MaraPack Services logo
Request an audit
Menu

PTI Labeling Systems That Apply PTI Labels at Line Speed

Request an equipment auditCall 253-709-5566

Everyone in this market will sell you the label. We install the machine that puts it on the case, in the shed, at line speed, in June.

If you search for PTI labels you will mostly find label converters and traceability software. Both are necessary. Neither one is standing on your packing line at 5am during cherry season when the applicator is missing every fourth case and the receiving dock at your retail customer is grading your barcodes.

Marapack Services sells, installs, commissions and services the PTI labeling systems that apply PTI case labels and SSCC pallet labels for fruit and berry packers, from a base in the Pacific Northwest. We are the Pacific Northwest distributor for Altech labeling systems, importing direct from the factory in Bareggio, Italy: print and apply heads, applicators, conveyors, label sensors and print engines, specified against your actual line speed and your actual case surface.

Being asked for PTI case labels by a buyer? Book an equipment audit and we will walk the line and tell you what it takes to label it.

What is a PTI label?

A PTI label is the Produce Traceability Initiative harmonized case label: a GS1-128 barcode encoding the 14 digit GTIN and the batch or lot number, with the GTIN and lot printed in human readable text directly beneath it, plus a voice pick code, the brand, the commodity, the count or net weight, and grown in information.

The industry has agreed that the GTIN plus lot combination is the traceability lot code used for FSMA 204 recordkeeping.

That lot is why PTI labeling is an equipment question and not only a label question. A lot changes during a shift, so a PTI case label is a variable label: it has to be printed at the moment it is applied, on the line, rather than preprinted by your converter. A PTI label is a data problem that ends in a mechanical one.

PTI works at two levels. Cases are identified by GTIN plus lot. Pallets are identified by an SSCC on the PTI hybrid pallet label, also carried in a GS1-128 barcode.

What equipment applies PTI labels on a packing line?

Five things apply PTI labels on a packing line: a thermal transfer print engine that prints the variable lot, an applicator matched to the case face, the labeling or print and apply head that carries both, product handling that presents the case, and sensing that confirms the label is there. Most service calls trace back to one of the five.

1. The print engine

The barcode is variable, so it has to be printed at the moment of application, not preprinted. On an Altech print and apply system the print engine is a SATO thermal transfer unit integrated into the head: the S84 series at 200, 300 or 600 dpi, the S86 series at 200 or 300 dpi, or an LT408 module. Each one needs its own integration assembly to mount into the Altech head, which is an easy line item to miss on a quote written by someone who has not built one.

Where a line needs a date or lot code printed directly onto a case or tray rather than onto a label, that is a coding job rather than a labeling one, and the choice of inkjet technology matters more than the printer brand. Our TIJ versus CIJ comparison sets out how the two differ.

2. The applicator

This is the part that decides whether the label lands. Altech's applicator range is a catalog of application methods rather than a single product, and the right one depends on the case, the surface and the gap between cases:

Choosing the wrong one is not a tuning problem. It is a return trip.

3. The labeling head or print and apply head

For a PTI case label with a variable lot code, you want a print and apply head: the ALcode industrial head, or the economical ALcode LT. The print engine sits inside the head, and the head prints each label as the case arrives. The wider range, including pallet systems and the interfaces that feed the data in, is covered on our variable-data print and apply hub.

For a preprinted or a non variable label, such as a consumer pack label or a fixed brand panel, a labeling head applies from a roll. The ALstep range covers compact and lower speed applications (labels to 100 mm at 18 m/min, to 100 mm at 30 m/min, or to 200 mm at 20 m/min). The ALritma heads cover faster lines (labels to 100 mm at 50 m/min, to 200 mm at 50 m/min, and to 300 mm at 40 m/min); the ALritma S carries an IP54 rating, a color touchscreen and storage for 40 label formats. The ALritma X S adds an integrated 250 mm rewinder for the backing web, which matters in a shed where nobody has time to change a takeup reel mid shift.

4. Product handling

A label applied to a case that is not where the applicator expected it is a label on the floor. Produce lines need spacing and presentation, which is a conveyor question:

5. Sensing options

A produce line will defeat a standard label gap sensor sooner or later, usually via a clear label on a clear clamshell. Altech's label tracing sensor for transparent product exists for exactly that.

Altech also lists a range of control and camera options that can be ordered as part of the machine: a label presence check, a laser scanner, a mark reader, a smart camera for over print reading, a smart camera for label presence, and full camera vision. These are equipment line items on the system we quote, not a separate service.

Worth knowing as background, because a buyer may hold you to it: under the GS1 General Specifications the minimum acceptable print quality for a GS1-128 barcode is an ISO/IEC 15416 overall grade of 1.5.

Where does a PTI label go on a produce line?

A PTI label goes in three places on a produce line: the harmonized case label on every case, RPC, bin or tote; consumer pack labels on clamshells, trays and tubs above the case level; and the PTI hybrid pallet label, which carries the SSCC for the whole load once the cases are stacked. Each place needs different equipment.

Case labeling

The PTI harmonized case label goes on the case, the RPC, the bin or the tote. It carries the GS1-128 barcode with the GTIN and batch or lot, human readable GTIN and lot directly beneath the barcode, the voice pick code, brand, commodity, count or net weight, and grown in information.

Equipment: a print and apply head with a SATO print engine, an applicator matched to the case face, and a conveyor that presents the case squarely.

Clamshell, tray and consumer pack labeling

Above the case level, the retail pack itself often needs a label: a top and bottom application on a clamshell, a wrap on a punnet, a front and back on a tub. This is a labeling head application rather than print and apply, usually two heads on a shared conveyor, and the sensing is the hard part because the pack is transparent. How those lines are laid out on fruit and berry lines is covered on our produce packing line labeling page.

Pallet labeling

Once cases are stacked, the load needs its own identity. The PTI hybrid pallet label carries the SSCC for the pallet in a GS1-128 barcode, plus a GTIN, batch or lot and case count for each unique composition of cases on that pallet. The structure of that label, field by field, is in our SSCC pallet label guide.

Equipment: a dedicated pallet labeling system for a fixed line, or the ALrobot four axis articulated arm where the pallet is presented in a fixed position and the arm has to reach more than one face of the load from a single position. The ALrobot works within a 1100 mm radius (about 43 inches) and runs from a 7 inch touchscreen. The full pallet range is on our automatic pallet labelers hub.

Worth knowing: there is no page for the ALrobot on altech.it, altech-us.com or altech-uk.com. If you have been told robotic pallet labeling is not available on this platform, it is.

Why buy PTI labeling equipment from a company that installs and services it?

A PTI labeling system is judged by the week it fails in, not the day it ships. Marapack Services walks the line before quoting, commissions on your product, stocks parts, and services Altech, Label-Aire, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It machines, so the company that specified the system is the company that keeps it running through the season.

We specify against your line, not against a catalog. The first thing we do is walk the line. Case surface, case speed, the gap between cases, where the operator stands, where the label web will be changed, whether the shed is wet, whether product comes out of a hydrocooler, and where the pallet gets built. That walk is what determines the applicator, and the applicator is what determines whether the system works.

We commission it and we come back. Field service, preventive maintenance and the print engine refurbishment we arrange are the core of this business, not an attachment sold at the end of an equipment deal. A labeling system that fails in week three of cherry season is not an equipment problem, it is a revenue problem, which is why we schedule pre-season maintenance before the fruit arrives rather than after.

We stock parts. Peeler bars including spring loaded types, peel plates, label sensors, drive belts, sprockets, bearings, rewinders and unwinders, motor drivers. Spare parts quotes are keyed to your machine serial number, so what you get back is a part that fits the machine you own rather than the machine the catalog assumed. We stock parts for Altech, PackLeader, some Label-Aire and Tach-It.

We service more than we sell. Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It machines are all in our service scope. That matters when you have a mixed floor, which every packer over a certain age does.

We publish what we know. If an applicator starts missing cases, start with our troubleshooting guide for labelers. Many causes are checks your own team can make in minutes.

Does FSMA 204 require a PTI label?

No. FSMA 204 is a federal recordkeeping rule, and FDA does not require the traceability lot code to be printed on the product label or packaging. PTI is a voluntary, buyer driven industry initiative. Your retail and foodservice customers require the PTI case label; FDA requires the records, and only for foods on its Food Traceability List.

These two things get conflated constantly and the difference is worth money.

PTI is voluntary and buyer driven. It is an industry initiative, not a regulation. You implement it because your retail and foodservice customers require the case label, and because it is the practical mechanism for whole chain traceability.

FSMA 204 is a federal recordkeeping rule, and it does not require the traceability lot code to be printed on the label at all. FDA has said so directly.

And the FDA Food Traceability List does not cover every crop. Whole fresh cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples and pears are not on it. Fresh-cut fruits are. Melons, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh herbs, leafy greens, sprouts and tropical tree fruits are, in their fresh form.

So if you pack whole cherries or blueberries, the case label is very likely a customer requirement rather than a federal one. That does not make it optional. It makes the deadline your buyer's deadline rather than FDA's, which in practice arrives sooner.

The full breakdown, including the current compliance and enforcement dates, the lot code rules and the barcode size tables, is in our Produce Traceability Initiative guide.

How is a PTI labeling system installed?

A PTI labeling system is installed in six steps: an on-site line assessment, a written specification and quote, label design and data setup, installation and commissioning on your product, operator training, and a preventive maintenance schedule timed before the season. The line assessment comes first because it is the step that prevents a wrong applicator.

  1. Line assessment. On site. We measure line speed, case dimensions, case surface, available gap, mounting space and power and air supply. It is the step that prevents a wrong applicator.
  2. Specification and quote. Head, print engine, integration assembly, applicator, peeler bar, sensor, conveyor, stand and any handling. Written against your line, with the label format you actually run.
  3. Label design and data. The label has to be built in your label design software and driven from the data source that holds your GTINs and lot codes. We specify and configure this as part of the system rather than leaving it as your problem after delivery.
  4. Install and commission. On site, running your product, at your speed, with your operators.
  5. Operator training. Format changeover, web loading, label sensor teaching, and the faults that come up most often.
  6. Preventive maintenance. Scheduled before your season, not after it.

The first step is the one to book now: schedule a line walk before the season and get a specification written against your cases, your speed and your shed.

Frequently asked questions

Can you retrofit PTI labeling onto our existing packing line? Usually yes. Most produce lines have a place to put a print and apply head and a conveyor section. The constraint is normally available gap between cases rather than physical space. That is what the line assessment measures.

We already have applicators. Do we need new machines for PTI? Not necessarily. If your existing heads apply a preprinted label, the question is whether they can be fed a variable label instead, which usually means adding a print engine and an integration assembly rather than replacing the head. If they are old enough that parts are the constraint, that is a different conversation and we will tell you so.

What line speed can a PTI print and apply system run at? That depends on the label size, the print resolution and the applicator, not on a single headline figure. Higher print resolution takes longer per label. Larger labels take longer to print and longer to place. A realistic answer comes from your case rate and your label size together, which is why we ask for both.

How much does a PTI labeling system cost? The price is set by what the line needs: a print and apply head and print engine for the variable case label, an applicator matched to the case face, the conveyor and handling that present the case, and any pallet labeling on top. We quote after measuring the line, because a price given before the case rate, surface and gap are known is a price for a different system.

Can PTI labels be preprinted? The fixed parts can, but the lot cannot, and the lot is inside the barcode. Because the GS1-128 barcode encodes the GTIN and the lot together, any case label whose lot changes during the day has to be printed at the line. A preprinted roll works only where the lot is fixed for the whole run of that roll.

What is a voice pick code? A 4 digit number computed from the GTIN, the lot and, where one is used, the date, printed in the lower right corner of the PTI case label so a picker on a voice headset can confirm the case without scanning. Because it is computed from the lot, it changes when the lot changes, so it is printed with the rest of the variable data.

Who supplies the labels? We do not print labels. We work alongside regional pressure sensitive label converters and will coordinate the specification so that the stock, the adhesive, the core size and the roll diameter match the machine we are putting in. Getting the core and roll diameter wrong is a surprisingly common cause of a new system underperforming.

A customer says our barcodes are failing at their dock. Where do we start? Usually with the printer, the label stock, the artwork and the placement, in that order, because that is where the cause almost always sits. We can look at the printing and applying side of it, and at whether the label is landing where a fixed position scanner expects to find it. What we are not is a barcode grading house, so if you need a graded measurement against ISO/IEC 15416 you will want a lab or a conforming verifier for that number.

Get your line assessed before the season

If you are being asked for PTI case labels by a buyer, adding a new pack format, or losing time to an applicator that misses, the fastest way forward is a site visit. We will walk the line, measure what we need to measure, and tell you what it takes, including telling you when the answer is a repair rather than a purchase. Call 253-709-5566 or book the line walk online.

Walk the line with us before pack season

We look at your labeling and coding stations on site, find the weak points, and tell you what to fix, rebuild or replace. Wherever you are in the US, tell us your state and we will route you to the right people.

Request an equipment audit253-709-5566