Automatic Labeling Machines

Where automatic labeling fits

Most configurations in this family apply pressure-sensitive (self-adhesive) labels from a liner reel. Others apply shrink sleeves to beverage bottles, and several are combined filling and labeling lines.

The 21 configurations cover round bottles and jars for honey, sauce, wine and beer, small dropper bottles for essential oils and e-liquids, flat and square bottles for shampoo, lotion and edible oil, pharmaceutical vials and ampoules, pet food cans, the top surface of food boxes and cartons, and shrink sleeves for beverages.

Round bottles and jars, including glass
Flat, oval and square bottles, front and back
Small vials, ampoules and dropper bottles
Cartons, boxes and cans, plus shrink sleeves

How pressure-sensitive labeling works

Shrink sleeve configurations work differently. A sleeve is cut from a flat tube of film, placed over the container and shrunk to shape in a heat tunnel.

Containers conveyed and spaced by a separating wheel or screw
A sensor detects each container and triggers the label
The label web advances and the label is peeled from the liner at the peel plate
The label is applied and pressed on by rollers, belts or brushes, or wrapped around a round container
Optional coding of the label before application and optional inspection after
Discharge to capping, cartoning or case packing

Beverage bottle shrink sleeve labeling

Match the label to the container

Supply container and label samples, application position and line requirements. Round, flat, square and small containers require different holding and guiding arrangements.

Small-diameter vials and light plastic bottles can tip over or twist as the label is applied. Flat and square bottles often need labels on two sides. Tapered containers need the label shape to follow the taper.

Container shape, dimensions and surface
Label material, size and application position
Coding, inspection and upstream/downstream interfaces
Whether the label must line up with a feature such as a handle or seam

Flat bottle labeling for shampoo Square edible oil bottle labeling Vial and small bottle labeling

Label stock and application conditions

The labeler has to accept your label rolls as supplied. Share the label roll specification early, because a mismatch in core size or winding direction means re-ordering labels or changing the unwind.

Adhesive performance depends on the container surface and conditions at the labeler. Cold-filled bottles with condensation, oily surfaces and frozen products need an adhesive chosen for those conditions.

Label face material, liner and adhesive
Core diameter, roll outer diameter and winding direction
Gap between labels and any printed registration mark
Temperature and moisture on the container surface at labeling
For shrink sleeves: sleeve film, seam and shrink behavior

Labeling in a complete line

A labeler usually follows filling and capping and comes before cartoning or case packing. Accumulation tables before and after the labeler absorb short stoppages. Several configurations in this family combine filling and labeling for soft drinks, sauces, edible oil and honey.

Honey jar and glass container labeling Top-surface labeling for food boxes Filling machines Cartoning after labeling

Confirm application quality in a trial

Review alignment, adhesion, label spacing and changeover with representative samples. Throughput and positioning tolerances must be confirmed for your configuration.

Send filled containers where possible, since an empty light bottle behaves differently on a conveyor, together with label rolls as supplied by your printer and a labeled reference sample. Quantities for any trial are agreed with the team before shipping.

Prepare for sample testing Project brief checklist

Questions buyers ask about labeling machines

Can one labeler handle round and flat bottles? Only if the configuration includes the stations and guides for both. Wrap-around labeling for round containers and side labeling for flat ones are different arrangements.

Can batch codes be printed on the label? Coders can be integrated on some configurations. State the code content and position so the coder and its mounting are included in the scope.

Should I choose a shrink sleeve or a self-adhesive label? A shrink sleeve covers the whole container shape and suits contoured bottles. A self-adhesive label suits defined panels and is simpler to change. The container shape and design usually decide.

Why do labels wrinkle or bubble? The common causes are a curved or tapered surface the label cannot follow, condensation, a label material that is too stiff, or poor container guiding. A trial with your containers and labels is the most reliable check.