We all know that in the cosmetics and toiletries market, the shapes and sizes of the containers (bottles, vials, jars, cans etc.) are largely dictated by the marketers, who see the design and graphics of the packaging as an important medium for product recognition and promotion.
This in turn influences the technical aspects of the production and packaging lines for cosmetic products, from filling up to the final and crucial labelling phase, in which the final product image comes together before it is assembled and sent on to the distribution network.
Thus, faced with the cosmetic industry's overriding need to adapt its production lines to ever-changing marketing requirements, it is important to have highly flexible packaging systems on hand which can be quickly adapted to the required performance and formats.
ALline E/C is, indeed, a linear labelling system for front, back and wraparound labelling of flat, elliptical and cylindrical shaped containers. The system is designed to allow fast format changes (often without changing any machine components) and easy adjustment of the labelling parameters, which are stored in combination with the corresponding formats to be reloaded when necessary.
The configuration of the ALline E/C features two electronically synchronised labelling heads, which can be adjusted and tilted, one of which is equipped with a print unit for expiry and production dates. This is all housed in a solid structure with a conveyor and various devices for spacing, orientating and rolling the packages, where necessary, as well as an integral guard equipped with controls on both sides.
The labelling performance is highly impressive (200-300/min is the “cruising” production speed depending on the type of product and label), as is the precision and quality of the application. But what really sets ALTECH's linear system apart is the easy and constant communication with the operator via alarms and sensors alongside touchscreen control panels.