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Tag: inotec

RFID Inmould Labels – Smart Traceability

Posted on by David Priestman

Inotec is proud to introduce its latest innovation in smart labelling – RFID Inmould Labels – a durable, high-performance solution that offers permanent identification and real-time tracking for reusable containers, even in the most demanding environments.

Bringing together the advantages of RFID Auto ID and in-mould labelling, Inotec’s RFID Inmould Labels offer durability, accuracy and sustainability. Developed in-house and tested in live customer applications, they are already helping leading logistics and packaging companies move away from single-use plastics while gaining full transparency across their supply chains.

Smart tray tracking at scale

A recent collaboration with EPT (Euro Plant Tray) demonstrates the real-world benefits of this solution. In the plant wholesale sector, over 95% of trays are currently single-use, contributing to around 40,000 tonnes of discarded plastic waste each year in Europe alone. EPT sought a reusable alternative that could deliver both environmental gains and digital traceability.

Working with EPT, Inotec developed a customised RFID inmould label that is seamlessly bonded to the reusable tray during injection moulding. This label offers exceptional durability – it is flush with the surface, waterproof, UV-resistant, and resistant to cleaning chemicals and mechanical impacts. Despite its compact size, it delivers a high-performance read range and allows bulk scanning of up to 1,000 trays simultaneously, with no line-of-sight required.

EPT’s trays now feature a secure, embedded RFID label that supports real-time tracking, inventory management, and cross-border reuse. The RFID inmould label is helping EPT reduce waste, optimise its processes, and set a new European standard for smart, reusable transport packaging.

Advanced performance, built to last Inotec’s RFID inmould labels are based on its own INO-TAG DIOBOND range and incorporate high-performance NXP RAIN RFID chips.

Key benefits include:

● High-speed scanning – multiple tags can be read simultaneously, even at distances of up to 15 metres
● No line-of-sight required – increasing speed and accuracy while reducing labour
● Secure, high-capacity data storage – with the ability to store encrypted tracking and logistics data
● Extremely durable – scratch-proof, smear-proof, waterproof and resistant to chemicals and temperature fluctuations
● Fully recyclable – made from the same material as the container for easier recycling
● Reduced energy use – thanks to in-mould’s one-step automated production process

Ideal for regulated and high-compliance sectors RFID inmould labels are particularly suited to industries where hygiene, traceability and security are critical. In food and pharmaceuticals, the edgeless bond eliminates contamination risk and withstands freezing, washing and sterilisation. IML is also compliant with strict FDA regulations and prevents label tampering or counterfeiting, which is critical for protecting intellectual property and public health.

“With RFID Inmould Labels, we’re combining durability, traceability and environmental responsibility in one powerful solution,” says David Stocker, General Manager at Inotec. “As seen with EPT, this technology helps our customers meet growing regulatory demands, streamline their processes and take a major step towards a circular economy.”

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Smarter way to Label Dynamic Warehouses

Posted on by David Priestman

There’s a new warehouse labelling innovation in town: Drytack. It’s a reusable, residue-free alternative to traditional adhesive and magnetic labels – and it is already making waves in warehousing. Championing the Drytack technology in the UK and across Europe is Inotec. To anyone familiar with the labelling specialist, this should come as no surprise. While the technology is not exclusive to Inotec, they are the ones ensuring it sticks… which is really what they claim to do best.

A smarter, reusable solution

Unlike standard sticky labels, Drytack features a unique dry acrylic adhesive that clings securely to smooth surfaces without leaving any residue. It can be applied and removed by hand – and reused repeatedly. Even if the back gets dusty or dirty a quick wipe with a damp cloth restores the adhesive qualities, making it ready to go again.

Drytack offers all the benefits of magnetic labels – such as flexibility and repositioning – without the cost or bulk. It’s a polyester label with a dry-tack adhesive backing, ideal for dynamic warehouse environments where stock and storage configurations change frequently.

Tried and tested in Europe

One of Germany’s largest bicycle manufacturers recently turned to Drytack when launching a new warehouse with 30,000 racking spaces. Ahead of the full warehouse rollout, the company needed to temporarily mark 5,000 locations as ‘blocked’ and sought a solution that was simple, visible, and easy to reverse when required.

Drytack labels were used to cover existing barcodes, clearly indicating inactive locations while avoiding errors during scanning. Staff could see at a glance which areas were off-limits – and when a location needed to be reactivated, the label could be peeled off in seconds, leaving no trace behind. The customer praised the solution for its simplicity, efficiency, and sustainability.

“With Drytack, Inotec gave us an easy yet highly effective way to label blocked shelf spaces. The handling is straightforward, and the reusability makes it a more sustainable choice,” said the Production Manager of the Bicycle Manufacturer.

Why it matters

Drytack is perfect for operations where shelf or pick locations change frequently, such as seasonal stock rotations. A good example is footwear retailers who shift from flip-flops to winter boots as the seasons change. Drytack makes it easy to relabel quickly, without investing in expensive magnetic alternatives or damaging existing racking with adhesive residue. Available blank, pre-printed, or as thermal transfer-compatible material, Drytack suits a wide range of applications across warehouse, logistics, and retail environments.

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Inotec UK Acquires Applied Label Solutions

Posted on by David Priestman

The UK subsidiary of inotec GmbH, inotec UK, has acquired the Beverley, Yorkshire-based self-adhesive label specialist, Applied Label Solutions (ALS), for an undisclosed sum. The deal, signed on the 31st January 2024, provides inotec UK with an ideal opportunity to develop its production capacity.

Founder and major ALS shareholder, Darren Sharp, said: “The merger of the two companies dovetails perfectly with my desire to retire from the business following a planned phase out. I am delighted to be handing over the reigns to one of Europe’s leading label companies who I am confident will take ALS to the next level.”

David Stocker, General Manager at inotec UK, explains the rationale behind the acquistion from inotec’s perspective: “ALS has almost 30 years’ experience in the production of high quality, cost effective self-adhesive label solutions. Darren’s retirement plans presented an ideal opportunity for us to build greater security and capacity to the supply of our UK labelling products.”

Same high quality products and service

“Initially, other than coming under the inotec brand name, there will be no obvious changes; the success of ALS is grounded in combining a responsive and reliable service with great value. This won’t change. Customer service and internal sales contacts will remain the same, with ALS staff benefitting from working in a larger team as part of the inotec family,” added Stocker.

“Our first priority to build the business will focus on further investment in staff and resources. This will enable us to provide the increased capacity many of our customers have requested. The investment will also allow us to offer a wider range of labelling products, including consumable blank labels, to our existing customer base.

“The recruitment of additional staff both in production and sales is already underway. Further down the line new premises will need to be found to bring the two companies together under one roof. The right building will provide manufacturing, storage and office space for continued growth over the coming years.

“This merger represents a new phase in development for inotec UK. It will provide many interesting avenues to explore that will help build on the success of ALS within a larger multi-national group. These are as they say, exciting times, and we are looking forward to the opportunities that will emerge in the months and years ahead,” concludes Stocker.

The merger itself was planned with the help of the inotec Group Project Management team and supported by its UK accountants, Forrester Boyd, and solicitors, Bridge McFarland.

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Leading Food Manufacturer Updates Line Marking

 

New Docket Grab Hanging Sign

Posted on by David Priestman

When the Samworth Brothers company was looking for a new hanging sign for its chilled distribution site in Leicester they chose to partner with inotec which specialises in supplying bespoke warehouse labelling and line marking solutions. The result is an innovative ‘docket grab’ hanging sign that uses ball bearings to grip dockets. These signs, which can be either single or double-sided, are now being used in the pick by line area of Samworth’s Oak Meadow facility.

The Samworth Brothers site in Oak Meadow Leicester has a storage capacity of over 10,000 pallets across chill, deep chill and frozen. Around 580 people work on the site with orders being picked by 160 warehouse operatives.

Glyn Maude is General Manager, Samworth Brothers Supply Chain, he explains why the new sign was needed, “As our business has grown rapidly over the last few years we needed to change how we picked orders in this warehouse. Originally the whole area was racked, but it was decided to take part of the racking down to create a pedestrian only picking area surrounded by barriers.

“This meant we could present the products to the pickers in that area instead of getting them to pick out of the racking. The lanes of pallets run towards the racking area and the stock comes into the picking area from underneath the racking, deposited by forklift truck.

“I knew that I would need hanging signs for the new area but couldn’t see anything suitable on the market. I’d seen other companies using drainpipes cut into segments with a slit to hold a label and I’d thought that there has to be a better way of doing this so I approached Steve Towler at inotec. I already knew Steve as he’d helped me with line marking and signs for our marshalling lanes here in Leicester and done a great job. Once I’d given him the size of sign and what it needed to do, he went away and came up with the docket grab concept. A couple of mock-ups later, we had our ‘docket grab’ hanging sign.

“One of the qualities I like about inotec is that they help me plan out and design what I need. They also give me an honest and accurate quotation regarding the cost; I get a lot of good advice from them. The idea of using ballbearings to grip the pallet labels was all inotec’s.
“In the pedestrian only zone the picker collects the pallet of stock using a hand pallet truck and walks down the picking line of pallets. He then scans the pallet label that is held in the hanging sign above a pallet, this details a retailer’s order. The label tells them how many cases to put on that particular pallet for that order. This allows us to control what stock is going where.

“We know when a pallet is fully picked as we’ve set the height of the hanging sign and the length of the label to indicate the full height of an order. When the pallet is full the picker can clearly see there is no room for more stock on that pallet. This means we have uniformity for all the pallets we’re picking. Prior to this we were sending pallets out that were all different heights – not many were too high but some were too low, now they all come out at a standard height.

“Our new way of working has helped us reduce the amount of pallets we’re sending out to retailers. It also ensures we fill the trucks up as much as we can so that we don’t put additional vehicles on the road. This reduces our distribution costs benefitting both us and our customers. A further advantage of the hanging signs is that the pallet labels are now up in the air and out of the way – before they were stuck on the pallet and could fall off, get stuck to something else or just generally go missing! The new sign system prevents this happening.

“Our pick accuracy is already really high at 99.98 per cent but we still have a margin for error that we want to eliminate. Although we’ve only been operating this pick by line system for a short time I am expecting to see an improvement in picking accuracy. The signage work that inotec has done here for us is great. We work really well together as our two companies have a lot in common in terms of work ethic and the way we view things. It’s a fantastic business, I’d give them ten out of ten every time.”

Safety Survey for Warehouse Line Marking

Posted on by David Priestman

A new service has been launched by inotec UK – a free safety and maintenance survey for the appraisal of warehouse line marking. This complimentary service will be available for both internal and external line marking. It has been designed to offer advice on essential health and safety requirements of new line marking, upkeep of existing line marking as well as replacement lines should they be necessary.

The importance of keeping warehouse operatives away from moving handling and storage equipment cannot be underestimated. It can be achieved effectively by line marking that clearly segregates pedestrians from vehicle traffic. In today’s busy warehouse environments, however, regular appraisals to check the condition of existing line markings of walkways and crossings often take a back seat. A key reason for this has been the cost of involving a specialist third party.

By launching this free service, inotec is taking a proactive role in supporting companies to ensure compliance with the law. The company’s durable and highly visible line marking solutions help separate vulnerable pedestrians from fast moving truck traffic.

David Stocker, sales director of inotec states, “Any warehouse which already has line marking or is considering new line marking should be looking at periodic safety and maintenance checks.

“Over time walkways and crossings become damaged by heavy forklift truck traffic and the harsh chemicals that are used for cleaning. This can result in impaired visibility of line markings leading to potentially serious accidents. At inotec we’re here to keep your warehouse staff safe. Contact us to take advantage of one of our experts who will perform a free safety and maintenance survey to appraise your line marking.”

Docket Grab Warehouse Hanging Sign

Posted on by David Priestman

When the Samworth Brothers company was looking for a new hanging sign for its chilled distribution site in Leicester they chose to partner with inotec which specialises in supplying bespoke warehouse labelling and line marking solutions. The result is an innovative ‘docket grab’ hanging sign that uses ball bearings to grip dockets. These signs, which can be either single or double-sided, are now being used in the pick by line area of Samworth’s Oak Meadow facility.

The Samworth Brothers site in Oak Meadow Leicester has a storage capacity of over 10,000 pallets across chill, deep chill and frozen. Around 580 people work on the site with orders being picked by 160 warehouse operatives.

Glyn Maude is General Manager, Samworth Brothers Supply Chain, he explains why the new sign was needed, “As our business has grown rapidly over the last few years we needed to change how we picked orders in this warehouse. Originally the whole area was racked, but it was decided to take part of the racking down to create a pedestrian only picking area surrounded by barriers.

“This meant we could present the products to the pickers in that area instead of getting them to pick out of the racking. The lanes of pallets run towards the racking area and the stock comes into the picking area from underneath the racking, deposited by fork lift truck.

“I knew that I would need hanging signs for the new area but couldn’t see anything suitable on the market. I’d seen other companies using drainpipes cut into segments with a slit to hold a label and I’d thought that there has to be a better way of doing this so I approached Steve Towler at inotec. I already knew Steve as he’d helped me with line marking and signs for our marshalling lanes here in Leicester and done a great job. Once I’d given him the size of sign and what it needed to do, he went away and came up with the docket grab concept. A couple of mock-ups later, we had our ‘docket grab’ hanging sign.

“One of the qualities I like about inotec is that they help me plan out and design what I need. They also give me an honest and accurate quotation regarding the cost; I get a lot of good advice from them. The idea of using ball bearings to grip the pallet labels was all inotec’s.

“In the pedestrian only zone the picker collects the pallet of stock using a hand pallet truck and walks down the picking line of pallets. He then scans the pallet label that is held in the hanging sign above a pallet, this details a retailer’s order. The label tells them how many cases to put on that particular pallet for that order. This allows us to control what stock is going where.

“We know when a pallet is fully picked as we’ve set the height of the hanging sign and the length of the label to indicate the full height of an order. When the pallet is full the picker can clearly see there is no room for more stock on that pallet. This means we have uniformity for all the pallets we’re picking. Prior to this we were sending pallets out that were all different heights – not many were too high but some were too low, now they all come out at a standard height.

“Our new way of working has helped us reduce the amount of pallets we’re sending out to retailers. It also ensures we fill the trucks up as much as we can so that we don’t put additional vehicles on the road. This reduces our distribution costs benefitting both us and our customers.

“A further advantage of the hanging signs is that the pallet labels are now up in the air and out of the way – before they were stuck on the pallet and could fall off, get stuck to something else or just generally go missing! The new sign system prevents this happening.

“Our pick accuracy is already really high at 99.98 per cent but we still have a margin for error that we want to eliminate. Although we’ve only been operating this pick by line system for a short time I am expecting to see an improvement in picking accuracy.

“The signage work that inotec has done here for us is great. We work really well together as our two companies have a lot in common in terms of work ethic and the way we view things. It’s a fantastic business, I’d give them ten out of ten every time.”

Pets at Home Line Marking at New DC

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Pets at Home selected inotec UK for an important contract to complete the line marking, infill walkways and floor painted meeting areas of their new 670,000 sq.ft fulfilment centre in Staffordshire,  UK. This is a significant investment for Pets at Home, one of the UK’s leading pet care businesses. Located on a 70 acre site at Stafford North Business Park, this modern, purpose built fulfilment centre centralises distribution for the company by combining three warehouses into one superhub. For distribution purposes, it occupies an ideal geographic location close to Junction 14 of the M6.

The Stafford DC is highly automated. It has been designed to support future growth for Pets at Home and maximise the company’s omnichannel capabilities. More than 800 people will be employed at the site, sustaining local jobs in the area.

An innovative partner

Ben Ainsworth, Site Services Contract Manager for Pets at Home, was responsible for awarding inotec the line marking project. He explains, “I first saw inotec at a trade show about seven years’ ago and I thought it was an innovative company. I was impressed with the way they use an ultra violet clear topcoat which is cured on top of the line marking paint. This process makes a massive difference, enabling the finished surface to be very hardwearing to withstand even heavy traffic conditions.

“Initially I asked inotec to complete a line marking contract for us at the Pets at Home DC in Stoke on Trent. This was six years ago and it was quite an expensive outlay at the time, but it still looks good today and we’re not having to redo it every six months. They also helped me out at another facility where I’d used a local company to put down some line marking which hadn’t lasted five minutes. Julian Rushbrook from inotec gave me a quote and quickly sorted it out.”

Highly effective teamwork

Ainsworth continues, “For this much larger project at Stafford, we didn’t need to go to tender, I was confident to just go back to inotec. It’s a significant investment for us, but you can’t put a price on health and safety can you? It is essential that our busy colleagues can easily and safely navigate their way through the large fulfilment centre and the infill walkways make the pedestrian routes absolutely clear.

“As a company, inotec is very easy to work with and their employees are straightforward too – there’s no nonsense, Julian gave us a detailed quotation for the work with everything marked up so we knew exactly what we were getting. Also the team who come from inotec to carry out the internal line marking are working with you rather than against you, and for us that’s really important. The supervisor looking after the team, Stuart, was impressive too.

“The company offered paint in any colour we wanted so we used Pets at Home solid green for the infill walkways with yellow tram lines. The two designated meeting areas are also painted green with yellow borders. We even have a black and white pedestrian crossing inside the DC. There’s a large area on one side of the facility for parking all our material handling equipment – we have around 30 forklift trucks. This area has been line marked by inotec in a herringbone pattern using white paint with yellow tram lines for walkways. We’ve now been working with inotec for seven years and I know that I can rely on them to just get on and do a good job for us.”

Ultraviolet cured line marking from inotec – a highly visible and safe option

The ‘Rapidshield’ line marking paint system used by inotec UK results in a hard, highly durable surface with a projected lifespan of five years even in an environment with heavy traffic.
A clear topcoat is cured instantly onto the paint using a high powered ultraviolet light. This process reduces downtime as the paint surface dries within 1-2 hours and areas can be handed back within a working day for immediate use. The finished surface is easy to clean and remains brighter and more visible for longer than a traditional paint system.

Line Marking and Floor Tags in new Healthcare DC

Posted on by David Priestman

The new DSV distribution centre (DC) at Brackmills Gateway is an important milestone in DSV’s ambitious growth plans within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector in the UK and Europe. The facility, a 380,000 sq. ft. temperature controlled DC, is BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Outstanding’ certified and is located in the prestigious Midlands ‘Golden Logistics Triangle.’

“This advanced DC will add key capacity to our healthcare offering and ensure a more robust supply of healthcare and pharmaceutical products to the sector,” enthuses DSV Brackmills’ assistant general manager, Tom Oake. He continues, “Not only will it provide a more flexible, high quality service, but it also incorporates best practices in waste management and energy conservation to improve the facility’s carbon footprint and environmental impact.

“Both health & safety and operational efficiency are mission critical to the business. It was vital, therefore, that all the DC signage and line marking – both internal and external – was first class. DSV had not used inotec before, however, in previous roles I had experienced excellent results working with them and so felt it would be advantageous to see what they could offer. As a relative newcomer to DSV, I wanted to ensure we signed up with the best possible partner to deliver our line marking and signage.

“Consequently, we put the contract out to tender to three companies, including inotec and the incumbent supplier. The team here at DSV were impressed with the professional way inotec approached the project. All the people at inotec have a massive amount of experience in the logistics market and their professional, almost understated approach is very refreshing.”

A partnership based on trust

“After due consideration, the decision was made to partner with inotec. We felt we could trust them to work with us to deliver the best possible solution for the Brackmills site. Whilst competitive, their price wasn’t the cheapest, but inotec’s solutions are first class and you have the peace of mind that they are durable and will stand the test of time.

“It was great to have their knowledge and experience to fall back on when planning the line marking and signage. With a large DC like our Brackmills site, it can be challenging to visualise how all the walkways, forklift truck lanes, meeting areas and signage will work together. The guys at inotec were able to add clarity to our initial plans and their installation team flagged up any issues they felt needed attention, they didn’t just blindly follow instructions.

“With regard to inotec’s floor tags, they are a big bonus. My experience is that other suppliers tend to use stickers on the floor, but they just get ripped up almost immediately. Back in 2007, at a previous company, I had inotec install floor tags and those original tags are still working perfectly today. Shortly after inotec installed the 36 floor tags in the Brackmills site, we had visitors over from Belgium. They were so impressed with these tags they took pictures to get their supplier to install something similar in their own warehouse.“

Branded as Floortags®, inotec’s floor tags are constructed using an extremely durable aluminium plate with the barcode or readable text photocomposed into the metal. During installation, the plate is recessed slightly below the floor surface and sealed with a tough polyester resin. The strong materials make the Floortags® extremely resistant to damage from heavy truck movements, foot traffic and industrial cleaning products.

A professional approach with quality products

Oake added, ”Over the years I have built up a strong working relationship with inotec’s sales manager in the south, Steve Towler. He has a no nonsense approach; he takes the brief, provides a quote and then is happy to answer any questions you may have. There’s no hard sell, no hassling, just straightforward advice, facts and figures to help you make the right decision. In terms of line marking, inotec uses its ‘Rapidshield’ paint system which is designed to withstand heavy traffic over a projected lifespan of five years. The benefit of the system is the ultraviolet topcoat which cures instantly, reducing downtime to under two hours. That means painted areas can be handed back within a working day for immediate use. All in all, here at DSV we are delighted with the work inotec has done in the Brackmills DC. There is no doubt we will be working with them on future sites as we expand our network of healthcare DCs in the UK and Europe” concludes Oake.

Diomaster Floorblock Labelling Solution Released

Posted on by David Priestman

inotec UK, has expanded its warehouse identification range with its new Diomaster 250 PC Floorblock TRANS HUW (Diomaster Floorblock) labelling solution. Developed by inotec in France and now available in the UK, the protective Diomaster Floorblock labelling system is ideal for warehouses which print their own labels on-site.

inotec specialises in warehouse solutions, barcode security and RFID labelling.

The Diomaster labelling solution is a high-quality blank polycarbonate label cover protecting self-made labels which are fixed to the floor within a solid cast aluminium frame (Floorblock).

Logistics facilities which handle frequently changing stock items and stock layouts, often face the issue of own-printed labels not being sufficiently durable. The Diomaster label solution allows users to place their printed labels inside a 2-3 millimetre recess within the aluminium Floorblock which is screwed to the floor.

The polycarbonate Diomaster cover sits on the top of the label and adds extra protection from foot and truck traffic in the warehouse, as well as potential daily wear and tear. This ensures complete protection for the efficient readability of labels. Not only can the label under the Diomaster cover be easily replaced as and when required but also, the Floorblock unit can be easily unscrewed and repositioned.

David Stocker, sales director at inotec UK comments: “The Diomaster Floorblock solution is a great addition to our warehouse labelling product range. The combination of the label cover with the aluminium label holder creates a robust system for warehouse identification marking – even when printing your own labels on-site.

“Damaged or unreadable labels cause operational delays which can have significant financial implications. If labels can’t be scanned or locations found, it can cause serious disruption in the supply chain. The Diomaster labelling solution prevents this to ensure warehousing identification performs at an optimum level. We are now able to offer this cost-effective and long-lasting labelling solution to all our UK customers.”

For more innovations in the logistics sector you can browse the latest issue of Logistics Business here

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