George Utz, a leading manufacturer of plastic containers, pallets and dollies, has made a new substantial investment in new “In-Mould Labelling” technology (IML with RFID), meaning they can now offer their customers a cost effective and efficient way of tracking goods through the supply chain -technology that was previously only available abroad. The RFID works in the UHF range with 860 – 960 MHz. The IML- RFID labels consist of an in-mould label material and a UHF inlay. A special surface treatment makes these RFID labels particularly resistant to wear and tear, UV light, cleaning products, weak acids and chemicals. The label is bonded to the container during the injection moulding process, leaving a smooth, rimless surface, which means that no dirt or moisture can get in underneath the label. This makes the in-mould label and in-mould RFID the perfect solution for the retail, food and pharmaceutical sector.
Up to now, for any customer requiring IML on products produced in the UK, George Utz were able to call upon the expertise of their European partners to provide the technical know-how – it’s fair to say that the Utz Group in Germany pioneered and perfected the technology in many projects.
However, customer demand in the UK grew rapidly and in order to meet that demand the Midlands-based manufacturer made the decision to invest further in the new machinery and training for staff, enabling them to offer this on-site here in the UK, thereby reducing lead times and transportation costs. Two large Retail solutions were developed and successfully delivered. The Utz team in the UK is very proud regarding the achievements and the positive feedback for the customers.
The new technology allows full colour logos or barcodes with RFID technology to be injection moulded into the wall of containers, allowing a permanent and robust bond between the label and crate for very high durability. The image is statically charged to adhere to the tooling, and is then moulded into the body of the product. This is far more secure as it means the image cannot be peeled or washed off, is not heat or UV sensitive and is totally waterproof. The labels are also resistant to chemicals, acids and solvents. George Utz can also offer this modern IML with RFID technology for photo realistic logos, pictures or signs to add to the label and integrate it to the product.
George Utz has, for some time, been providing RFID (radio frequency identification) technology integrated into its products to assist with customers’ tracking and security issues. This state-of-the-art technology takes that to a whole new level.
General Manager Carsten Diekmann explains “In-mould labelling with the RFID function is an important innovation in our industry. It allows us to offer much higher specification, reliable barcodes, digital printing of logos with unlimited colours and a very high print resolution. The images are incredibly crisp. We are looking forward to develop further solution with our IML-RFID partner inotec Barcode Security in the future for our UK based customers.”
“We are very aware that to continue to develop and grow we must continuously innovate in line with our customers’ needs, in particular in this difficult market. We are all delighted with the new process – it has only been a few weeks but we are already seeing a lot of new interest from both existing and new customers.”
About George Utz Ltd
As a UK manufacturer George Utz Ltd has been well known for many years for providing successful and reliable injection-moulded and vacuum formed storage solutions to British and European industry. It offers specialist technical advice about the best products to integrate with existing or new automated systems. Working closely with customers (including many well-known blue chip names) and logistics experts, it develops innovative solutions for complex materials handling operations. George Utz prides itself on co-operation, quality and customer-focused project management.
George Utz Ltd
Tel: 01773 543 170
Email: info.uk@utzgroup.com
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