Herma, a Germany-based provider of labeling machinery and self-adhesive labels and materials to the global packaging marketplace – has been selected by Korean biotechnology company Bioneer as labeling provider for its extensive COVID-19 test kit production operations. At Bioneer’s facility in Deajeon, South Korea, Herma Basic applicators are in place on nine packaging lines, applying 300mm-long top labels for product identification and tamper evidence, as well as a label on the side of the kit’s box.

Notably, the initiative involved a particularly tight labeling window, meaning that the labeling system needed to be highly accurate. And given the ongoing pandemic’s urgency, the project was expedited as well as customized: the product handling systems into which the applicators are integrated were designed and installed in a short timeframe by Hanshin Labelling, Herma’s sales partner in the Republic of Korea.

Among the aspects that made the project especially challenging was the top label’s length. At 300mm (nearly 12 inches), the label has a dual marking/tamper evidence functionality that seals the box lid’s front and back. Ensuring these lengthy labels are applied without creases or wrinkles – and without any offsetting – required an applicator with exemplary precision and repeatability.

Bioneer currently labels and seals 40 boxes per minute on each of the nine lines, for a combined output of over 350 kits per minute.

“The Herma Basic is perfectly suited for this task with its high repeat performance,” says Hee Chul Lee, CEO at Hanshin Labelling. “The reason we chose HERMA out of all the suppliers worldwide is the very high level of trust we have in the company. It is tremendously competent and the performance of the applicator is perfect for this application.”

The Herma Basic applicator was specially developed to cost-effectively meet precision labeling requirements in robust production environments. Its simple integration, uncomplicated operation and ease of maintenance are optimally suited to commissioning labeling lines in the shortest possible timeframe and, once running, ensuring smooth operation.

“Manufactured on the same production lines and to the same strict quality standards as the Herma 500 high-performance applicators, the Herma basic is also distinguished by its reliability and process safety,” says Christoph Illichmann, head of area sales at Herma Labeling Machines.