How does automation work in labeling processes?

This depends entirely on your specific situation. Key factors are the size of your label and the type of packaging the label needs to be applied to.

Since this can vary significantly per company and product, there's no one-size-fits-all answer - we're happy to advise you based on your specific packaging and labels.

Meat processing is one of the more advanced applications, where a number of factors come together. Think of line speed, packaging dimensions, label format, and the text that needs to be printed.

It also matters whether tare weighing is used (deducting the weight of the packaging itself). In addition, integration with your business software - an ERP system or Warehouse Management System (WMS) - is often essential, so the correct product data automatically ends up on the label.

Alongside the right hardware with the right specifications, software plays a significant role too. This makes a meat processing line considerably more complex than a regular, non-food-related line, and calls for a solution fully tailored to your specific process.

It starts with determining the line speed: how many packages per minute need to be processed? It's also important to know on which side of the packaging the label needs to be applied.

With this basic information, we can quickly determine the right direction to look in, as there are quite a few options on the market. Tailored advice is valuable here in finding the right, suitable solution.

This varies per situation, but we generally work with a range of about 25 to 120 pieces per minute.

If it's purely about coding, for example applying a best-before date, higher speeds are possible. Speeds of up to around 200 pieces per minute are achievable for us as well.

The final speed depends on your specific product, packaging, and requirements - we're happy to advise on what speed is achievable for your application.

This is always a tailored calculation, based on a number of concrete factors: how many pieces you want to label and how much time your current (semi-)manual process actually takes.

Once these parameters are known, we can calculate how quickly the investment in a machine will pay for itself.

In practice, we often see that an investment pays for itself within a year, for example because fewer staff are needed for labeling or because the same team can handle more production. For larger automation projects, we use a guideline that the investment should typically pay for itself within three years.

An incorrect price on the label usually arises because something goes wrong in the connection between your scale, the software, and the printer, or because data is entered manually. By setting up this process properly, you can largely prevent errors.

First, make sure there's a direct connection between the scale and the point-of-sale or ERP system, so the weight is automatically converted into the correct price and no manual input is needed. Manual input is, after all, one of the most common sources of errors.

Also use a calibrated scale when weight forms the basis for price calculation. A calibrated scale is certified and sealed, ensuring accuracy is guaranteed and cannot be accidentally or unauthorizedly adjusted.

Have price changes, such as promotional prices or new per-kilo prices, updated centrally in the system rather than on individual devices. This prevents some machines from still working with an outdated price.

Regularly check the settings and operation of your equipment, for example through an annual inspection of your scales. This way, you can be sure the weight is measured correctly and translates into the right price on the label.

Tegra Systems is happy to help think through the right connection between scale, software, and labeling system, so pricing errors are kept to a minimum.