Equipment

Irish firm Glennon Bros Timber has introduced a labelling solution, developed by Weber Marking Systems, that allows it to label timber bales and pallets quickly and easily.

As part of the timber supplier’s agreement with DIY retailer B&Q, the company has to ensure that every individual timber product includes an EAN 13 bar code.

Traditionally, the company had used pre-printed labels and a hand stapler to affix the labels, an operation that was both slow and inefficient.

The Weber solution uses a FasTagger, a portable tool which weighs 6.5lb including a full roll of labels. It is constructed from anodised billet aluminium and is sturdy enough for the challenging environment of the timber mill.

The applicator uses compressed air to apply labels at a rate of over 100/min. The user places it against the end of a piece of timber and pulls the trigger. The FasTagger automatically staples a label to the wood, cuts it and feeds the next label into position.

The firm also uses Weber’s Legi label creation software to design its own bar-code labels.

“The most telling aspect of this new system is that, if it was taken away in the morning, there would be uproar – a sure sign of how much easier it has made everyone’s life,” said John Nugent, plant manager at Glennon Bros.