Electrographic label printing system

Abstract

Abstract An electrographic label system is disclosed whereby flexographic and electronic printing are combined in a modular design to produce multi-color labels. Label stock is unwound from a roll and passes over an automatic shut off roller that shuts down the entire printing process and stops the flow of label stock when it runs out so that a new roll of stock can be sliced to the old roll and rethreading the system is not necessary. A back slitter having a roller cutter cuts the desired height of the label leaving a feed strip between the label and opposite edge. The label stock is fed into a flexographic printer having a drum which imprints a first image, cuts the label to the correct length, and imprints a register mark on the feed strip. The label stock material is next fed into an electronic printer interfaced with a computer or programmable logic controller which imprints a second image upon each label. Upon exiting the electronic printer, the label stock is wound into a roll by a takeup spool or automatically dispensed onto the product or package.

Inventors

• 👤 Wallace J. Beaudry

Bibliographic Details