjet’s integrated four colour management system (CMYK) ensures that preset colour accuracy, for logos and defined spot colours of a brand owner design, are achieved with precision regardless of the label material. “Packaging that has been individualised in that manner meets brand owner requirements and increase marketing effectiveness”, says Fischer.
Just-in-time design
Ulrich Fischer points out: “As we are frequently talking about very small batch sizes in late stage customisation, one will always have to consider for each case whether automated systems make economic sense.” Regarding packaging dimensions, the system is currently designed for sizes between 90 x 50 x 15 mm to 150 x 150 x 30 mm (L x W x H). Format sets are used to adapt the system to different packaging sizes. Label sizes can vary between 45 x 85 mm to 175 x 150 mm (W x L). “Combined with the possible labelling types, this gives users maximum design freedom”, adds Martin Kühl, head of HERMA’s Labelling Machines Division. “The system allows them to design only the actually required packaging unit just in time, with no need to store many pre-printed folding cartons.“
