BY
Andreas Bauer
IN
Personalised cereal boxes and digitally printed laminate tubes at Labelprint24
Harder-Online GmbH was founded more than 50 years ago in Weingarten, Baden-Württemberg, as a pure commercial printer. Today, the production site is located in Zeithain, Saxony. From being a producer of occasional printed matter, the company has developed into a specialist for packaging solutions made of cardboard, paper and film,reports company boss Stefan Harder. Harder emphasises that his company is distinguished by the fact that all services, including software, are provided in-house with the most modern equipment. Customers also benefit from the company's extensive know-how, as they are offered technology and product development as well as process and quality management.
Calculate delivery time directly online
The linchpin of Labelprint24's service offering is the homepage. Here, labels, folding boxes and laminate tubes can be calculated directly online, delivery times calculated and finally orders placed. This also applies to complex tasks such as the creation of multilayer labels, booklet labels or sandwich labels. The reliable price and delivery time information is a big plus in the Labelprint24 offer, emphasises Stefan Harder: "As far as I know, there are no other providers with online delivery time calculation in the system."
The modern design of the cereal boxes ensures that mymuesli products are recognisable. At the same time, they can be strongly personalised in the ordering process. (Image: mymuesli/Viktor Strasse)
The service is already worthwhile for small quantities, because Labelprint24 bundles orders of similar types until the digital printing machines are optimally utilised. For the customer, this is reflected in favourable prices.
The depth to which customisation options can be implemented in production processes is illustrated by Labelprint24's cooperation with mymuesli. The Passau-based start-up, launched in 2007, is known for enabling its customers to put together their favourite muesli. Of course, the best way to do this is via the website. But mymuesli is also available in more than 35 of its own shops and in over 1,500 supermarkets.
Over 1,000 personalised labels per day
For some time now, Harder-Online GmbH has been supporting mymuesli in variably printing themuesli tinswith the appropriate lists of ingredients. Corresponding technology was implemented at the production site of the muesli mail-order company.Since the spring of this year, both companies have taken the step towards fully individualizing the mymuesli tins. Users can now have their personal mixes filled in unique containers. Names for their own product and individual tin designs can be selected online.
Users of mymuesli can not only put together their own muesli but also strongly customise the packaging. (Image: mymuesli/Viktor Strasse)
To ensure that this advanced product personalisation runs smoothly, Labelprint24 and mymuesli intensively scrutinised and adapted the production processes from the order interface to the digital printing machines to shipping. After all, it had to be ensured that several thousand cans a day were printed correctly.
The solution found is based on the fact that the individualised printing is carried out at Harder-Online in Zeithain, not at mymuesli's production site. For this purpose, an interface was created between mymuesli's ERP system and Labelprint24's printing systems. Print data records are generated from the customer orders on the mymuesli website, which are transferred to Labelprint24 each night. The data is checked and then printed on label rolls - including optional metallising finishing effects.
The printing process is monitored by camera. The camera images are compared with the order data. This verifies that the labels provided for in the ordering system have been printed and processed correctly. About twelve hours pass between the transfer of the print data and the dispatch of the printed label rolls to mymuesli, where they are then affixed to the muesli tins.
Laminate tubes like this one can now be printed directly. (Image: Harder-Online GmbH
Print laminate tubes digitally
In addition to major customers such as mymuesli, small and micro pharmaceutical companies owithout their own packaging infrastructure are important target customers for Harder-Online GmbH. All production rooms at the Zeithain plant are HACCP and GMP compliant and thus meet the requirements for the demanded and safe packaging production.
Accordingly, Labelprint24's latest product innovation is aimed at pharmaceutical and cosmetics suppliers: laminate tubes printed directly in digital offset printing. A corresponding tube laminate line has gone into operation at Harder-Online's Zeithain plant. The ABL or PBL laminate is printed directly on rolls and cut to size. The tube can also be fitted with various closures such as flip-top caps or twist-tops. Beyond the laminate tube, Labelprint24 also offers the printing of matching leaflets and folding boxes for the tubes.
Stefan Harder explains that tube printing is interesting for customers from a quantity of 1,000, especially since digital technology opens up all possibilities for product customisation. Besides pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, the tubes are also suitable for technical oils and fats.
These articles might also interest you:
Printing and production of laminate tubes in operation
Shortly before the start of the Fachpack trade fair, the packaging and digital printing specialists from Saxony have commissioned a tube laminate line. They see very good opportunities to successfully enter the growth market for laminate tubes, for example for the food and cosmetics industries.
Laminates - Softtouch, Gloss and Matt
Printed matter with high-quality glossy surfaces or noble matt effects exudes a very special fascination. Every degree of gloss has an individual, emotional effect that is deliberately used to enhance the quality of a printed product.
Labelprint24.com: Laminate tube digital printing
The packaging manufacturer presented laminate tubes printed in "digital offset printing" from its own production. In addition, a new real-time calculator for printed folding boxes and pillow boxes went online at www.labelprint24.com.
