The company told FoodProductionDaily.com that its breakthrough Rollsleeve machine incorporates a string of technological advances that simplify the converting phase and produces high-shrinkage full or partial body labels that are 50 per cent thinner than comparable systems.
Innovations and return on investment
A stand-out feature of the system is that the ‘tubing’ process takes place inside the machine, eliminating the need to outsource sleeve manufacture.
The use of so-called ‘machine direction orientation’ (MDO) film to create the tubes brings material saving costs of up to 30 per cent compared to traditional transversal direction orientation films (TDO), said Raffaelle Pace, Sidel product manager for labelling. Using films MDO-produced films - a method where the material is stretched in the same direction as the machine as opposed to across it - means the sleeve forming and welding phases are completely eliminated from the converting process.
This step-change also means that the system requires more than three times fewer reel changes. Shipping and warehousing costs are also cut because the higher label output realises greater efficiencies in use of film material, added the firm.
Sidel estimated that a company with a throughput of 200m bottle a year could expect to see a return on investment in just 18 months based solely on label material cost savings.
The new system is able to apply labels of just 18 microns – compared to traditional sleevers that operate with a minimum thickness of around 50 microns, said the company. Stress on the film is minimised as the label is tubed and wrapped in situ by lowering the container into the material without any machine movement.
Flexibility
Its ability to switch between applications, operate with all kinds of packaging and its reduced footprint of around 50 per cent means the system is a highly flexible one, said Sidel.
The machine is able to change from sleeving to hot-glue roll-fed operation thanks to its unique patented technology. Changeovers between applications take about 10 minutes more than normal format switches and can be carried out via a simple routine operation from the operator’s panel, said the company.
Rollsleeve can label all types of packing material - from glass and cans to PET – in any shape or format. The sealing system offers flexibility in terms of label materials. Sidel said it had successfully tested all the main available materials, including recycled PET, at thicknesses of between 18-150µ, with shrinkage of up to 60 per cent.
Quality
The company said the sealing area of the label can be positioned accurately at its edge thanks to the technology’s ‘heat and cool’ sealing system. Seaming is carried out in the machine and without the use of solvents.
“This means the final overlap has no visual or tactile flaws after shrinkage,” added Pace.
The machine maintains the highest quality of labelling – even at high speeds, said the company. Quality isn’t dependent on the height of the container as the tube label is not lowered from above as with comparable systems.
Technical features
It has a maximum speed of up to 54,4000 bottle per hour and can operate with a label height from 50mm to 230mm on bottle sizes up to 1.5 litres with diameters ranging from 50mm to 100mm.