1. home
  2. case studies
  3. r ceravolo & co
Label Design Software

R Ceravolo & Co

Key facts:

  • company needed state-of-the-art technology to meet retail requirements
  • Linx TT5 allows for quicker labelling and reduces down-time
  • installation is compatible with company’s existing technology
  • throughput has rapidly increased
  • system is operator-friendly

The Ceravolo family began growing fruit and vegetables in South Australia 50 years ago, adapting to changes in the industry by updating technology as the business expanded to include packing and wholesaling. Twenty-five years ago they focused on growing cherries, apples, pears and nectarines. The family also packs and labels fruit sent in by other growers

Co-owner and packaging controller Sandra Ceravolo says, “Every step is done by us and we market the fruit ourselves via a supermarket chain and the Adelaide Produce Market, which is direct to greengrocers. We installed the Linx TT5 from Matthews because we became Coles’ core pear supplier in South Australia. We use it to print product variety, pack dates, best-before dates and EAN13 barcodes for retail sale.”

R. CERAVOLO & CO.

INDUSTRY:FRESH PRODUCE
APPLICATION:PRODUCT VARIETY, PACK DATES, BEST-BEFORE DATES AND GTIN-13 BARCODES ON FLEXIBLE FILM (FLOW WRAP)
TECHNOLOGY:THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER
PRODUCTS:LINX TT5
Box Label Applicator

BACKGROUND

The Ceravolo family began growing fruit and vegetables in South Australia 50 years ago. Over the years, the family has adapted to changes in the industry by updating technology as their business expanded to include packing and wholesaling cherries, apples, pears and nectarines. The company also packs and labels fruit sent in by other growers.

SITUATION

R Ceravolo & Co. markets its fruit via Coles supermarket chain and the Adelaide Produce Market (direct to greengrocers). Every step of the packing and labelling process is handled in-house.

Labels were being hand printed and applied, which was consumed both labour and time in waiting for labelling to be finished. If labels were not applied properly, time and labour was needed to readjust. The labels were also an additional cost.

When the business became the principal supplier of pears to Coles in South Australia, streamlining the ‘labelling’ process became a high priority.

BUSINESS NEEDS

Consistency

Information such as barcodes, best-before dates and product variety needed to meet stringent retail requirements.

Compatibility

The new equipment needed to be compatible with Ceravolo’s existing equipment (particularly the Ulma Horizontal Flow Wrapper); plus be quick and easy to integrate into the packaging process.

Code And Label Designer

PROCESS NEEDS

The printing process for codes needed to be fast and accurate, with rework eliminated.

Ceravolo was also keen for a coder that was simple to use and operator friendly.

SOLUTION

After considering machines from other suppliers and on recommendation from existing customers, R Ceravolo & Co. decided to go with a Linx TT5 Thermal Transfer Printer, which Matthews’ installation engineers integrated with the existing Ulma Horizontal Flow Wrapper.

The installation was straightforward and the integrated equipment was immediately operational because the Linx TT5 is so simple to operate.

OUTCOME

The company uses the Linx TT5 to clearly and consistently print product variety, pack dates,

Datamax Label Printer

best-before dates and GTIN-13 barcodes to high retail standards. Greater efficiency in coding has cut downtime, reduced costs, and significantly increased throughput from 300 to between 500-1,000 punnets a day. By integrating the thermal transfer overprinter with the flow wrapper, the information is printed directly on the film — saving both time and money.

Label Maker

Ceravolo is also pleased with the Linx TT5’s ease of use. Co-owner and packaging controller Sandra Ceravolo says, “It’s so easy to use that even someone without any prior experience with the thermal transfer overprinter can operate it. There are simple-to-follow instructions and the colour touch screen results in fewer errors.”

Previous Next