Label printing systems work at assembly track-side

A UK printer and label systems specialist has won contracts to supply assembly track-side label printing systems for vehicle VIN plates across Europe, bring huge savings to manufactures.

A UK printer and label systems specialist has won contracts to supply track-side label printing systems for vehicle VIN plates across Europe, bring huge savings to manufactures.

GSM Printer and Label Systems, based near Luton, has supplied systems for VIN plates, visible VIN and compliance plates to automotive manufacturers in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belgium.

General manager Martin Cameron said: "Our system is the only real alternative to industrial laser marking equipment and is a fraction of the size and just six per cent of the price.

"It can be used in any industrial manufacturing plant where bar code labels or labels with customised information are needed, for example where product traceability is an issue." The VIN plate systems use two thermal transfer printers in specially-designed industrial enclosures.

These are linked to a dedicated industrial workstation connected to the customer's manufacturing system.

The workstation runs GSM Printer and Label Systems software which interrogates the manufacturing system for the relevant information and ensures the right label is produced at the right time for the right car.

The printer dispenses the label for the operator.

The special small footprint industrial enclosures for the VIN plate systems, which are crash tested against forklift trucks, were made by sister company GSM Valtech based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire.

Martin Cameron said: "Our system costs around GBP 15,000, compared to GBP 250,000 for an industrial laser marking system, and a label is about 25 per cent of the price of an embossed aluminium plate and much faster to apply, reducing line-side time.

"We did a great deal of work on determining the correct combination of label and ribbon to use to ensure that the VIN plates will pass the most stringent "under bonnet" tests, for example for resistance to heat and brake fluid.

"We were also able to install with no downtime on the line." The tamper-evident labels also conform to the automotive industry's requirements for Thatcham security, another benefit over an aluminium plate which can potentially be removed.

The systems are supported by GSM Printer and Label Systems across Europe and the company also offers a multilingual helpline.

GSM Printer and Label Systems specialises in providing label printing, bar coding and data capture solutions to a wide range of industries.

The GSM Group is one of Europe's largest manufacturers of printed labels and nameplates in metal and plastics and has manufacturing sites in Wales, Oxford and Yorkshire.

The Group holds tier one vendor codes for most of the major automotive manufacturers in Europe.

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