B&H Labeling Systems Introduces New Marathon® U Series of Roll-Fed Labelers

06-14-2006 - (Ceres, CA) B&H Labeling Systems introduces the new Marathon® U Series of roll-fed labelers, which includes the new Marathon XLU, the fastest labeler in the successful Marathon family. Featuring a 180 U-shaped conveyor and a servo-driven infeed feedscrew, the Marathon U Series labelers maximize container stability and production speeds while offering processors another line configuration option with right side infeed and right side discharge.

The new Marathon XLU is the fastest labeler in the B&H family, handling containers from 8 oz to 3 liters at speeds up to 700 containers per minute. For lines requiring less throughput, the U configuration is also available on B&H’s entry-level Marathon SLU and mid-speed Marathon SEU labelers.

Marathon labelers feature SMARTdrive™, the industry’s first all-electric drive train. With five independent servomotors and advanced digital, multi-axis timing control, the Marathon U Series labelers eliminate complex mechanical linkages such as gears, belts and chains. Compared to complex rotary labelers often used to achieve high line speeds, Marathon greatly simplifies operations, maintenance and changeovers using fewer moving parts and digital automation. As a result, Marathon improves reliability and uptime to maximize productivity and reduce the total cost of ownership.

Marathon labelers offer extreme positional accuracy and provide consistent performance over the life of the machine. With its U-shaped conveyor, the Marathon U Series labelers increase the dwell time of product in the starwheel, providing greater container stability. B&H guarantees labeling defect rates of less than 0.05 percent with all Marathon roll-fed labelers.

With its all-electric, servomotor-based design, Marathon labelers achieve the fastest changeover in the industry by eliminating time-consuming mechanical adjustments. Recipe downloads for each container allow Marathon to automatically adjust all machine settings. Lightweight, color-coded RCO® (Rapid Changeover) change parts further ease changeover. Setting a new industry standard, Marathon cuts changeover time to less than 15 minutes from one full production speed to the next.

Built on a modular platform, B&H can configure each Marathon to offer tailored capabilities to meet the specific needs of each packager. The Marathon U Series labelers can be equipped with an optional Handle Orientation feature that applies labels to containers in relation to the container handle in precisely the same position every time, improving package uniformity.

Marathon’s built-in intelligence and 24/7 self-monitoring diagnostics reduce maintenance, ease troubleshooting and simplify repairs, thus maximizing labeler reliability and uptime. In addition, Marathon features B&H’s powerful ProWatch™ monitoring tool, which tracks labeler productivity and scrap by container type, operator, shift, day and week and produces summary reports that provide data for process improvement. Monitoring and reporting critical data in real time enables packagers to maximize the productivity and efficiency of the labeling operation.