Wolco, a large German manufacturer and designer of unique labeling applications and processes recently came to item Solingen seeking assistance with a difficult dispensing problem.

An American automotive manufacturer needed a labeling process which could withstand the high temperature and aggressive environment that heat shield insulation is subject to in every day driving.

Labels and labeling have become an important part of manufacturering, assembly and automation. The simplest label can convey information about production, logistics, origin or contents. Complex labels can detail large quantities of information in a few short codes.

In recent years, product liability and warranty issues have become focused on individual automotive components instead of entire assemblies. Tracking wear and eventual failures are critical in determining product life expectancies. Locating the root of these problems is now as simple as adding an identifying mark or serial number through labeling of various types.

Wolco’s three business units, Product Identification, Identification Systems and Systems Technique are world leaders in solving customer needs with a wide range of labeling solutions.

Working closely with Soligen engineers, Wolco was able to develop a special "blow off technique" which was integrated into the item Machine Building system of structural aluminum profiles and modular components. item’s highly engineered system allowed Wolco to build both the machine base and protective safety enclosure as a single unit, resulting in significant savings over a steel design which would have required separate components from different suppliers.

Wolco’s special "blow off technique" solved the problem of handling a label with a very high adhesive and pressure sensitive nature. As labels move through the dispensing unit, a blast of compressed air lifts and blows the label into heat shield insulation pieces. This new technique results in a contact free method of attaching labels to specific parts.

The ability to integrate linear motion and modular components directly into the machine base structure allowed Wolco to create an attractive, efficient design that easily meets all of their customer needs and specifications.