Heinen Koehl’s Coding Equipment Combines Serialisation and Aggregation in One Unit

For tobacco product manufacturers required to comply with the traceability provisions of the EU Tobacco Products Directive, the placing of individual identifying codes on each pack, and then on each carton (which usually contains 10 packs) is a challenging additional step in the production process, reports Stefanie Rossel of Tobacco Reporter.

However, a Luxemburg-based supplier of processing and logistics equipment for the tobacco industry, Heinen Koehl, has developed several machines to facilitate that process, with its Label Application System (LAS) and Laser Coding Extension (LCE) designed for ‘pack-to-bundle’ aggregation.

‘The LAS applies a bundle (carton) label onto the head side of each bundle and verifies this bundle with a camera. In contrast to the LAS, the LCE serialises each single pack within the bundle with a laser to provide it with a unique track and trace code,’ said Stefan Hahn, Managing Director of Heinen Koehl.

‘This code is then verified with a camera system to carry out the aggregation. Contrary to traditional solutions available in the market, where various printing technologies such as CO2 or ink printers have to be implemented into existing bundle packers, we have developed a patented standalone solution.