Today’s industry demands reliable and efficient machines for product labeling. Machines need to have speed, precision and flexibility and any failure, even in the short-term, would be costly and annoying. Blume Systeme GmbH has developed fully-automated solutions including labeling equipment and inkjet printers with durable and maintenance-free drylin bearing technology from igus, the Germany-based supplier of motion plastics.

A customer request for a labeler with a flexible format adjustment prompted Blume Systeme GmbH to begin working with igus five years ago. The customer needed a device that can attach labels of various sizes and whose setting can be flexibly adapted to the product to be labeled.

In search of a solution for the adjustment unit, the labeling systems manufacturer came across igus. “Three things were decisive for us: price, reliability and the fulfilment of technical requirements,” recalls Andreas Koch, Sales Director at Blume. Products from igus were included in the company’s Tamper Evident labellers, a compact unit used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries to apply various sealing labels to products of different sizes. The product helps ensure that the purchaser is the first person to open the package.

Faster Installation
Initially, Blume employees assembled the igus components for the adjustment unit themselves and installed them on the Tamper Evident. Assembly, however, proved to be time consuming. “We wanted to make this process more effective and speed up the installation of the adjustment unit in the Tamper Evident. So, we got igus back on board,” Koch explains.

To simplify the process and shorten assembly times, igus offered a ready-to-install format adjustment unit. The production of individual labelling systems is not uncommon for Blume. “igus offers individual solutions. Special product requests are very appealing to us, because it makes us even more flexible. This allows us to respond even better to the wishes of our customers,” says Koch.

The drylin linear guides give the Tamper Evident maximum flexibility in the adjustment of the labeller. They are also resistant to dust and dirt, making the labeller also suitable for harsh environments. In addition, the linear guides operate without additional lubrication, since their sliding elements contain incorporated lubricants. “This not only saves our customers maintenance time, but also costs for maintenance and lubricants,” Koch says.

Long service life
The long service life of the drylin linear guides enables Blume Systeme GmbH to supply its customers with a top-quality product. The repeatability, precision and speed of the drylin® components reduced the batch change time of the Tamper Evident. Koch is convinced that these specifications pay off for customers.

“This labeller can attach 500 sealing labels per minute,’’ Koch says. “It pays off every second that you can save in adjustment.” That’s why the complete automation of label changes and format settings is a topic that is consistently pursued at Blume. It saves additional time and reduces sources of error. “We are already planning new projects with igus for the future, as the demand for our machines is increasing,’’ Koch says.

igus
www.igus.com