Integrator Engineers Printer/Applicator For Bakery

Integrator Action Packaging Systems, Inc. (Ellington, CT) learned that Krispy Kreme was searching for a printing solution that would quickly and accurately print and apply nearly 100 million round, 1 1/2-inch labels per year. These labels would be applied to different-sized doughnut boxes as they came down a conveyer line at an average speed of 20 dozen per minute. Action Packaging built a prototype which included SATO's (Charlotte, NC) M8459Se print engine, painted it Krispy Kreme green, and, just six weeks later, the customized Gold Seal printer/applicators began precisely applying the labels.

"Previously, we had hand application of labels in our stores and a lack of standardized presentation of the products," says Tim Honeycutt, certified purchasing manager and VP of purchasing for Krispy Kreme. "These printer/applicators sped up the production, gave us consistent and proper placement on the box, and improved the look of the brand." Currently, approximately 30 units are streamlining production for Krispy Kreme suppliers.

As the boxes come down the conveyor lines, workers place them under the applicator. A TEKLYNX International PRINTPAD bar code printing terminal is connected to the Gold Seal printer/applicator to allow workers to enter the price and sell-by date when prompted by the system. The PRINTPAD then feeds that data and the store number to the printer, which creates the label. The tamp/blow application completes the cycle, adjusting instantly for different-sized boxes. Action Packaging programs the keypad/terminal using a PC, storing all essential label data within it, and ships it ready-to-go with the Gold Seal.