Ant season brings a surge in demand for products to vanquish the pesky critters. To pull out all the stops after sales of its popular product nearly doubled on the previous year, market-leading Home and Garden product business Vitax turned to Advanced Dynamics Ltd to upgrade the labelling process for its renowned pack of innovative Ant Bait Stations.

The company reported a 75% increase in productivity after installing the Pack Leader PL-221 top and base system, only available in the UK from Advanced Dynamics, for speedy and accurate labelling of the Nippon-branded traps that provide highly effective control for ant infestations.

Vitax had attended the PPMA exhibition at the NEC where Advanced Dynamics, the sole distributor of Pack Leader’s fully automated labelling systems, stole the show from its competitors by offering a more cost-effective, straight-forward solution for labelling the twin pack containing square units connected by strips of plastic in one moulding.

The product’s tricky shape might have presented problems for other labelling suppliers but not so Advanced Dynamics. Rather than propose a ‘wacky’ solution that would involve time-consuming intervention to the labelling process, the Bradford-based business convinced Vitax that Pack Leader’s PL-221 top and base labeller – without any need for modification – was the best option.

Unfortunately for the insects the PL-221 installed at Vitax’s Skelmersdale facility is reeling off 40 twin packs per minute, therefore 80 ant bait stations, with a + or - 1mm degree of accuracy, by labelling the product upside down to suit the shape and process at high speed, putting the regulatory information on the base and the logo and display label for supermarket and DIY stores on top.

Vitax Production Manager, Dale Eames, said:

“Labelling of the stations was a key area where we could improve productivity. Advanced Dynamics pointed out the problems we could face if we wanted to turn the product as suggested by a competitor. The PL-221 is a high quality machine that matches our requirements and was very competitively priced.

“Advanced Dynamics is playing a key role in improving the labelling process for one of our most popular products. I would recommend Advanced Dynamics to anyone and would certainly use them again in the future.”

Advanced Dynamics’ managing director, Malcolm Little, added: “Vitax was quoted some weird and wonderful ways to label the ant bait stations. We were able to supply a no fuss system in the PL-221 that suited the customer far better than the competition’s offering did. We look for simple solutions rather than over complicate things.”

For manufacturers automation offers high-speed, quality labelling and easy changeover features guaranteeing exceptional output and much improved up-time, making the process trouble-free for production staff and will ultimately satisfy customers.

Pack Leader’s cost-effective labelling systems available from Advanced Dynamics are suitable for many sectors including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, toiletries, housewares and food and drink. They can all be fitted with the electronic servo-driven auto-changeover system, which will include memory storage of product parameters.

Advanced Dynamics is one of the leading labelling systems suppliers in the country and is continually a step ahead of its competitors because it offers the most flexible, no-nonsense solutions for boosting profits - which was ant music to Vitax’s ears!