Presence check
Confirms that a label or printed region exists. It does not prove that the encoded information is readable or correct.
Coding and inspection
Coding, Barcode and Inspection Integration for Bottle Labellers.
Plan code, barcode and inspection interfaces as part of the labelling line.
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Decide what is printed, where it is checked and what happens after a failure.
Coding and inspection should be designed around a controlled pack position. The correct location depends on whether information is printed onto the label web before application, onto the applied label, directly onto the bottle or onto a closure or carton elsewhere in the line.
| Function | Questions to answer | Integration consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Variable coding | What data is required, on which surface, at what stage and with what contrast or durability? | Determines coder technology, mounting position, product or web control and message selection. |
| Barcode application | Which barcode type, artwork size, orientation, quiet zones and placement rules apply? | Artwork and print quality should be confirmed against the applicable GS1 or customer specification, not judged only by appearance. |
| Label presence | Is the requirement simply to detect a label or to confirm identity, position and readability? | Determines whether a basic sensor or a vision-based inspection is appropriate. |
| Code inspection | Must the system check presence, legibility, content, date logic or barcode grade? | Defines camera, lighting, software, data source and validation responsibilities. |
| Reject handling | Where can a failed pack be removed and how is reject confirmation managed? | Requires conveyor space, product tracking, reject capacity and a safe, controlled reject process. |
| Recipe control | Who selects the label, code and inspection recipe, and how are mismatches prevented? | May require shared product selection, line control or a documented independent verification step. |
Print on the web or on the applied label?
Printing on the label web can provide a stable surface before application, but the coder must fit the web path and the printed area must reach the bottle in the correct orientation. Printing after application can use the bottle as the transport mechanism, so the labelled panel must be presented consistently and remain accessible. Direct bottle coding may avoid the label but introduces its own substrate, contrast and surface-control requirements.
Data and artwork
Provide the exact code content, character area, barcode specification, label artwork and the data source. Identify who controls message creation and approval.
Mechanical space
Show coder, camera, lighting, guarding, reject and service access on the line layout. Leave room for adjustment and consumable changes.
Controls sequence
Define triggers, product tracking, line-stop conditions, reject confirmation, recipe selection and what happens after power loss or restart.
Acceptance test
Use representative printed labels and containers. Include good packs, deliberately missing or incorrect samples where safe, and the agreed verification method.
Barcode quality is a specification, not a visual judgement
Barcode placement, quiet zones, contrast and verification requirements should be confirmed with the applicable GS1 guidance and the customer's trading-partner rules. A scanner reading a few samples does not by itself establish a verified barcode grade. Record who owns artwork approval, print quality and ongoing verification.
Continue with the date-coding integration guide, conveyor integration guide and FAT checklist. For print-and-apply systems rather than pre-printed self-adhesive labels, see Lancing's print-and-apply machinery resource.
Specify the complete code-to-reject sequence.
Send the artwork, code content, inspection requirement, line layout and the required response to a failed pack.
Barcode placement and inspection
Place the barcode where the finished bottle can present it consistently to a scanner.
Barcode success depends on artwork, print quality, label placement and the curvature presented after application. A code that decodes on a flat artwork proof may become difficult to scan when it is wrapped around a small-diameter bottle, distorted near a radius or placed too close to an edge.
| Decision | Practical guidance | Evidence to approve |
|---|---|---|
| Surface and position | Prefer a flat or consistently curved surface and keep the complete symbol, including quiet zones, clear of seams, folds, ridges, edges, tight curves, perforations and overlaps. | Finished labelled pack scanned from the real presentation angles. |
| Orientation on a small cylinder | A vertical or ladder orientation can reduce the width lost as the bars curve around a small cylindrical pack. The artwork decision must still follow the applicable barcode specification. | Converter artwork, final label and a production-equivalent bottle. |
| Quiet zones and contrast | Preserve the required clear areas around the symbol and confirm that the chosen colours, substrate and contents provide adequate contrast. | Final printed sample rather than a screen representation. |
| Inspection objective | Separate label presence, code presence, successful decoding, correct decoded data and formal print-quality verification. These are different acceptance levels. | Written challenge set and expected response for each failure. |
| Reject and traceability | Define how a failed pack is tracked from inspection to reject confirmation and what the line does if reject capacity or confirmation is unavailable. | FAT sequence and site test covering normal running, stop and restart. |
Use one code-to-reject sequence.
- Approve the data and symbol. Confirm the identifier, variable data, symbol type and artwork ownership before labels are printed.
- Choose the finished-pack position. Review curvature, bottle orientation, label gap or overlap, wet or cold surfaces and the scanner view.
- Define when the code is created. Separate a pre-printed barcode from variable data added inline and from a full print-and-apply label.
- State what the inspection must prove. Presence and decode checks do not replace formal barcode verification where a customer or standard requires a quality grade.
- Define the line response. Record stop, alarm, reject, reject confirmation, rework and restart behaviour.
- Test the finished bottle. Use worst-case artwork, production printing, real container curvature and the intended line speed.
GS1 UK advises placing consumer-item barcodes on a flat or consistently curved surface and avoiding edges, tight curves, seams and other features that compromise the symbol. Its current guidance also notes that a vertical ladder orientation can help on small-diameter cylindrical products. See GS1 UK barcode placement guidance, barcode orientation guidance and quiet-zone guidance. Final requirements depend on the symbol, market and trading-partner specification.
Decode and data check
Confirms that the reader can decode the symbol and, where configured, compare its content with the expected product or batch data.
Barcode verification
Assesses print quality against the applicable barcode standard using suitable verification equipment and a defined method.
Use the bottle label measurement guide to reserve a stable barcode area, then include the code and inspection challenge in the FAT checklist.
Send the final artwork and the required inspection level.
Include the finished bottle, barcode type, variable data, scanner requirement and the expected response to a failed pack.