The ALstep is the small end of the Altech range, and it is the head that fits where nothing else will.
The Altech ALstep is a compact industrial labeling head with a small body and straightforward controls. It is what we specify when a plant needs a proper industrial labeling head rather than a bench dispenser, but does not need, and should not pay for, a production speed machine.
Marapack Services is the Pacific Northwest distributor for Altech labeling systems, importing direct from the factory in Bareggio, Italy. We sell, install, commission and service ALstep heads. Marapack Services is an independent company, not Altech S.r.l. and not ALTech US.
Not sure whether your line is an ALstep line? Book an equipment audit and we will size the head against the product you actually run.
What is the Altech ALstep label applicator?
The Altech ALstep is a compact labeling head that applies a preprinted pressure sensitive label from a roll onto a product. It comes in three versions, the ALstep E, S and M, taking labels to 100 or 200 mm at 18 to 30 m/min, and it sits between a bench dispenser and the faster Altech ALritma.
It is a real industrial head, with the same peeler bar and sensor families as the larger Altech heads, in a body sized for small conveyors, secondary lines and tight mounting spaces. This is the Altech range that competes on size and price with the small applicator market.
Which ALstep model fits your label: E, S or M?
Pick the ALstep from your largest label, then your rate. The ALstep S (LS10) is the fast one: labels to 100 mm at 30 m/min. The ALstep M (LS20) is the wide one: labels to 200 mm at 20 m/min. The ALstep E (LE10) is the small one: labels to 100 mm at 18 m/min, ultra compact.
| Altech code | Price list name | Documented specification |
|---|---|---|
| LE10 | ALstep E | Labels to 100 mm (about 3.9 in), 18 m/min (about 59 ft/min), ultra compact body, runs stand alone or with the LR08 ALmatic C wrap around kit |
| LS10 | ALstep S | Labels to 100 mm (about 3.9 in), 30 m/min (about 98 ft/min) |
| LS20 | ALstep M | Labels to 200 mm (about 7.9 in), 20 m/min (about 66 ft/min) |
| LS45 | ALstep ultra compact body supplement | Body option for the ALstep family |
There is no ALstep that is fast, wide and small at once, and a buyer who needs all three is usually looking at an ALritma. If your label is over 100 mm you are on the LS20. If it is under 100 mm and you need throughput, you are on the LS10. If space is the binding constraint, look at the LE10 and the ultra compact body option.
How do ALstep codes and handing appear on paperwork?
Altech's price list names the ALstep family E, S and M, which map to the codes LE10, LS10 and LS20. The codes never change and they are what a parts quote is written against. Factory records add a handing suffix, SX for left hand and DX for right hand, on order confirmations and machine plates.
- Handing is a build option, not a field adjustment. It sets which side of the conveyor the head mounts on and which way the web feeds.
- The accessory tables are keyed by family, not by code. Peeler bars run AE10 to AE19 for ALstep E and S (shared with ALritma S and X S) and AE20 to AE29 for ALstep M (shared with ALritma M and X M). Order a peeler bar against the wrong family and it will not fit.
If you already own one, the fastest identification route is the serial number and the Commessa number on the plate. Factory parts quotes are keyed to those, and Altech maintains a 3D viewer per machine for part lookup.
What is the ALstep used for?
The ALstep suits small and medium runs where a production speed head is more machine than the line needs: bottles, jars and tubs, clamshells, trays and small cartons, bags and flat products on a short conveyor, and seasonal lines that run intermittently. It also replaces a hand applicator that has become the bottleneck.
- Small and medium runs where a full production head is more machine than the line needs
- Bottles, jars, tubs and cylindrical containers, particularly with a wrap around arrangement
- Clamshells, trays and small cartons
- Bags, pouches and flat products presented on a short conveyor
- Secondary and seasonal lines that run intermittently, where the capital case for a production head does not hold up
- Replacing a hand applicator that has become the bottleneck
If your label content changes per unit, for example a lot code or a variable GS1-128 barcode, an ALstep is the wrong tool on its own. That is a print and apply application, where the Altech ALcode LT is the economical starting point.
If you want the range compared against the other Altech heads before anyone quotes, our label applicator machines page lays out the application methods, and a line walk settles the rest.
Can an ALstep label round containers?
Yes, with the right arrangement. The ALstep E (LE10) is documented as running either stand alone or with the LR08 ALmatic C, Altech's semi automatic wrap around kit for cylinders from 12 to 110 mm diameter (about 0.47 to 4.3 in): an industrial head doing the applying, and a simple kit doing the rotating.
For a hand fed operation on flat products, the ALmatic E kit does the same job for a different pack shape; both are on our page of ALmatic kits. For a fully automatic wrap at line speed, the answer is a wrap around labeling machine rather than a compact head.
What does an ALstep need around it?
An ALstep needs a peeler bar matched to its family, a label sensor suited to the label and pack, a stand or conveyor mount, and product presentation consistent enough to label. Where the label cannot go on straight off the peel edge, it also needs a pneumatic applicator.
Applicators. Where a label cannot be applied straight off the peel edge, the head can drive a pneumatic applicator. The Altech range covers air blow with fixed tamp, tamp, tamp blow, rotary arm, air blast multi format, air jet, multi format soft touch, vacuum belt, movable peeler bar and U shape types.
Peeler bars. Rigid, adaptive, spring loaded (AE14 and AE24) and quick change. On a compact head, the peeler bar does most of the accuracy work.
Label sensing. The standard label sensor, and CE06, the label tracing sensor for transparent product, which is the answer to a clear label on a clear pack.
Conveying. Altech ALbelt conveyors: the compact belt, the BT05 single belt in 200, 300 and 400 mm belt widths, flighted belt where products need positive spacing, and twin side belt systems for holding a pack square.
Stands and support. Floor stands, hydraulic raising columns, and the semi automatic support table for hand fed work.
Unwind and rewind. Roll unwind units for larger diameter rolls, and separate rewinders for the backing web.
When should you choose an ALstep over an ALritma or ALmatic?
Choose the ALstep when the line is a real automatic line but not a fast one. Hand fed, occasional or bench work usually suits an ALmatic kit, production speed suits the ALritma, and a label that changes per unit needs an ALcode print and apply head instead of any of the three.
| If your line | The right head is usually |
|---|---|
| Is hand fed, occasional, or bench top | ALmatic semi automatic kit |
| Is a real line but not a fast one | ALstep |
| Runs at production speed | Altech ALritma range |
| Runs at production speed unattended | ALritma X S, with its integrated rewinder |
| Needs printing at the moment of application | ALcode LT or ALcode print and apply |
| Needs to be a complete standalone machine | ALline linear labeling machine |
Who stocks ALstep parts and services the heads?
Marapack Services stocks parts for Altech, PackLeader, some Label-Aire and Tach-It machines, and services Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It equipment. For an ALstep that means the wear items and field service, including heads we did not sell.
Typical ALstep wear items: peeler bars and peel plates, peeler blades, braking brushes, drive belts and sprockets, proximity sensors, bearings and motor drivers. Every parts quote is keyed to your machine serial number and Commessa; the ordering route is on our page of parts for Altech machines.
If the head is running but labeling badly, start with our troubleshooting guide for labelers. Many faults have a cause your own team can check before anyone travels.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ALstep enough for a case line? Usually not. Case lines tend to want production speed and larger labels, and a case label with a variable lot code wants print and apply rather than a labeling head at all. We would rather tell you that before the quote than after the install.
We inherited an ALstep with no paperwork. Can you support it? Yes. Send the serial number and the Commessa number from the machine plate. Factory parts lookups are keyed to those numbers rather than to a model name.
Can you retrofit an ALstep onto our existing conveyor? Usually. The constraints are mounting space, the gap between products and whether the product is presented consistently enough to label. All three get measured on the site visit.
How much does an ALstep label applicator cost? The price depends on the version (E, S or M), the body option, the peeler bar and sensors, the stand, and any conveyor or wrap around kit that goes with it. We quote after measuring the line, because a price given before the label, the rate and the mounting space are known is a price for a different machine.
Get the right size of machine, not the biggest one
A compact applicator bought too large wastes capital, and one bought too small becomes the bottleneck the season it is needed. Both are specification failures, and both are avoidable with a site visit.
We measure the line and tell you the honest answer, including when the answer is that your existing machine needs a repair rather than a replacement. Call 253-709-5566 or have your ALstep line measured.