Weber's Blog on Labels & Labeling Solutions

A Look at Label Manufacturing Inspection

Written by Margaret O'Leary | May 10, 2012 3:48:00 PM
When it comes to working with pharmaceutical, food and medical labels, there is no room for error. These customers need to meet government regulations set by the FDA that ensure that the product they put on the shelves is clearly marked with health and safety information.

Our customers need to be able to meet ever-changing FDA regulations, international market regulations and meet the demands of their customers. Knowing this, Weber has made improved inspection quality a major priority.

 

Why is inspection important?

Our goal is to always produce the best product for our customer. The first step for this is always the quoting and proof process. Once we have a proof from the customer, we must make sure that the product we send them matches the specs requested on the proof. Making sure the material is right for the application, the barcodes are all readable and text is clear, is all a part of the inspection proof and inspection process.

While there’s no way to completely eliminate press errors, we can work with equipment to detect the errors and make sure they’re not sent to the customer. The inspection process is crucial for ensuring a quality product for the customer.

Label defects can include:

  • Smudges of the text
  • Missing numbers or text
  • Filled in print
  • Incorrect colors
  • Non-scannable barcodes
  • Off registration
  • And more!

 

What is 100% inspection?

One of the 100% inspection methods — high-speed strobe.

If the job requires 100% inspection, each label is inspected for print quality.

One way of inspecting for defects is with the human eye. As the labels move along the press a strobe light is used to flash the label. This tricks the eye into seeing the label as a frozen image rather than speeding by! However, there are possible human errors so it is not ideal for medical labels.

This method still works well for many types of labels so manufacturers are finding it useful to keep a variety of inspection methods.

 

Next week we’ll have a blog about new computerized inspection equipment.