A Packhouse manager who installed Dix High Speed Automatic Fruit Labellers couldn’t be happier with their performance.
The packhouse has two banks of labellers mounted on their 2–lane sizer one after the other – one for large fruit and one for smaller fruit. “They are brilliant. It’s nice to put the labels up and go away and forget about it.”
A quick look at the waste reel on the labeller shows how well the equipment is performing. The labellers are currently running just below maximum speed, at 420 stickers a minute (maximum speed is about 600 stickers a minute).
Another handy feature is being able to turn off one size and allow fruit to go through unlabelled, if desired. These label applicators are inter-phased with the sizer computer programme so we can easily select what we want labelled according to fruit size.”
The packhouse buys their labels from EQM Industrial, as we carry a full selection of generic apple and pear labels. We are able to custom design and print branded labels in many shapes and sizes as well.
“It’s brilliant. I do a big label order at the beginning of December, which gives them time to order in what we need. It’s just a matter of keeping an eye on it throughout the season”.
The fact the labels are a poly material rather than the traditional paper means any stock left over at the end of the season, can be stored and used the following season. Another distinct advantage of poly over paper is that it is harder to break. The poly also allows the printer to produce thinner labels, which stick and conform to the fruit better.
“It certainly makes it a lot easier in a packhouse when you have no issues,” she concludes.
