Newman Labelling, a manufacturer of labelling systems for the pharmaceutical industry, recently collaborated with METTLER TOLEDO and Nick Oldfield Limited to design and deliver a product labelling system with barcode and print inspection capabilities. Newman had worked with Nick Oldfield in the past, and Nick has also worked closely with METTLER TOLEDO on numerous other projects.
This collaboration involved the design of a product labeller that would include a vision inspection element. The vision system inspects the barcode on the label – making certain the correct label is present. The system also carries out other quality checks such as the lot code or batch number to spot overprinting or other errors. In the event of a labelling error, the incorrect label is removed from production before it is applied to the product.
The main challenge when it came to the design of this particular system was in the positioning of the control cabinet. Space was limited on the production line, and the concern was that operators would not be able to access the system easily.
The solution was simple: all of the control elements of the system are contained in a single terminal. The terminal is mounted on castors, enabling it to be move around as needed and allowing for flexibility in its positioning throughout the workday. This resulted in a system that passed the customer's acceptance test at the first attempt.
Our video covers the complete history of the project and walks through the system features and capabilities. It also mentions the long history between Nick Oldfield and Newman Labelling, and allows them to explain why they decided to work with METTLER TOLEDO in order to create this barcode and print inspection system.
