Use-Case – Tabletop Auto Labelling Machine T160LB

The Challenge

A contract manufacturer in the cosmetics sector, located near Graz, was manually labelling approximately 2,000 flat cartons each day for local retail clients. Labels containing ingredient lists, batch numbers, and expiry dates were applied by hand at two separate workstations using manual dispensers.

This manual approach required two full-time staff members per shift and often resulted in labels being applied askew or with air bubbles. Roughly 4% of cartons needed to be relabelled due to misalignment, leading to overtime during busy periods and diverting staff from upstream filling and packing duties.

Manual Process

Staff would take cartons from a pile, peel off labels from a roll, align them by sight, and smooth them onto the surface by hand. The output rate depended greatly on the operator’s concentration and fatigue, particularly towards the end of a shift.

Prior to Automation:

• Daily throughput: 2,000 units per day
• Cycle time per carton: 30 seconds per unit (including handling and visual inspection)
• Total time per day: 2,000 × 30 s = 60,000 s ≈ 1,000 minutes (≈ 16.7 hours per day)
  Managed by 2 operators over an 8-hour shift, with some overtime
• Labour cost: 16.7 hours × €25/hour ≈ €417 per day
• Rework/issues: 4% of units (≈ 80 cartons per day) required relabelling, adding around 1 hour per day of extra work

Automated Solution

The business introduced a Tabletop Auto Labelling Machine T160LB at the end of the cartoning line, replacing the two manual labelling stations. Cartons are now fed in a continuous flow, with the T160LB applying labels with a precision of ±1 mm.

Following Installation of Tabletop Auto Labelling Machine T160LB:

• The machine runs at 60% of its maximum output for consistent operation
  80 pcs/min × 60% = 48 pcs/min actual speed
• New cycle time: 1,000 units/hour ÷ 2,000 units = 3.6 seconds per unit equivalent at current volumes
• Total time per day: 2,000 ÷ 48 ≈ 41.7 minutes of pure machine operation
  Including loading, unloading, and checks: approximately 3 hours per day of operator time
• Labour cost: 3 hours × €25/hour = €75 per day (one operator part-time on labelling, remainder on other duties)
• Quality gains: rework from misapplied labels reduced from 4% to 0.5% (≈ 10 cartons per day), saving about 45 minutes per day on relabelling

ROI Calculation

Investment:
Machine cost: €2,899
Daily labour cost before: ≈ €417 per day
Daily labour cost after: €75 per day
Daily saving: €417 − €75 = €342 per day (labour only)
Monthly saving (22 working days): €342 × 22 = €7,524 per month
Payback period: €2,899 ÷ €342 ≈ 8.5 working days (less than 2 weeks)

Even with a cautious estimate, allocating only €120 per day as the saving directly linked to labelling (freeing up one operator for most of the shift), the return on investment remains rapid:
Daily saving (conservative): €120 per day
Monthly saving (22 days): €120 × 22 = €2,640 per month
Payback period (conservative): €2,899 ÷ €120 ≈ 24 working days (about 1.9 months)

Conclusion

By replacing two manual labelling stations with the compact T160LB tabletop automatic label applicator, the company reduced labelling labour from approximately 16.7 hours per day to around 3 hours per day of operator involvement. The rate of relabelling due to misaligned labels dropped from 4% to 0.5%, and staff could be reassigned to more valuable packaging tasks upstream.

“The T160LB enabled us to move from two full-time labelling operators to less than 3 hours of supervision per day, saving us about €120 in labour each shift. Our rework rate decreased from 4% to under 1%, and we recouped the €2,899 investment in under two months.” — Markus H., Production Manager, Graz Cosmetics GmbH / Austria