Highest Quality

Quality Assurance

Quality is an intricate part of Colonial Label Systems manufacturing process. We use the principles of ISO 9001 to develop procedures and systems that build quality into every step of the manufacturing process. These strict standards are specifically tailored for each client's particular needs.

A Reliable Partnership

The deal doesn't end when it is closed, that's when it begins; Our goal is to help our resellers lock business up for years to come, by providing the lowest prices, outstanding and consistent quality, cutting edge solutions and industry leading expert support. When something isn't right for your customer, we will be your biggest and best ally.

General

Unlike many label converters - we never run our presses at full speed or anywhere near it. When you do, quality suffers. We define maximum press speeds and our pressmen adhere to these rules.

We have a pressman and one or two helpers working together. Many converters will have the pressman run the press and bulk pack the product both at the same time, to cut costs. Our pressman's number one job is to monitor quality; and the best way to do that is to have someone else handling the packaging.

We affix a sequential number to every bulk carton of custom product we produce. We pull a sample from each carton and affix the same number to that sample. We then attach these samples to the corresponding mill roll tag. We archive these samples for 12 months. Thus, if ever there is a problem we have retained samples from every carton we can check.

We have 100% operator accountability - the Press Operators who are responsible for all facets of quality initial each roll tag; thereby creating an audit trail and fostering accountability.

We have complete employee accountability throughout every process. From order entry to our final quality control check in our Shipping Department we know who was responsible for each step along the way.

Explicit quality control procedures are written for every major piece of business we handle. Employees responsible receive copies and training as it relates to each specific account's needs.

Every custom carton we produce has a production date on it. We strictly adhere to a first in first out procedure of rotating all inventory. This is a very important issue that can easily be overlooked by other manufacturers who maintain a continuous supply of customer inventory on their floor.

We offer expert telephone/on site consulting services, to help solve whatever label related challenges your customers may have. Our technical expertise in sheets & pin feed labels is unrivaled.

Generally we run splice free rolls, however some products are not available in a splice free format and it's critical that all roll splices be removed from finished product. All rolls are inspected before going on press and mill splices are carefully marked and then monitored to insure removal from finished product. Our presses are all equipped with mill splice detector alarms.

Waste ladders are removed cleanly by specially engineered vacuum removal systems. This is very important as breaks in waste ladders can lead to small pieces of broken ladder stuck to the face sheet which can cause two sheets to stick together and create a printer jam.

As a rule, we run grain long laser sheets (sheeting at 11") which is what the major printer manufacturers recommend for optimum label feed performance. Some converters run grain short (sheeting at 8.5"). Running grain long requires 23% more press time. We do not take short cuts- we do it right.

If, however, an end user is feeding 8.5" x 11" sheets into their printer using the 11" edge of the sheet as the gripper edge; they should be using Grain Short sheets. This allows the sheets to more easily navigate the roller path within the printer; Lessening sheet jams.

We can run "photo" quality gloss papers without scratching the face sheet - this is not possible unless your equipment has been specially configured for this purpose.

Excessive web tension can stretch certain sheets, leading to a "snap back" condition. Although sheets will cut off at 11", once they relax they end up a hair short.

When we run 8.5" x 11" laser sheets (either single or double stream) we run oversized rolls and strip waste on both sides to insure web widths remain exactly 8-1/2". This is critical to consistent performance in high speed laser printers (doing so adds 1.2 to 2.9% to our material costs). Many converters do not run oversized rolls. Problem is mill tolerances on roll material are +/- 1/32" so you rarely will get exact 8.5" wide finished sheets. In addition, sheets not run from oversized rolls are more subject to adhesive ooze generated from the manufacturing process. Adhesive ooze will cause printer jams and if it accumulates in the printer path it can also lead to toner adhesion problems and/or fuser damage.

Oversized sheets can bind in printer trays and cause jams. Under sized sheets will be subject to print alignment variations and potential feeding problems.

Dies, slitting blades and all nip and idler rollers must be cleaned often to remove accumulated adhesive and other residue. Adhesive left on tooling or rollers will accumulate on sheets and contribute to printer jams. Residue can also emboss sheets and actually put a dent in the sheets, which can effect toner adhesion.

We have the ability to alter silicone release values to suit your needs. Smaller labels can sometimes pre-dispense if they are subject to certain conditions. We can also help to prevent pre dispensing issues by adding very small ties to the construction, which when removed are barely visible.

Care must be taken to watch for slippery liners caused by excessive "silicone bleed", or mill variations, that can change the coefficient of friction and contribute to jams in friction feed printer trays.

Prolonged temperature or humidity extremes while raw material is in transit can adversely impact label converting performance. Care must be taken to acclimate rolls prior to converting and/or final use.

Static electricity in sheets can sometimes be a problem. In addition to the standard static removal bars that most presses come equipped with, we also have custom built units that blow high volume ionized air on the finished sheets and remove all the static. Sheets with static in them can stick together and cause printer jams.

All reams of product coming off our stacker conveyors are perfectly jogged before being packaged. We have electric joggers that make this task faster and more effective. (Also, the fact that any static electricity has been removed from the sheets, makes perfect jogging easier to attain). Perfectly jogged sheets prevent bent or curled edges which will cause printer jams.

Jogging sheets by hand can damage the edges of the sheets which will cause printer jams. Most sheet converters do not use electric joggers. They jog sheets by hand.

It is critical that sheets with a "head and a toe" edge, all face the same way in the boxes. An upside down sheet or a sheet turned the wrong way will print out of alignment and be useless to the end user and will have to be reprinted. Thus when there is a jam on press or a reason to add or replace sheets in a box - extreme care must be taken to correctly orientate sheets being replaced.

On sheets with face stripped matrix it is absolutely critical that the liner margins not be bent or damaged or curled in any way. They must be perfectly jogged and perfectly flat to insure good feed performance. Note: Face edge stripped sheets are more as susceptible to edge damage or curl as are non stripped sheets.

When necessary, we have the ability to control die and sheeting lineal register to +/- 8/1000s of an inch. Our skew tolerances are as tight as +/- 4/1000s of an inch.

Perfect print and die alignment require cylinder outer diameters be perfectly engineered and sized to match the plate and die distortions. The slightest imperfection will create register and or step and repeat variations. Incorrect web tension will also contribute to this problem.

For national accounts, we offer Inventory Maintenance and Bill as Ship programs. We keep raw material and or a converted supply on premise at all times. Orders can then ship within days of receipt. We only invoice as we ship.

A number of years back we were 2 days away from running out of a customer's label material on one particular sku. Our supplier missed a scheduled ship date. It was a Friday afternoon. We had two employees fly to Indiana, rent a truck and drive a partial shipment back to our factory. By Sunday it was in a press being run. By Monday we again had sufficient inventory to assure an uninterrupted supply. This is the level of commitment we bring to the table every day.

All incoming orders are audited upon receipt and should there be any questions or inconsistencies in them, we immediately question them.

We monitor freight in - we track the shipping process (pro numbers and UPS/Fed Ex tracking numbers) as necessary to insure all raw materials needed for time sensitive projects arrive on time. Thus we endeavor to identify problems immediately before a late shipment of materials causes a production delay.

We maintain our equipment very carefully. We do not cut corners. Worn press components can contribute to bad register (alignment), long/short sheets, variations in depth of die cuts, excessive paper dust and other problems.

We constantly train and monitor each employee's quality performance. We foster an atmosphere with every employee that applauds and rewards conscientious adherence to our strict quality standards

We use the best supplies and press components available. Harper Analox Rollers, Laser Engraved Digital Plates, Huber Inks, Daetwyler Doctor Blades, & Rotometrics tooling. We use only the best Pressure Sensitive constructions, laminated by one of the Major Domestic Manufacturers.

We use Excel spreadsheets to manage dealer's day to day in house inventory; and can provide copies to our dealers as they are updated.

Die Cuts

We do die stain tests to help insure that variations in liner caliper do not adversely affect the die cut or cause liner cut through. Slight mill variations in liner caliper are normal. Every mill has acceptable tolerances defined and if one roll's liner varies beyond the norm you may have a problem; unless you first identify it, and make adjustments, or worse case scenario, pull the roll and return it to the mill.

We have die pressure gauges on every press; to insure die pressures remain consistent from side to side and from one press run to another. Many label converters do not use them. They adjust pressures blindly by hand and only do a visual inspection.

As you run a job the die heats up and expands. This expansion can add up to 300 lbs. of additional cutting pressure; unless you have gauges you cannot accurately monitor and make adjustments to compensate for this.

We maintain written die histories on high volume formats - including date, footage run and die pressure used. This defines for us from one run to the next; exactly what die pressure we need to start with (when next running the job); in order to get perfect results. It also clearly defines when a die is reaching the end of its useful life.

In most cases, when die pressure goes over 1000 lbs; we will retire the die and replace it with a new one - we don't wait for it to go bad during a press run. Some dies we retire even sooner.

While running, we continuously test for clean die cuts. Any fiber residue as you remove a label can cause the label to tear and dies must then be replaced.

Flexible magnetic dies are expensive; as a result some converters run them to death. Over time dies develop low spots; they simply wear down. When this happens some converters will resort to an inexpensive fix to lengthen die life. They spray paint the underside of the die to compensate for the low spot. This is a short term fix that does not cut evenly.

A number of problems can then occur. The slightest "cut through" into the liner compromises the integrity of the liner and will contribute to curl and feeding issues. It also creates problems with removing the face sheet; the liner will tear and then sticks to the adhesive on the face sheet. This temporary fix also doesn't remain consistent. It wears down quickly; so your cuts are not consistent from roll to roll, and when the cuts go bad, it's a good bet that it's not caught immediately; and also a good bet that not all the bad material gets removed and discarded.

We always maintain brand new backup dies in inventory for large accounts or for common die sizes. Thus when a die needs to be replaced, we just mount a brand new die.

Dull dies and/or adhesive accumulation on the die cavities will contribute to "die pull". This is a condition whereby the die cut labels are ever so slightly pulled away from the silicone liner. It can contribute to pre-dispensing, or puckering, which will increase the propensity for printer jams. A sharp die makes a narrow cut. A dull die makes a wider cut and pushes the edges of the face sheet further apart than a sharp die. The condition of your die must be closely monitored; once it starts to get dull it must be replaced. In addition, the dies must be cleaned as necessary, to remove adhesive residue.

Upon mounting a new die and prior to manufacture, we proof the dimensions carefully to insure they meet your exact specifications. (We do not assume our die manufacturer got the dimensions correct.)

Monitoring your finished sheets for die spread is very important (the space between the die cut label and the surrounding matrix). Too much web tension; or shrinkage of face sheet due to low ambient humidity levels; or an imbalance between the tension in the liner and face sheet will each contribute to this problem. Die spread will contribute to adhesive ooze which can cause sheets to stick together and jam in printer.

We use male/female (sheer) punch units for hole punching laser sheets. A male/female punching system costs $30,000 and up. To punch with a die only requires an investment of $300 to $500. Die punching is much more likely to leave hanging chads and/or loose chads in with finished product, (which will interfere with laser imaging. With a dedicated male/female punch unit, chads are vacuumed out through the lower female punch below the web. In addition, as inpidual punches wear out, we can replace them for less than $10.00 per set... as a die wears out... the entire die must be replaced.

Perfs / Slitting

Lineal slitting blades, bearings, sheeting blades and perf blades must all be monitored closely and replaced at the first signs of wear. Dull blades will contribute to adhesive ooze, paper dust, uneven edges and perforations that do not tear properly or "tenting" perforations. Paper dust inhibits a scanner's ability to read bar codes on high speed conveyor systems; if bad enough can shut a conveyor system down.

In some cases the only way to eliminate a tenting perf is to iron it. We have this capability.

When perforation cuts bleed off the lead edge (printer gripper edge) of sheeted products, broken perfs can cause paper jams. We have the ability on any lineal perf to leave a small gap between the perf and the lead and tail edges of the sheet. Most converters can only offer lineal perf wheels which cannot accomplish this.

Testing

We have a state of the art tensile testing device. It measures the tear strength of a 1" section of perforated material. It is used to insure that perf strength from one run to another remains consistent. It also insures that perf strength from left to right is consistent. This same device is also used to test release values between a liner and a face sheet by measuring the effort required to delaminate them. Too easy a release and labels can pre-dispense in your printer - too stiff a release or voids and labels will tear when you try to remove them.

We have a state of the art electronic micrometer. It allows us to measure the caliper of a liner or face sheet down to 1/10,000".

When necessary, we can test samples on a state of the art analytic balance scale which is accurate to 1/10,000th of a gram for measuring adhesive coat weights. We use ASTM standard F2217-02 for quantifying Adhesive coat weights. Adhesive coat weights within spec are critical to good label performance. Too much adhesive will contribute to adhesive ooze problems; not enough adhesive can cause labels to fall off the substrate they are applied to.

Adhesive

Freezer adhesives are soft by nature and thus are more prone to oozing than other adhesives; the more sheets you run, the more likely this can become a problem. Press components must be cleaned more frequently.

We have adhesives to meet every need. Just because an adhesive has a minimum application temperature of -20F does not mean it will stick to ice cream sleeves. Add frozen condensation, frost, to them & adhesion becomes even more challenging. We have the best freezer "acrylic adhesive" made for laser printers on the market. It's been tried, tested, and proved in some of the country's largest grocery distribution companies.

Recycled corrugated is becoming more and more prevalent; fibrous cartons from overseas as well. Both of these substrates often prove challenging for consistent adhesion. We have perfect adhesives for both.

Curl

On sheeted products, we inspect every new roll as it first starts coming off the stacker conveyor, for machine direction curl, tubing curl or corner to corner curls.

When and if we encounter a tubing or corner to corner curl; our first reaction is to pull the roll and watch the remaining rolls on that particular master. If we are unable to rectify the problem, we return bad material to the vendor.

Machine direction curls are corrected on press by using a custom built bidirectional breaker bar that is electronically adjustable on the fly. Having the ability to immediately make pressure adjustments is critical to obtaining good results. Most breaker bars are static or manually adjusted and thus cannot immediately compensate and correct the increased memory curl present as your roll empties and nears the core (where memory curl is the most severe).

Whenever possible, we run sheeted jobs on 15,000' rolls with approximately 40" outer diameters. Many converters run standard size 10,000' rolls. A smaller roll is easier for the operators to handle. A 15,000' roll weighs 50% more and is difficult to maneuver. Why does this matter? A 15,000' roll has a larger outer diameter and will yield a higher (33%) number of sheets with less of an inherent propensity to curl in a machine direction.

When necessary, we have the ability to manage Relative Humidity in our factory. We have Humidistats to measure & control RH levels. When relative humidity is very low or very high, sheets will curl unless you have the ability to control humidity levels.

Laser face sheets and liners must have balanced moisture levels. Generally sheets remain flat at 35-45% relative humidity.

Siliconized liner and porous face sheets shed and gain moisture at different rates. A moisture imbalance between the two will cause the sheets to curl. When the sheets are manufactured they go through several drying and re moisturizing processes. Raw rolls must be properly stored and converting environments controlled to prevent undue moisture gain or loss.

Packaging

Our procedures for packaging are far superior to most other converters. Packaging is a critical component to maintaining the lay flat characteristics of laser sheets; good packaging is also critical for insuring the edges of sheets do not get damaged or creased in any way. We have heavy gauge custom made interior dispenser boxes. All outer cartons are custom made so that the contents exactly fill the carton. We don't under or over fill cartons. Perfectly sized and filled cartons help to keep sheets flat.

We use protective outer cartons - we package two cartons of 1000 sheets inside a larger outer carton**. This cuts UPS Ground shipping charges by up to 26%. Also, sheets are better protected from damage in transit.

**Maximum weight 50lbs per carton, for standard parcel rates.

We use sophisticated Shanklin shrink wrapping systems. Their output capacity is extremely fast and they wrap "retail quality" packages.

We offer color coded content labels for large shipments with multiple lots. We can label all 4 sides of a skid with 8.5" x 11" shipping labels and highlight special instructions in bold lettering on highly visible fluorescent color labels.

We offer EAN 128 bar coded skid labels. On large programs, we can add barcodes to every carton content label.

We use ECT 40 and ECT 44 corrugated cartons when necessary to further protect from the rigors of UPS or Fed Ex parcel shipping.

Shipping

Every outgoing shipment is checked by a second person prior to release; to insure that everything has been done properly. From carton count, to stretch film skid wrapping, to shipping labels, packing list; to the quality of the skid; we insure everything gets done right the first time.

Skids (traveling long distances) can be further secured by the addition of full sheets of chipboard between tiers; heavy duty chipboard corner/edge protectors; and banding with 5/8" plastic strapping.

Custom size cartons and skids can be made to meet any requirements you might have.

Plastic skids are available for overseas shipments.

When loading product on wooden skids we always make sure no nails are protruding from the skids. Nail heads will pierce the bottom cartons and damage finished product.

Fan Folded Labels

On fan folded products, finished goods are continuously monitored to insure we do not incur pad leans and/or saw tooth piles.

If fan folded product requires splicing we apply our splicing tape across the full web and perfectly remove all tape from the line hole punches.

When possible, we do not splice on fan folded perfs - we splice perforations between rows of labels in the middle of a fan folded segment. This insures splice will not cause the web to trip as it is refolding.

When possible we run fan folded products on 15,000' splice free rolls. This allows us to provide fewer breaks in cartons, we do everything possible to minimize the number of cartons with breaks.

Cartons with "breaks" are clearly labeled, so end users are aware ahead of time.

We constantly monitor perf strengths of all fanfold and body perfs and adjust or replace blades as necessary.

Paper stretch is monitored on pin feed fan folded continuous products by using a "throw length gauge" to insure press web tensions are correctly adjusted.

Side to side and lineal hole punch register is constantly monitored and adjusted as necessary to insure perfect correct alignment.

We guarantee web width to +/- 1/64th. This ensures line hole margins and pinhole punching are both perfectly positioned.

Whenever possible full cross web perfs have ties bleeding off the both edges of the web to help minimize paper jams due to ripped perforations.

Perf blades & male/female punch dies must be replaced at the first signs of wear to prevent excess paper dust.

Conclusion

Colonial Label Systems ONLY SELLS TO THE TRADE. Your trade protection is absolutely guaranteed. Everything we ship goes in our dealer's name.

Your business is very important to us. If there is ever a problem of any sort - we stand 100% behind what we do. If it means crediting back a large order...done. We not only want your business, but more importantly, we will do whatever it takes to keep it.