Label Applicator Machine Upgrades

Pictured above: The problematic roller bracket. Note the prominent heat affected zone on the rear-facing side of the bracket, the result of numerous failed weld repairs. The axle, which had been welded permanently to the bracket as part of a previous repair, meant the winery couldn't replace the worn roller without destroying the bracket.

Pictured below: A redacted annotated overview of the reverse engineered bracket.

Background:

One of the Okanagan’s leading wineries employed a label applicator with a pneumatically-fired roller to apply UPC Codes and product information to wine cases. The bracket and shaft for the roller-applicator would routinely fail, resulting in frequent unplanned outages, and mandate workers to apply case labels by hand, causing further production delays. Quotes from the OEM were estimated at over $1,900 USD with a 12 week minimum lead time for a replacement.

Problem Statement:

A chronically failing machine part was causing excessive packaging line downtime. Replacement parts from the OEM had excessive lead times, unacceptably high cost, and no guarantee that reliability issues may return in a few year’s time.

Objective:

Design and procure a replacement bracket at a lower cost, on a faster timeline, with a more reliable product that could withstand the cycling loading cycles for years.

Results:

A new mounting bracket and axle were designed using heavier gauge 304L Stainless Steel plate, with angles produced by forming rather than welding. The original design was improved upon by reducing the stress concentration at the front of the bracket and at the mounting holes for the axle . The total cost of the upgrade, including engineering time and outsourced manufacturing costs, was ~ $350 CAD. The new parts were designed, manufactured, delivered, and installed within 1.5 weeks.

Benefits:

• Cost & Delivery Time Reductions - Project costs and delivery schedules were reduced by 85% and 80%, respectively!

• Productivity Improvement - A chronic source of downtime for the packaging line was eliminated