© Langguth GmbH
Less glue, less waste: Sustainable labelling with innovative machine
Langguth GmbH and Freeze-Dry Foods GmbH
A lot of waste can be produced when labelling cans and jars. This not only harms the environment, but also causes problems for the machines used. This is different with the GLU|ECO® machine.
Langguth GmbH, Senden-Bösensell
At Langguth GmbH from Senden, around 140 employees worldwide work on customised labelling machines. The machines label products that can often be bought in DIY stores and supermarkets. In Canada, the GmbH has its own production site for the North American market, and it has its own sales companies in France, for example. In addition, Langguth GmbH works with more than 30 foreign representatives, the export share in the company is over 60 percent.
Freeze-Dry Foods GmbH, Greven
Freeze-Dry Foods GmbH from Greven supplies the food industry worldwide with freeze-dried and air-dried ingredients. The product range of the family-owned company, founded in 1978, consists of dried herbs, vegetables, fruits, spices and other specialities. The GmbH is part of the GRONEWEG Group, which employs about 600 people worldwide.
Challenge: Cleaning the labeller
How does the label get on the ravioli tin or the pickle jar? With a labelling machine that attaches the label to the can or jar with glue. But the glue always poses challenges for the machine and its users: Machine parts have to be regularly disassembled and reassembled for cleaning and maintenance purposes. This is very labour-intensive and restoring the system often requires a certain amount of intuition. Langguth has been confronted with this problem time and again by users, including Freeze Dry Foods.
Solution approach: Individual elements form machine block
Langguth GmbH has developed a new labelling system - the name: GLU|ECO®. Background: A conventional machine consists of a machine block with drive and gears, this one works as a complete system. In this block, the machine pulls the labels individually from a stack in a magazine and then over a rotating glue roller, after which it applies the label to the pack. The new GLU|ECO® machine works differently: here, designers have divided the machine block into individual elements. This makes the machine easier to clean, and it also takes up less space and saves glue.
Success: Cleaning at the touch of a button
The new design of the machine makes it possible for parts that come into contact with glue to be cleaned automatically on the spot in the system. And this is done at the push of a button; neither personnel nor removal of the gluing unit are necessary. In addition, Langguth GmbH installed a glue cut-off that reduces glue streaks and thus saves glue.
Because the individual functions were separated, Langguth GmbH was also able to install additional magazines with labels. This means that several single-sheet labels can be applied simultaneously and thus cost-effectively. This is good for the environment, as single-sheet labels generate no or hardly any waste. At the same time, the machine consumes much less compressed air, thus saving energy and costs. The new labelling system is now also being used by the Kühne and Böklunder companies.
Münsterland Innovation Award 21/22
2022 Langguth GmbH was nominated as one of four companies for the Münsterland Innovation Award in the Business category. With this video, their innovation, the "GLUE|ECO®", was presented at the award ceremony.
As a regional joint initiative, Enabling Networks Münsterland supports companies and universities in the Münsterland region in developing innovations, implementing them and finding the right partners for the project. In order to show how innovative and at the same time cooperative Münsterland already is, the project also went in search of innovative cooperation projects from the region. The results are presented on this page. The Enabling Networks Münsterland project is funded by the European Union and the NRW Ministry of Economics as part of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW".
