Why Every F&B Manufacturer Needs Automated Packaging & Labelling Alongside Date Code Checks
As a responsible food and drink manufacturer, you understand the significance of delivering safe and trustworthy products to consumers worldwide. Customers trust your brand to give them safe, tasty products, and they want to know they can trust what's on the label. That’s why automated packaging and label verification alongside date code checks play a crucial role, serving as your dedicated quality control team to guarantee perfection.
As a responsible food and drink manufacturer, you understand the significance of delivering safe and trustworthy products to consumers. Customers trust your brand to give them safe, tasty products, and they want to know they can trust what's on the label. This is where automated packaging and label verification alongside date code checks play a crucial role, serving as your dedicated quality control team to guarantee perfection.
Why You Need Automated Packaging and Label Checks
When you're making hundreds, thousands, or even millions of items, it's hard to keep an eye on every single one. But your customers are counting on you to get it right. If a package goes out with the wrong label or missing information, it could be dangerous or even life-threatening to someone with allergies. Plus, if you're an own-label manufacturer, most retailers, including Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s, require a continuous online verification system.
With automated packaging and label verification system, you can check every single item you produce to make sure it's packaged and labelled correctly.
How OAL automated packaging and label verification works: We install cameras on your production line that scan every package. They check it against the job you're running and if something's not right, they'll stop the line so you can fix it. It's like having a second pair of eyes that never get tired or distracted.
The system stops the line and alarms if there is a fail-safe fault including:
Wrong packaging detected
Excessive no reads, product detected but no barcode found
Sensor failure
It's not just about safety and law either. If your products always look perfect and professional, it's good for your business. People are more likely to trust and buy from a brand that looks like they've got their act together.
Watch how the automated label verification works:
Why You Need Date Code Verification
Accurate date codes are equally crucial. They inform retailers and customers about the product's manufacturing and expiry dates, preventing early spoilage or unnecessary discarding of perfectly good stock. Incorrect date codes can tarnish your reputation and adversely affect your bottom line.
The good news is OAL has a system for this too. Our system configures your printers to ensure the accurate printing of date codes for each job, eliminating human errors like typos or incorrect printer settings.
Our AI vision system, known as APRIL Eye, meticulously inspects every date code to ensure correctness and legibility. It adapts effortlessly to different fonts, sizes, and positions, showcasing its exceptional versatility.
Wrapping It Up
So, why do you need automated label and packaging verifications alongside date code checks? It's simple: to make sure your customers can trust your products, to follow the law, and to keep your products looking their best. It's all about taking pride in what you do and making sure you're delivering the best for your customers.
At the end of the day, OAL's systems are there to help you do just that. Need help? Let’s have a chat.
How much does a label and date code verification system cost?
We take you through the factors that affect the price of a label and date code verification system. Every business has its own requirements, so a single price can’t cover every packaging line scenario but by the end of this article you will have a solid understanding of the factors that drive cost.
One of the first questions many food manufacturers ask when automating their packaging lines is how much does label and date code verification (Autocoding) cost?
This is a great question, but, unfortunately, there is no black and white answer.
In this article, we will take you through the factors that affect the price of a label and date code verification system. Every business has its own requirements, so a single price can’t cover every packaging line scenario but by the end of this article you will have a solid understanding of the factors that drive cost.
Once we’ve covered standard functionality, we’ll review additional “added value” options.
“Standard functionality” is subjective. Our definition ensures compliance with all current retailer codes of practice but these requirements are constantly evolving. A current requirement in demand is date code verification, the ability to read the date code printed on the pack. As food manufacturers move towards unmanned packaging lines, advanced vision for online date code verification is becoming increasingly prevalent and will likely become “standard” over the next couple of years.
How much does Autocoding cost?
A standard label and date code verification system (Autocoding) can cost anywhere from £10,000 up to £40,000+ per packaging line.
Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why is there a big difference in price per line” Here’s why...
A standard label and date code verification system is made up of:
Hardware: Line terminals (IPCs, HMIs, PLCs), 1D/2D barcode scanners, vision cameras, sensors, brackets and accessories.
Labour: Installation, commissioning, software integration and training.
Software: The system software is typically modular and supplied on a one-off perpetual licence. Some vendors may offer software as a service (SAAS).
The complexity of a solution will dictate whether your system is leaning towards the low/high side of the cost spectrum. The key drivers of complexity are:
Packaging complexity. The number of packaging elements and SKUs.
System functionality: Packaging verification. Date code control. Vision. OEE. Paperless, to name a few.
System integration: A stand-alone system is the most cost-effective option however there are big benefits to integrating with existing business systems like your ERP, MES or other systems.
Standard functionality
What is the standard functionality for a label and date code verification system?
One of the main reasons for buying a label and date code verification system is compliance with a retailer’s code of practice.
Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury, Waitrose, M&S, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Co-op, Amazon all have slightly different technical requirements.
For the purpose of comparison, our definition of standard functionality ensures compliance with all codes of practice (but please get in touch with us if you need specific advice).
We’ve broken down the costs as follows alongside the requirements to satisfy retailer’s codes of practice:
Line terminals
Packaging verification – 1D/2D barcode scanners
Printer control
Software
Database manager
Line terminal
Reporting
Training and audits
Line terminals and HMIs
Example of a line terminal
Each packaging line will require a line terminal for the operator to select jobs and complete quality checks. The line terminal requires a hand scanner for completing checks and a login method e.g. RFID or ID card scan.
The line terminal can be wall-mounted or on a stainless-steel pedestal and requires a power and ethernet connection. The line terminal is normally located where operators currently conduct their paper-based checks.
Typically, each packaging line will have its own dedicated line terminal, but some may have a 2nd line terminal or use a mobile device for quality checks if there is a high-low care divide.
For compliance, the system must be suitable for use in a food packaging environment and the line terminal should be a minimum of IP65 with a colour touchscreen interface.
Hardware costs have been subject to fluctuation due to supply chain issues and double-digit percentage increases have been common. Provided good access, a single line terminal should be installed within half a day. For a budget cost, we would advise £9,000 per line terminal, installed and commissioned.
Packaging verification - 1D/2D barcode scanners
The system must automatically monitor all packaging throughout the production run to ensure the product is always packed in the correct packaging.
Systems will use inline barcode scanners to scan the barcodes on the packaging and verify it’s correct. The number of scanners required per line depends on:
The number of packaging elements. For instance, one scanner to read the lid and one to read the base label.
Artwork position of barcodes. The same packaging may have the barcode in a different position for different customers. Additional scanners may be required to “see” the barcode.
A quick google search reveals the cost of barcode scanners can vary from £800 to £7,000+ per scanner based on the functionality and capabilities they offer. To meet code of practice requirements and to minimise downtime, a high-performance scanner is required:
The system must show the number of ‘Good reads’, ‘No Reads’ and ‘Mismatches’ detected. The system should ensure no ‘Misreads’ or ‘Mismatches’ and be guaranteed for a Six Sigma Accuracy (99.99966%) level i.e. 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO).
The scanner should also be capable of reading both conventional 1D linear barcodes (e.g. EAN13/8) as well as 2D Data matrix barcodes.
See: 1D and 2D barcodes - what’s the difference?
Aside from the hardware cost of a scanner, time is required for an engineer to install and commission each scanner. Again, the amount of time required is subject to a number of factors (access to the packaging line, mounting arrangement) but per scanner, engineering time will typically start from 4 hours. For a budget cost, we would advise £3,000 per scanner, installed and commissioned.
Printer control and monitoring
Printer control requires the system to automatically set up all online date coding or label printing devices from the database date code information.
Each printer manufacturer will charge a one-off licence fee to connect to each printer. Time is required for the commissioning of each printer. For a budget, we would advise £3,000 per printer, installed and commissioned.
The label and date code verification system will integrate with the printer company label creation software:
Domino printers will use QuickDesign.
ICE/Videojet/Linx printers will use Clarisoft
Markem printers will use COLOS.
Printer control removes the risk of operator error from entering the wrong date code for the printer to print but doesn’t guarantee the date code actually printed on the pack. Some printers now offer the ability to check the print ribbon to validate the print is applied. To fully close the loop, a picture can be taken of the printed date code on the pack and validated with vision/AI to check the printed date code is correct on the pack. See advanced vision below.
Software
The system software comprises:
Database manager. Software to view and manage the master product database. The database is installed on an existing SQL server managed by the manufacturer.
Line terminal. Software to run jobs and complete quality checks on the packaging line.
Reporting. Software to report on jobs, quality checks and traceability.
Typically, the software is modular and sold on a one-off perpetual licence as part of a turn-key solution. The software will require configuration, installation, commissioning and testing by trained engineers. The amount of engineering time will depend on the total number of devices and configurations required for each packaging line.
To ensure code of practice compliance the software must:
Have a central auditable database of packaging components and date coding rules for every product SKU, which resides on a central server in the system.
Create a central electronic audit log for all factory line events. The audit log must not be compromised by network or central server failure.
Manage system access with authorisation level based on user role. Hence, the requirement to login to the line terminal with RFID or a swipe card.
The system must have the ability to manage production exception conditions such as process or equipment concessions in an auditable way.
The system must have the ability to deploy the product data from the central database to a factory-based line terminal in such a way that the integrity and use of the system is not compromised by either network or central computer failure.
The system must be resilient against accidental or deliberate human error or tampering. Examples of the types of events that must be protected against include:
Disabling of packaging barcode scanning devices by unplugging, covering or misdirecting
Disabling of product detection PECs by unplugging, covering or misdirecting
Disconnection of the communication links between the system and date coders or labellers
Over-riding code set-up information from the system by direct entry/modification of the deployed date code at the coder screen
Training and audits
Users of the label and date code verification system will require training. Training is typically split between 3 groups:
Technical super-users: People responsible for entering and maintaining SKU information in the product database.
Engineering: People responsible for physical system maintenance.
Operators: People who use the system daily to run jobs on the packaging line.
The total amount of training will depend on the number of people in each category and your own production schedule. For a site with 10 packaging lines, we would expect a minimum of 5 days of on-site training to cover all 3 groups.
The majority of retailers also request the system is audited annually by the technology supplier to ensure the system if functioning correctly.
Additional system functionality
Label and date code verification systems typically offer additional functionality to help improve payback and offer a seamless user experience. Typical additional functionality includes:
Downtime recording and reporting – OEE. The same system infrastructure (line terminals, database etc.) can also record downtime and pack counts for OEE and other performance measures. Pack count sensors will need to be installed and software configured. There will likely be additional software licence costs. Prices will likely vary from £5,000 to £12,000 per packing line.
Date code verification (optical character verification). Read back the printed date code on the pack and verify it’s correct to the currently running job. Additional cameras will need to be installed and commissioned to take the pictures. A central high powered server is required to process the images. Prices will typically start from £12,000 per packaging line subject to specific requirements.
Integration of the system with planning/ERP/MES software. The master product database can be populated from your existing ERP or MES system.
Paperless quality assurance. Often paperless quality checks are included free of charge with a “standard” label and date code verification system.
Checkweigher and other device reporting.
Next steps
Putting this all together, a budget turn-key price per packaging line with 2 scanners (top and base label) and one printer connection is £18,000. As highlighted, there are a number of factors that can push this price up and down. Savings can also be made when buying multiple lines and software licenses at the same time. The only way to know exactly how much a label and date code verification (Autocoding) system will cost is to schedule a site visit for an experienced engineer to review your requirements and create a solution for your business.
How to use OEE waterfall reports to add value to food manufacturing operations
Ask production staff how well the morning run has gone and the conversation could go one of several ways. “It was OK, we managed to get the order out” or “It was terrible, everything that could go wrong went wrong”. Neither is particularly helpful to the maintenance or continuous improvement teams trying to get to the facts to assess what really needs to be done.
The OK comment could easily be hiding a multitude of problems – we may have managed to meet the order demand, but at what cost? We remember talking to one first-line manager who felt the first six hours of the shift had been OK but had not realised 90 minutes had been lost through a variety of speed losses and stoppages. 90 minutes lost in six hours is probably not 'OK' by most measures.
The “everything went wrong” comment is probably worse, “it’s making a funny noise” doesn’t really help the maintenance team when they arrive, especially when the noise has already stopped.
Step forward, the "OEE Waterfall" technique. When the technique is applied to OEE it becomes a consistent and user-friendly way of showing the real impact of production performance. A waterfall might appear to be an unusual model on which to base an OEE production report but when the object of the exercise is to reduce wasted time in the production process it’s a good way to visualise how well, or how badly, things are working.
The OEE waterfall graph for a food manufacturer
The OEE Waterfall graph shows one day of production.
Plan - our production aspiration, the time we intend to run the plant to fulfil the order demand, they are planning to run for 18 hours per day.
Mechanical/electrical. Downtime associated with mechanical or electrical faults.
Operational issues. Downtime such as slow running machinery,
Planned – Planned downtime has been scheduled in and would cover off product changeovers, breaks etc.
Short stoppages – Short stops - these can be particularly damaging for OEE.
Variance to standard – Poor product quality.
Waiting for internal – Waiting for internal resources, this will drill down to labour, ingredients etc.
Added value – ‘Added Value’ the true point of the exercise, our production aspiration was 18 hours but we managed to add value to the business for just 9.5 hours.
Baseline captured, time to improve.
Once that baseline of Added Value is generated, in the above example 10 hours, we can continue to capture accurate data and create an improvement culture.
Publish the results. Many customers chose to highlight KPIs on large TVs in the canteen so everyone can see the improvements made.
Techniques to improve.
Agree to a blame amnesty; it’s not about fault it’s about resolution
Create a top 5 or top 10 loss wall in the CI campaign room
Take a series of photographs of the loss to be improved
Take a photograph of the person accountable for that improvement
Show the position of that loss by generating a graph of top 5 or top 10 losses
Generate a graph for the specific loss over time, usually thirteen weeks
Document an improvement plan of action to resolve the issue
Record progress and meet weekly to monitor resolution
React to a lack of progress and provide additional support to the person accountable as required
Don’t change direction when things get tough, or change the system
Just keep remembering the effect of a low ‘added value’ score. In the illustration above the factory has funded the assets, labour, materials and energy costs to the tune of 18 hours per day but has only gained 9.5 hours of effective production output, fit for sale, in return. It’s sobering to consider that virtually every improvement that increases that value of 9.5 hours either reduces the loss or goes straight to the bottom line as profit.
How to prevent promo label errors
Promotional labels are a staple of the food industry. Whether it’s offer messaging, like 3 for 2, or product information, such as 100% organic, the options for additional flashes to entice consumers are endless. But ensuring the right promo label is applied to each product, on top of the standard packaging checks that are required, can be difficult and it’s easy to lose track and send out products with incorrect promos – potentially leading to a product recall costing tens of thousands of pounds. We can all agree that this situation is best avoided so how can you prevent promo label errors? Automation can help.
Leave behind complex, paper-based checks…
Ensuring that the right product leaves the factory in the correct packaging with the authorised date code can already be a complex job without automation, with various paper-based checks and approvals. But if you add in promo labels, this brings a whole new level of complexity that can cause problems on the packaging line. Whether your promo labels are applied automatically by your bagger or flow wrapper, or you’re affixing stickers directly to an individual item, without any identifiable features such as a 1D or 2D code, you’re reliant on your operators to match the right product with the right packaging and the right promo label every time. This can be a tall order even with paper checks and control procedures as it’s easy for things to be missed in a busy factory floor with hundreds of products coming down the packaging line every minute.
In most instances with your retail customers, if you apply the wrong promo label, you’ll receive a fine, in addition to the costs associated with removing the product, alongside other indirect costs, such as reputational damage or loss of contracts, so it’s imperative to get this right. But with the risks associated with paper-based and visual checks, you need a more robust system.
Say hello to automation!
The OAL Connected system solves the problem of complex, paper-based checks by automating all label and date code checks. With OAL Connected you can ensure that you have the right product in the right packaging with the right date code every time. And promos can be seamlessly added into these processes. By tracking promo labels as an additional packaging element within your master product database, we’re able to verify the promo label against the running job via offline quality checks at the start of runs and/or at timed intervals, depending on your needs, or as an in-line check, verifying each promo label on every pack. In this way we’re not just detecting promo label presence, we’re actually checking that the right one is present and correct.
Once you’ve mastered your automated checks, some food manufacturers want to take advantage of on-pack verification for verifying promo label details (e.g. colour, shape, characters etc.) using our APRIL Eye vision technology. Our AI-based system can actually read the label, adding an additional level of security to your packaging line.
At OAL Connected, we understand how important it is to prevent any promo label errors. With our robust, flexible and reliable automated checks you can have the confidence that your packaging will be correct every time, saving you time and money. Speak to our experts today and we can advise on the best approach for your facility.
Get the right promo on the right pack every time with OAL Connected.
Online label printing - save money and reduce downtime
In many food facilities, there’s no doubt that offline printing seems convenient, but it can often be problematic. With numerous grower codes, batch sequences and use-by dates to be printed on to individual labels along with the retailer specifications for each SKU, there’s a lot of potential for error. What’s more, the changeover process itself can result in a significant amount of downtime - reducing your efficiency and costing you money. With so many deadlines and volumes to meet, manufacturers just can’t afford these losses. But what if we said you could increase efficiency, minimise downtime and even achieve up to 20% labour cost savings a year, all by printing your labels online?
Minimise downtime
Downtime in some form feels like an inevitability on the packaging line. Whether incurred through initial start-up checks or time spent waiting during a multi-line label changeover, downtime can steadily build. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You may not have considered it but offline printing is a major cause of downtime. If all of your labels are printed centrally rather than directly on the line, your product runs could be stopped for up to 15 minutes at each changeover while the line is emptied and the next batch of labels is collected and loaded into the line. Once you factor in this stoppage on each of your lines at every product changeover every day... you can see how the downtime builds up, impacting your volumes and increasing your labour costs as your operators have nothing to do for hours each day. For example, if you’re running 80 SKUs on 10 lines, an average changeover of 15 minutes could be costing you up to 20 hours in downtime a day.
Yet with an automated system controlling your printer, you could seamlessly print your labels online and apply them directly to your products, with the right label and information at each changeover. No more downtime between products, increasing your productivity and allowing you to reduce headcount on your line, resulting in up to 20% of annual labour savings.
Reduce waste
By printing labels in real-time, you can reduce the amount of waste from labels printed in advance, as we find that most manufacturers generally over-print to ensure that they have enough to cover each product run. If you consider that you may print 500 additional labels ‘just in case’ with each product run for each line each day, the waste soon adds up. And that’s not even taking into account the waste generated when the wrong label is printed. By printing your labels directly on the line, you can save money on materials in the longer term, as well as helping to contribute to your company’s green initiatives.
Improve accuracy
While the idea of increased productivity and reduced costs and waste is undoubtedly appealing, you may worry about the accuracy of real-time label printing. After all, the last thing you want is a product recall due to incorrect product labelling. That’s where a robust label & date code verification system comes in. Our original Autocoding solution controls the printer to ensure the right information is printed, and then as a final step, our scanners will check that the information on the pack matches the job set up for the line.
For optimal results, we recommend customers use 2D barcodes as they are able to store the batch code, grower number, use-by date and much more in one small area that can be easily read by our system. All of the information is set up by the Technical team so the operators on the line are removed from the process. In this way, our system acts as the final kill step, identifying what the date code is and matching it back to the product run information, rather than just checking that it matches the date put into the printer by the operator, giving you peace of mind that the right product with the right packaging will reach your customers.
Let us help you to boost your efficiency and save money by printing your labels online!
Video: 5 key audit checks for autocoding compliance
Discover the five key audit checks to ensure your autocoding and automation systems comply with retailers code of practice. Faye Louch, Trainer at OAL Connected, explains the five key areas she looks at when auditing food manufacturers label and date code verification systems.
1. System security
It's critical that access to the label and date code verification system is controlled and managed. Controlled access ensures there is a full audit trail for any decisions made on the line and people can be held accountable for their decisions. My key watch-outs are:
Multiple users
Generic accounts
Shared accounts
2. Fail-safe checks
Food manufacturers must ensure fail-safe checks are in place and they are conducted on a daily basis. Fail-safe checks ensure the system is running correctly prior and not susceptible to errors.
It's important engineering are involved so if they are carrying out works on a packaging line, the fail-safe checks are run afterwards.
3. Printers
Access to printers on the line needs to be limited with operators prohibited from changing date codes.
4. Operator interaction
Simply observing operators using the system provides a clear view of their level of understanding and potential training requirements. Spending time asking questions ensures operators fully understand the system.
5. Continuous improvement
Sites should use system reports to drive improvements. For instance, if the site has had a near miss, it should be added to the fail-safe checks to mitigate the risk.
Data embedded barcodes vs 2D barcodes
Data embedded barcodes and 2D barcodes present opportunities to reduce food waste and drive a more efficient food chain. The codes can be used across the supply chain to improve date code management, reduce store wastage and improve rotation. Retailers may require one or the other on their packaging so it’s a good idea to understand both types. The following analysis explains the difference between the two codes and how they function.
Data embedded barcodes
An expanded data barcode is an extended 1D barcode that can store more information. It can incorporate the global trade item number, expiration date or best before date and batch number. The expanded data barcode can then be stacked to make the most of space on the packaging.
2D barcodes
A 2D barcode stores significantly more information than a traditional 1D barcode as it stores information both horizontally (like a 1D code) and vertically. The 2D barcode can incorporate global trade item number, expiration date or best before date, batch number and more information, in a more compact area on the packaging.
Still not sure? Speak to our experts today to understand which one meets your needs best!
Top five reasons for label and packaging errors in food processing
Faye Louch, one of our trainers explains her top five reasons for label and packaging errors in food manufacturing.
Faye Louch is one of our trainers, helping manufacturers eliminate label and date code errors with our market leading Autocoding system and save money through increased efficiency. We asked her for her top five reasons for label and packaging errors in food manufacturing.
1. Human errors in food processing
We've all seen the trend for food retailers to implement category ranges, like 'food-to-go', so the products have unified branding. But this has created difficulties for operators ensuring the correct labels are applied to products. It's now commonplace for all products to have the same design with just one word different on the label artwork; hence it's very easy to select the wrong labels when working in the high speed, quick changeover environment of a food factory.
“I have seen many errors when setting up printers, it’s all too easy to change the date and not the month or put the 32nd of a date. Although quality checks seek to prevent errors when signing off labels, these can be easily missed when you are trying to check 10 or more things as well as keeping an eye on the production line.
”
2. Promotional activities
In most cases promotions are briefed to the production team at the last minute or packaging arrives just before production starts. This increases the pressure on the team and can lead to a lack of clarity on when the promotion was meant to start and finish. Incorrectly packing product into promotional packs after the promotion has ended can lead to retailer fines and claims for loss of income due to the wrong prices being scanned at the tills.
3. Supplier packaging errors
Packaging suppliers make errors too! Splice reels of labels or films are more common than most people think. The difficulty with this, especially due to similar artwork designs, is that it's almost impossible for operators to spot mistakes on the line. 30-minute quality checks (applying a label to a check sheet and signing it off) may catch some, but if the splice error occurs between a check and in some cases reverts back to the correct label, the error will not be noticed until the dreaded phone call from the retailer.
These errors from the suppliers can often go undetected or incorrectly identified as operator errors which may lead to misplaced disciplinary action but without the necessary evidence and it’s very hard to prove otherwise.
4. Equipment errors
If a printer goes into a “fault” state then this can usually lead to one of two things.
The printer stops printing but the line carries on running. This can result in unprinted or badly printed packs. If these are not detected by the operator at the end of the line then these could go out to the customer.
The date code can revert to a default setting. This has been seen on a number of printers. If this change in date is not detected then this will potentially result in a product withdrawal.
5. Last minute dot com…
The nature of the food industry means we have to respond to changes quickly, often at the last minute. Quick decisions and high production demand naturally lead to errors. Incorrect packaging being issued to the line, coupled with quick, inaccurate checks can usually lead to incorrect packaging being used.
Date code, print information required for the product needs to be accurate to ensure what is being printed on the packs is correct. Last minute information is often incorrect or misinterpreted on the shop floor resulting in the wrong date codes being printed. Usually, these are only detected by the retailer or after the production run, resulting in costly re-work.
