FEATURE Coding, Labelling & Marking
ICE Vulcan labeller fi nds its Vocation in the craft beer market
C
learmark Solutions has partnered with the enterprising Vocation Brewery to install its first ICE Vulcan print-and-apply labelling system at the Halifax factory, guaranteeing to meet GS1 criteria, saving on cost and waste, and increasing turnover through quicker print runs to label boxes of beer, ready for shipment. Last year, with sales of craft beers soaring due to lockdown restrictions, when the nation’s drinking habits became home-based, Vocation Brewery had to look at new, faster ways of applying labels to its boxes whilst complying to GS1 regulations. Previously, labels were printed using a desktop printer and applied by hand, resulting in a slow process and labels that were not always clearly printed or neatly positioned. Now, with the investment in the ICE Vulcan print- and-apply labeller, the cost to label each box of craft beer has dropped by an incredible 90%, costing the brewery just half a penny per label. Print speeds can reach over 120ppm with a label capacity of 17,000 labels, more than twice the capacity of other labelling systems.
Humble beginnings
Since John Hickling established Vocation Brewery in a re-built chicken shed in 2015, it has gone from strength to strength, today employing 60 staff and selling up to 14 million cans per year. Vocation Brewery won its fi rst listing in Tesco stores in 2016 and now supplies standard- and bespoke-product lines to retailers such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Booths and Marks & Spencer. The ICE Vulcan print-and-apply labelling system has a non-pneumatic “air-less” design, using a unique direct- apply method that allows for extremely accurate label placement without an applicator. The system boasts Intelligent Motion technology which enables
22 November 2021 | Automation
precise automatic control of components and a 80% reduction of wear parts that traditionally caused unexpected downtime and cost. In the early days Vocation had 26 pallets returned as a result of incorrect barcodes and human error, causing the brewer to re-call and re-label the goods, which was time consuming and costly. With the ICE Vulcan system, using CLARiSOFT label design software, labels are designed and programmed for the operator to select using the CLARiTY operator touchscreen. CLARiTY allows operators to select from a list or pre- programmed jobs, eliminating operator intervention and human error. “Since automating our labelling
process, we’ve had zero defects – the ICE Vulcan print-and-apply system is 100% foolproof,” said Dan Sutcliff e-Tasker, Head of Packaging at Vocation Brewery. “In hindsight, we should have automated sooner.”
The ICE Vulcan has in-built tutorials to help operators perform functions such as changing the print head or thermal transfer ribbon and label reel with built-in print/save options, which means no ribbon is wasted in between prints. A height-adjustable stand enables the system to accommodate changes to box size in just a few seconds. “The main concern for us was individual placement of the label. There is no way a human operator can stand there on an eight-hour shift and hit the same mark every time, especially when things are moving so quickly. We needed stability and guaranteed repeatability that automation is known for. Since the ICE Vulcan was installed, accuracy has improved dramatically, with no issues,” said Sutcliffe-Tasker.
Above and below: Clearmark Solutions’s ICE Vulcan print-and-apply labelling system at the Vocation Brewery’s Halifax factory
Installation The project took just ten weeks to complete from initiation to installation. Thanks to surveys and CAD drawings, the small-sized ICE Vulcan slotted into the existing factory layout with little disruption to production. The ICE Vulcan has allowed the company to meet the demands posed by increased orders, both online and via supermarket distribution. “The products are much easier to identify now everything has a uniform label on it. We had to pass a Marks and Spencer transit trial to scan the barcodes individually before we sent the boxes, and we passed it with flying colours. Everything meets GS1 global standards for barcodes, which has encoded information such as product and serial numbers and batch codes, as well as product descriptions,” said Sutcliffe- Tasker.
CONTACT:
Clearmark Solutions
www.clearmark.uk
automationmagazine.co.uk
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