Legally compliant Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) labeling requires a precise number of unique red icons per each formulation. Polysciences, a global manufacturer of specialty chemical materials for industrial, consumer, academic research, and biotechnology applications, prints 1,000 to 3,000 product labels per day and needed a comprehensive and compliant labeling solution that meets GHS requirements. To help ensure high-quality, accurate, consistent, and durable labels, they turned to Epson ColorWorks on-demand color label printers.

After using a “two ribbon” thermal transfer printing system, Polysciences’ label production manager, Kim Doherty, recognized they were spending entirely too much time compensating for the inefficiencies of their label data management and printing system. Thermal transfer printers required precise setup and registration and frequently encountered misalignment of red and black text, broken characters and illegible small fonts. With a backend makeover designed to eliminate disconnected databases, Integrated Productivity Systems (IPSi) helped Polysciences revamp its label management system to include ColorWorks C6500A color label printers and BarTender enterprise label software.

“The waste with the thermal label printer was tremendous – in terms of materials, consumables and time spent. It is a vast improvement to have a printer that does not require ribbon changes or manual adjustments of print heads by way of a screwdriver,” says Doherty. “We expect we will save between 350 to 400 man-hours over the course of a year by using the ColorWorks over the thermal transfer printers due to the automation and ease of use.”

Polysciences worked with Rick Schilling, owner of IPSi, to integrate the new labeling solution. “It’s really quite simple – people enjoy not having to deal with issues when it comes to workflow and technology,” says Schilling. “The potential of a system that works in the businesses’ favor to make it easier for people to do their job should not be understated.”

Durable labels are critical in the chemical industry. The labels must withstand harsh conditions including freezing temperatures and chemical exposure. Before switching to the Epson ColorWorks printers, Doherty and her team evaluated the printer and put the Epson labels to the ultimate durability test by exposing them to chemicals and more than two months in a CRYO freezer. “Nothing we did compromised the quality of the print on the label,” adds Doherty.

Polysciences has over 4,000 SKUs, all of which require very small 3- or 4-point fonts and color icons included on labels. For its contract packaging operations, labels must have precise color matching and branding information. With the ColorWorks color label printers and BarTender software, Polysciences cut its label inventory from 10 sizes to just four and now only requires six or seven BarTender Intelligent label templates. “The impact has been felt across the departments,” said LeeAnn Everitt, director of business technology, Polysciences.

“Legacy monochrome printers are simply not suitable to meet today’s GHS labeling needs,” comments Andy Scherz, senior product manager, Commercial Labels, Epson America, Inc. “ColorWorks printers enable companies like Polysciences to generate high-definition color labels on-demand at an advantageous cost per label, which can improve operational efficiency and reducie label waste.”