Economical, fast, precise and durable – with its hotmelt nozzle applicator systems Robatech AG, Headquarter in Muri / Switzerland supports the beverage industry in the efficient labeling of containers.

On its exhibition stand 7-305 at this year's Brau Beviale 2011 in Nürnberg, Robatech AG presents efficient solutions for magazine and rollfed labeling as well as further intelligent tools for a higher productivity. LabelStar M™ is a complete hotmelt nozzle system developed for the wrap-around labeling of bottles, boxes and other containers from the magazine. It permits to very precisely meter and control the quantity of adhesive to be applied.This results in a much reduced glue consumption compared with the roller, e.g. in lower costs. For start-gluing the hotmelt is applied to the surface by means of a highly precise twist. The rotating bottle then passes the pre-cut wrap-around labels and draws one of them from the magazine. An adjustable slot-type nozzle applies a strip of adhesive to the end of the label. Next, the label is placed around the bottle and glued exactly at the overlap. Robatech offers an excellent solution also for wrap-around labeling off the roll onto bottles and other containers. LabelStar R™ is also a complete hotmelt nozzle applicator system suitable for paper and plastic labels. The nozzle system consists of a hotmelt applicator with integrated control and a special V-shaped spray head for start and end-gluing. Dots of adhesive are placed precisely at the beginning and the end of the label after it is cut to length off the roll and before a vacuum cylinder transfers it to the container. The label is additionally checked to prevent a contamination of the vacuum cylinder. Adhesive protection from dirt and ambient air are further advantages which the closed LabelStar M™ nozzle system and LabelStar R™ offer compared with the glue application by roller. Moreover, both solutions score with a lower cleaning and maintenance effort. Another plus is the high flexibility enabled by the simple and fast change-over to other containers and label formats. And all this can be done without any tools, e.g. in a very user-friendly way.

Constant quantity of adhesive and high operator safety

Another new development which Robatech will show at the Brau is a fully integrated, automatic hotmelt granulate filling system. The new RobaFeed™ ensures a constant quantity of adhesive in the applicator and a high degree of operator safety. The innovative system is suitable to fill both Robatech hotmelt applicators and other makes of appliances with granulate from a separate container. It reliably monitors the stock of material to be fed and the filling process. Constant adhesive processing temperatures, a prerequisite for continuous filling, are a further advantage. Standstills due to an empty tank or overfilling belong to the past.

Intelligent information system and straightforward visualization

The factory data software InfoPlus™ permits to further improve the economic efficiency. This information system records data of the adhesive applicator system on an ongoing basis to create a log, calculate consumption data for optimization purposes and generate messages for preventive maintenance. The intelligent software thus allows easy access to system data which are available as a central information platform for onward processing and to support operating and service staff. The visualization by means of RobaVis™ is based on the modern touch technology. It facilitates operation very considerably and thereby enhances the productivity as well.