LABELLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 11/21 www.petpla.net 32 melter and glue distribution control. With an integrated glue tank in the roll-fed labeller, a patented vertical melter and heating control, glue is melted on demand and always circulated at a precise temperature and in smaller quantities, increasing label application quality. This enables reduced glue consumption and prevents glue degradation, glue filaments, and glue splashing, for better overall quality and improved sustainability. The solution offers 40% less electricity consumption and needs no gears and transmissions and therefore no lubrication. About light-weighting: how has the move towards lighter bottles affected labelling? Artem Krukov: Packaging design has a critical impact on the efficiency of the entire supply chain. Over the past 30 years, we have more than halved the weight of a 1.5 l PET bottle, while increasing output speeds by 2.5 times, with considerable savings in terms of raw material and gains from a productivity perspective. Therefore, it is a story about “right-weighting” – making sure that the package is minimised while still maintaining its technical performance and high consumer appeal. Some manufacturers use nitrogen to add resistance and stability to the bottle. Sidel has designed its labellers so that they can manage the extra demands of bottle light-weighting with or even without nitrogen. The most advanced solution for handling lightweight bottles is the Super Combi, where the labeller is placed in between the blower and the filler as part of an all-in-one solution. With this setting, labels are applied on the empty bottles handled by the neck, reducing the risk of scratches and improving overall bottle quality. Another crucial factor in labelling is flexibility, and this relates to product personalisation. What is it, and how does it affect labels? Artem Krukov: Labels are key components of any brand marketing mix, allowing manufacturers to differentiate their products and give end consumers the information they need and increasingly expect. The growing variety of beverage types and bottle formats has made labelling increasingly challenging. More than ever, flexibility has become a valuable benefit to beverage producers. Top priorities today are faster product and format changeovers, simple operations and optimised processes that use the same equipment for different label types, while still ensuring consistent uptime. Product personalisation is about being able to produce smaller batches of products with their own labelling in a very short time. Hence, the main challenges are the short timeframe for creating customised graphics and labels. Personalising the label is a difficult process, as there are so many different elements involved. The change usually starts with marketing and then has to go through design and production phases and lastly storage and transport. In fact, the standard process for a label change can easily take over four months. With the rise of online shopping, there has been a challenge to supply consistent, unique and durable packaging and label solutions. This has opened new opportunities to offer personalised packaging solutions for product protection during shipping, by rightsizing the packaging and making sure that it provides a seamless brand experience for consumers. This is the reason why we also provide consultancy for customers regarding packaging design. We not only create bottle designs but also labels or secondary packaging, etc. How does Sidel help customers face this challenge? Artem Krukov: We fully understand the challenge, and that is why we have flexibility in mind. With Sidel’s EvoDeco labelling solutions, manufacturers can deliver different stock keeping units (SKUs). They might either include several labelling applications in one multi-technology machine or a single labelling application through dedicated equipment for optimised uptime, reduced footprint and low total cost of ownership (TCO). So manufacturers can use one machine for different labels? Artem Krukov: Exactly. It gives businesses the flexibility they need and allows them to produce most product types on a single machine. Thanks to the modular design and a variety of technologies, they allow companies to adapt multiple application methods in one compact machine. What is the most up-to-date Sidel labelling solution with high flexibility? Artem Krukov: The most flexible labelling solution to date from Sidel, the EvoDeco Multi, brings next-level modularity into labelling. It offers a standardised carousel that can be equipped with up to four different labelling technologies, including hot melt, roll-fed, self-adhesive and cold glue. Moreover, switching between various labelling modules is quick and easy thanks to plug & play connections, offering producers the freedom of labelling choice and total flexibility. Meanwhile, when being part of Sidel’s Super Combi settings, the labeller can run at up to 90,000 bph. Sidels EvoDeco Multi
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