Jet Label & Packaging (Edmonton, Alberta), Western Canada’s largest producer of labels and printed tape for a broad range of industries, has installed a single-pass RFID inserting system involving an existing Mark Andy flexographic press and an RFID application unit from Tamarack. The advanced “Smart Label” system provides traceability and helps reduce human errors in material handling and inventory.
Engineers from Mark Andy retrofitted an existing press at Jet Label’s manufacturing facility to allow room for the Tamarack components. The resulting single-pass RFID insertion system allows label stock to be opened briefly for RFID inlay, then re-laminated via finishing operations. The new system then verifies RFID function with a reader system after die-cutting. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a form of wireless communication that incorporates the use of electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify objects (in this case, printed labels).
RFID label production is becoming increasingly popular in Canada and the United States because the technology streamlines processing issues and reduces costs. Jet Label selected the Tamarack system for its unique ‘profiling’ motion that makes inlay feeding much smoother, thus allowing for insertion at increased speeds. For Jet Label, a comprehensive line configuration eliminates the need for multiple production steps. “The new RFID inserting system will immediately impact our customers, chiefly through faster turnaround times,” said Darrell Friesen, President and CEO of Jet Label & Packaging. “By combining various features and capabilities, the RFID equipment will streamline this labeling and printing niche in a precise and expedient fashion.”
