Pallet labeling is the last step before the shipment of products, and it is the process by which production is finished. It is vital that the identification is correct in order to be able to track the products once they enter the Supply Chain. This is the goal of United Barcode Systems.
A pallet label is the seal to the production process and the document containing a summary of the products shipped. Ensuring that this label is placed correctly facilitates the automation of logistics processes and guarantees the correct reading of the barcodes printed on it. It is important that the printed barcodes comply with GS1 standards so that readers can make a correct interpretation of the information stored on the label.
In addition, the structure of the pallet label, the optional label data, its dimensions, its positioning, or the location of the symbols are fully regulated by different standards, so it is important to have compact, reliable and easy-to-integrate equipment that meets the requirements of GS1 international with regard to pallet labeling.
APL Series printing and labeling equipment and UBS LabMan data management software ensure the correct identification of all types of pallets as they travel through the Supply Chain to meet today's challenges of automation, traceability and speed.
1. Automation in printing and label application
The dimensions of the label, the positioning of the label and the information it must contain are the three variables that will determine the success of pallet identification at the end of the line. And the way to ensure that the entire process is carried out correctly, without errors and in compliance with the standards set by GS1 is by automating labeling.
APL 8000 Series is a highly efficient 1, 2 or 3-sided automatic label printing and application equipment, capable of adapting to lines with high speeds or cadences and to industrial environments with hostile atmospheres.
2. Variable heights and remounted pallets
The new logistic requirements, thanks to the evolution of end-of-line machinery and the different transport possibilities, nowadays there are different palletizing variants: stacked pallets, half stacked pallets and pallets with variable heights.
For the labeling of pallets of variable heights or stacked pallets, UBS offers the APL 8000 ELV, solution, within the range of automatic label applicators for tertiary packaging (pallets).
Thanks to its elevator system, the APL 8000 ELV can print and apply labels with variable data in real time automatically, from a height of 800mm to a height of 2,400mm, moving at high speed. This ensures a high labeling rate, complete reliability and perfect label positioning.
3. Supply Chain communication and traceability
The APL 8000 and APL 8000 ELV, thanks to their ease of integration, simplify the connection to any information or automation system through UBS LabMan software, which allows the management and exchange of data with any ERP, MES, WMS or DBMS system.
UBS LabMan is a web application designed for the management and control of labeling, coding and marking systems, an ideal tool thanks to an intuitive, simple and modern user interface and a powerful communication management for data processing.
Through UBS LabMan you can identify the origin of products from different lines, manage print queues and integrate and centralize this data with the ERP/MES of each company to create and generate labels for each logistics unit, with all the information that must be included for proper storage, transport, and traceability, following the recommendations and regulations of GS1 international.
With all this equipment, as well as other case and pallet labeling ranges, UBS demonstrates the high standards of quality, productivity and sustainability with which it designs and manufactures its equipment. The challenges of the logistics industry are now easier thanks to UBS.
