Herma facilitates visual shake-up of sauces

Finnish food producer Meira is using Herma’s 362M labeling system to create an unusual look for its ketchup, mustard and salad dressing bottles.

Meira is Finland's leading supplier of herbs and spices, seasonings, dressings and coffee

Meira is Finland's leading supplier of herbs and spices, seasonings, dressings and coffee. It is a member of the Italian Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group.

The labels for the Finnish company's redesigned products present a special challenge, with a tapered shape and size that can easily give rise to inconsistencies during the dispensing operation. They also have to be applied exactly in the envisaged recess on the tapered bottles, which feature an oval cross-section.

A special centering device on the 362M exactly positions the labels on the fly, and the product itself is arrested and centred during the labeling operation. Conventional practice is to align the product accurately and apply the label in discrete operations, but with the 362M the centring device is synchronized with the conveyor belt.

For Meira's application, the centering device plays a crucial role with the 930ml large ketchup and 500ml mustard bottles in particular. A pre-centring unit is sufficient, however, for the smaller bottles of salad dressing.

Meira factory director Juha Suikkanen said: ‘Ours is a demanding situation, but the Herma system offers compelling accuracy. Our products’ new look has precisely the desired impact, and the labeling is performed very consistently and efficiently. Despite the complexity of the labelling solution, we are achieving an output of 60 bottles a minute.

‘We also much appreciated Herma's input before the system was installed; its technical advice related not only to the machine, but also to the development of appropriate labels.’