Description
This device is used in conjunction with a label applicator or labeling system which because of high application rates faces the potential for label roll supply exhaustion thus interrupting production. Certain production situations have such high rates of label application that stopping to replace label rolls can be frequent and can significantly increase production costs or create product back up. The application of advertising labels to the front page of newspapers, which has become popular over recent years, is a prime example. Another example is high speed pharmaceutical packaging lines which can find stops to replace label rolls to be very costly.
The Re-Pack Dual Label Unwind provides a continuous supply of labels and eliminates down time due to roll changes. Production lines using this system never have to stop to replace an exhausted roll of labels.
This stand-alone unit works in the following fashion: Two (2) rolls of labels, 20” od each, are placed on the supply reels (such size rolls are of much greater capacity than the usual 8”-12’ od rolls used on most traditional labeling systems). The top roll of labels is threaded over the splicing table that is part of the dual unwind system and through the drive roller assembly of the dual unwind. The label web is then placed into the surge bin and threaded onto the label applicator as normal. As labeling progresses and the first roll of labels begins to run out, the low level of labels on the first roll is detected by a sensor. Once that low level of labels is detected on the primary/first supply reel, an alarm light is triggered and the surge bin is filled with the remaining labels on that roll. While the surge bin is being emptied of the remaining labels, the leader of the second roll of labels will be brought to the splicing area and spliced to the trail end of the first label roll.
Once the surge bin begins to exhaust its label supply from the first roll, the drives of the dual unwind once again take over and continue to supply labels to the labeler from the second roll without interruption to production. While the second roll of labels is being used, the first/primary roll is replaced with a new fresh 20” od roll of labels. When the second roll begins to exhaust and is sensed at a low level the alarm is once again triggered and the process is reversed and labeling continues without interruption.
If uninterrupted labeling would eliminate expensive production stops or product backups, the Re-Pack Dual Roll Unwind System may be an excellent means of avoiding these situations.