Labeled for Success

• Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
• Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
• Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

• Food & Beverage

• Quality Assurance
• Warehouse & Inventory Management

• Inventory Management
• Predictive Maintenance
• Track & Trace of Assets

• System Integration
• Training

With all products being produced and distributed in their 100,000 square foot Flint, Michigan facility, the company was operating an antiquated manual labeling system that required roll label dispensers equipped with roll-style date imprinters. They also had to stock a separate label for each product and were experiencing major downtime as a result. Their print quality had also begun to falter, causing unreadable labels. In short, they realized it was time for a major technology upgrade. However, because of the facility’s washdown cooler environment, any new solution involving PCs, displays, keyboards and all the resulting wires and fans – in addition to printers – was not an option. Koegel needed a simpler, cleaner and more reliable solution to improve their product labeling and tracking.

For more than 90 years, Koegel Meats, Inc. has specialized in providing only the best to their customers in the form of unique hardwood-smoked hot dogs, sausages and lunch meats. And it was the same dedication to customer service that led them to look for a new solution that would offer a more streamlined approach to their plant’s labeling and product tracking operations.

They turned to Informs Inc. and their partner ToolWorx, a systems integrator specializing in automated data collection applications for traceability and error proofing, to provide a seamless transition from their existing labeling process to a more innovative solution that would allow for increased accuracy and efficiency. The Solution? Intermec by Honeywell PM4i Smart Printers coupled with ToolWorx SmartPack software. ToolWorx helped Koegel Meats install the ToolWorx SmartPack solution with Intermec by Honeywell PM4i Smart Printers at each of their production cells. Under the new system, production is much more streamlined. Now, at each work station the line operator enters a product number, which then populates all of the product information automatically. In the case of fixed-weight products, the products come down the production line and labels are dispensed on-demand. These labels contain all of the pertinent information, including product name, case weight, sell-by date and time, and in some cases, product ingredients. In the case of random weight products, cases are placed on a scale at the end of the production line. The scales are attached to the Intermec by Honeywell printers and automatically transmit the weight information. After receiving weight, the printers dispense a label in real time with all of the product information.

• The solution has allowed Koegel Meats much more efficient operations.
• There are no wasted labels and product identification has improved.
• The addition of bar code labels containing a unique ID serial number allows accurate tracking of all products from production to the store level.

• The roll-out only took a few weeks.
• The company operates in a 100,000 square foot facility.