Business

How To Label Pallets In A Smart Way

Editor

In order to be able to maximise efficiency in your supply chain, it’s essential to explore the best pallet labelilng solutions for your business. If you’re sending out a large quantity of pallets on a daily basis, developing a smart approach, using the proper tools, will also prove to be more cost effective.

Stacking pallets, shipment wrapping, and labelling require correct preparation and accurate implementation, if you want to avoid creating a bottleneck on the production line. With a smart labelling system, there’s less room for error, and a greater level of productivity is possible.

What Is Pallet Labelling?

Pallet labelling is an indispensable 3-step process that involves label creation, printing and application.

Pallet labels (also known as transport labels) typically feature technical standard specification – such as product information barcodes and a Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC). For labelling to be ‘smart’ it must use technology that adds functionality and creates a data-rich source for suppliers, packagers, logistics workers and advertisers.

The labels are created and printed, and manually or automatically applied at the point of manufacture or dispatch.

Why Do You Need A Labelling System?

Due to the complicated and over-technical specification requirements, some manufacturers find it challenging to consistently achieve full compliance, when shipping goods. To ensure that the supply chain is not interrupted, it’s crucial that pallet labels comply with retailer requirements. Failure to do so could result in expensive fines and damage to customer relationships.

Integrated pallet labelling enables the accurate placement of the correct label. Through the automation that is supplied by the labelling systems, efficiency is improved and increased. A much faster rate of shipment is possible, and with less risk of human error.

Pallet labelling systems are advanced tools that deliver sequential process benefits for your business in a number of ways. When labelling pallets is done right:

  • It significantly improves intake and cross-docking speeds
  • High print quality is achieved
  • Handling errors are eliminated, and labour requirements are minimised
  • Labels scan every time
  • 100% traceability is achieved
  • Inventory control is optimised
  • Time and costs are reduced

Labelling systems can also be used in conjunction with smart error-detecting technology. This ensures that any issues on the production line are discovered in good time, thus avoiding major problems and increased costs. For pallet data to be as accurate and current as possible, real-time information is crucial for the integrated systems to automatically update.

While you can certainly apply pallet labels manually, often this option proves to be an unrealistic solution for businesses that manufacture high volumes. Print-and-apply labelling systems are commonly used in industrial logistics. With a labelling system and label software you can recreate on demand labels fairly easily.

How To Label Pallets

A pallet label machine allows for the application of two labels onto moving or stationary pallets. Many systems boast an elevated performance that allows for the application of 90 (double label) or 120 (single label) pallets per hour. The labels can be applied in landscape or portrait positions.

For full pallets, the label must be placed on the outside of the stretch-wrap.

The labels must be applied under the stretch-wrap, if multiple pallets are stacked and stretch-wrapped.

Multiple pallets that are stacked and stretch-wrapped individually require the label to be applied over the stretch-wrap.

When labelling is complete, it’s important to manually check the key data attributes, and to scan the labels to ensure readability.