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Innovus launches new canning line
ICE Vulcan labeller finds its Vocation in craft beer market Clearmark Solutions has partnered with the enterprising Vocation Brewery to install its first ICE Vulcan print and apply labelling system at the Halifax factory, guaranteeing to meet GS1 criteria, saving on cost, waste and increasing turnover through quicker print runs to label boxes of beer for shipment to the top five UK multiples.. Last year, with sales of small pack craft beers soaring due to lockdown restrictions when the nation’s drinking habits became home-based, Vocation Brewery had to look at new, faster ways of applying labels to their boxes whilst being compliant with GS1 regulations. Previously, labels were printed using a desktop printer and applied by hand, meaning the process was slow and the labels were not always clearly printed or positioned in a neat, uniform way. Now with the investment in the ICE Vulcan print and apply labeller, the cost to label each box of craft beer has dropped by an incredible 90%, costing the brewery just half a penny per label. Print speeds can reach over 120ppm with a label capacity of 17,000 labels, more than twice the capacity of other labelling systems. Since John Hickling established Vocation Brewery in a rebuilt chicken shed in 2015, it has gone from strength to strength, now employing 60 staff, and selling up to 14 million cans per year. Vocation Brewery won its first listing in Tesco stores in 2016 and now supplies standard and bespoke product lines to multiple retailers including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Booths and Marks & Spencer. Dan Sutcliffe-Tasker, Head of Packaging at Vocation Brewery, said: “Growth in supermarket chains and orders for seasonal and one-off product lines has seen production increase to 60,000 hectolitres this year, up from 10,000 when we first started, that’s approximately 12-14million cans this year.
“Everything sent to the retailer has to be boxed and labelled. We produce about 30 pallets a day, with 100 or 200 cases on each pallet. Anything other than our core brand has to have a custom label on it. Since automating our labelling process we’ve had zero defects - the ICE Vulcan print and apply system is 100% fool-proof and in hindsight we should have automated sooner.” In the early days Vocation had 26 pallets returned as a result of incorrect barcodes and human error, causing the brewer to re-call and re-label the goods, which was both time consuming and costly. With the ICE Vulcan system, using CLARiSOFT™ label design software, labels are designed and programmed for the operator to select using the CLARiTY operator touchscreen. CLARiTY allows operators to select the job from a list or pre-programmed jobs, eliminating operator intervention and human error. Vocation compared systems but were most impressed with Clearmark’s unique direct apply application rather than a blown on label which can create creased labels . Thanks to a height adjustable stand, the system can accommodate changes to box size in just a few seconds. “The main concern for us was individual placement of the label. There is no way a human operator can stand there on an eight-hour shifts and hit the same mark every time, especially when things were operating so quickly. We needed stability and guaranteed repeatability that automation is known for,” added Dan. “Since the ICE Vulcan was installed in March, accuracy has improved dramatically with no issues. The print quality is also of a higher standard as the desktop printer ink sometimes faded due to condensation on the craft board from the temperature, turning the black print grey. But we have had no issues like that with the ICE Vulcan.” Find out more at www.clearmark.uk
Innovus Engineering prides itself on listening to its customers, even more so as Covid has brought unexpected and evolving challenges for craft brewers. In response to customer demand, it has recently added a new 1,000 can per hour model to its CF canning line range. The CF15 is a new, compact two head canning line, based on the previous success of the five head CF25 model. The CF15 retains all the industry leading features of the CF25, including the automated lid dispenser, with undercover gassing and pre-fill purge and post-fill gas injection for consistently low levels of dissolved oxygen. There is also the option to integrate a rotary infeed table, to assist the machine operator and increase the level of automation, along with further options for adding a date coder and can labeller. The CF15 canning line is suitable for standard, slim and sleek cans, and changeovers between different can heights are quick and easy. All Innovus seamers have the major advantage of a vacuum hardened cam for mechanical seaming operation. A mechanical seamer has much more repeatable performance than a pneumatic machine and is ideal for producing commercial quality double seams. Innovus seaming technology is supported by Crown Bevcan, who have recently ordered additional can seamers to add to the multiple Innovus machines installed at their Wantage R&D site in 2020. All machines are supplied with a tool kit that includes a seam micrometer and seam tear down tool, so that customers have the capability to carry out accurate seam checks. The CF15 is available on a short lead time, with prices starting at £32,500. With a capacity of 1,000 cans per hour, this canning line represents a competitive price point for breweries that want to start canning in-house. All Innovus canning machines are built in the UK, and training, service and spare parts are also all available from the UK. For more information visit www.innovusengineering.com
www.siba.co.uk | SIBA Independent Brewer | Winter 2021
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