A brewery does not have one labeling job. It has four: the bottle or can, the carrier, the case and the pallet, and each wants a different machine.
This page is for the commercial brewery shopping for a beer bottle labeler or can labeling equipment, not for the homebrewer with a few cases a year. We supply Altech labeling machines, print and apply systems and coding equipment, and we service the machines we do not sell. We do not sell the filler, the seamer or the case packer, and this page says where that line falls.
Not sure which of the four jobs your line is short of? Book an equipment audit and we look at the line, the container and the label before anything is quoted.
What does a brewery packaging line need labeled and coded?
A brewery line needs a label on each bottle or can, a carrier or sleeve that is coded or labeled, a case label with the data your distributor scans, and a pallet label. The bottle or can label is a pressure sensitive labeling job; the case and pallet are coding and print and apply jobs.
The retail pack. A bottle takes a body label, sometimes a front and back pair, and sometimes a neck or back label. A can that is not printed or sleeved at the converter takes a pressure sensitive wrap label. Which of those you have decides the machine.
The carrier and the case. Four and six pack carriers and corrugated cases usually need a date or lot code, and a case that goes to a distributor often needs a scannable case label. Coding a case is a different machine from labeling a bottle.
The pallet. A finished pallet needs its own label if your distributor or retailer asks for one.
Which beer bottle labeler fits a craft brewery?
The container and the volume decide the beer bottle labeler. A wrap-around labeler puts one continuous label around a round bottle; a front and back labeler applies two separate labels in register; a semi automatic kit suits short runs and seasonal batches; an ALline complete machine suits steady volume on a conveyor.
- Wrap-around. A single label around the body of a round bottle. Our wrap around labelers page covers full wrap, partial wrap and spot labels, and why glass needs gentle handling and good spacing.
- Front and back. Two labels on opposite faces. On a round bottle with a registration requirement, the two-sided format needs a held container; see two-sided labeling machines.
- Semi automatic. The Altech ALmatic C is a semi automatic wrap kit for cylindrical products from 12 to 110 mm in diameter, and it pairs with the compact ALstep E head. It is the honest answer for a small brewery running a short bottling day. Detail is on our ALmatic kits page.
- Complete machine. The Altech ALline range builds the base, transport and heads as one machine. Altech publishes typical rates of 60 to 200 products a minute for the ALline C wrap machine and up to 500 for the ALline E front and back machine. See the ALline linear labelers.
- The head. Volume heads from the ALstep to the ALritma are compared on the automatic label applicator range hub.
Can you apply labels to beer cans?
For cylindrical containers, tested on your filled can. Where the label is a pressure sensitive label applied to a cylindrical can, a wrap around labeler handles a cylinder, and the question for cans is the surface: a can that is cold or wet when it reaches the labeler defeats adhesive, so label stock and the application point matter as much as the machine.
That is the same problem produce lines have with condensation on a case, and the fixes are the same ones: stock and adhesive specified for the conditions, the application point moved to a drier part of the line, and a hold that keeps a light can from wandering. Test the label on a filled, packaged can before you commit to a machine.
If your cans arrive printed or sleeved from the converter, you do not need a can labeler at all. You need coding on the carrier and the case, and the rest of this page applies.
What do we not sell, and when does a bottle or can line need another supplier?
We do not sell fillers, seamers, rinsers, monoblocs, shrink sleeve applicators, cold glue labelers, case packers or palletizers. A bottle or can line running at high speed, or one that wants labeling built into a rotary filling block, needs a different supplier for that machine.
Our published ceiling matters here. Altech's published rate for its fastest ALline, the E, is up to 500 products a minute, and the C wrap machine is typically 60 to 200. A large packaging line running beyond those rates is not our machine, and we will say so on the first call. What we do well is the labeling and coding stations around a line, the semi automatic and mid speed machines, and the service on all of them.
How do you code and label cases, carriers and pallets?
Code the carrier and the case with a thermal inkjet printer, and print and apply a label where the case or pallet needs a barcode that has to scan. Coding is cheaper per case; a label is the safer route when your distributor needs a scannable symbol or a surface will not take a mark.
- Coding. Our coding and marking page covers thermal inkjet printers, the water based ink that suits uncoated corrugate, and when a label is the better answer.
- Print and apply. Print and apply labeling systems print a variable label and apply it to a case as it passes.
- Pallets. Pallet labeling is a separate machine from case labeling, and the label formats are explained in our GS1-128 and SSCC guide.
Coding the bottle or the can itself is a different job. We do not sell continuous inkjet or laser marking, and we will not promise a thermal inkjet code on glass or on a can end until it has been tested on your actual pack.
What do distributors and retailers expect on a brewery case?
Expectations vary by distributor and retailer, so ask for the written specification before you buy equipment. We do not state a universal rule for beer cases. Where a buyer asks for a GS1-128 case label, GS1 US publishes the North American case code labeling guidance that defines it.
GS1 US's North American guidance for case code labeling sets out the data and formatting. Bring us the distributor's label specification and we will tell you whether a coder or a print and apply head meets it.
Should a brewery buy a semi automatic kit or an automatic labeler?
Buy the semi automatic kit if you bottle in short runs, run a few days a month, or have a person at the line anyway. Buy an automatic labeler when the labeling bench sets the pace of the line, or when label placement is a specification you are failing on.
Three questions settle it. How many units a day and how many days a year? Does a person already touch each unit? How precisely does the label have to land? A semi automatic kit is not a dead end, because the ALmatic C shares its head with the automatic ALstep, so a brewery that grows keeps the head. We would rather tell you the kit is enough than sell you a line.
Ready to put numbers on it? Request an equipment audit and bring a bottle or can and the label.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best beer bottle labeler for a small brewery? The one matched to your volume and bottle. For short runs a semi automatic wrap kit is usually enough; for steady volume on a conveyor an automatic wrap or front and back machine fits. We ask about bottle shape, label and rate before naming a machine.
Do you sell a beer can labeling machine? We supply wrap around labeling for cylindrical containers, tested on your filled can, using Altech equipment. We do not sell can seamers, fillers or high speed rotary can lines, and a printed or sleeved can needs no labeler.
Can you label cold or wet cans? It depends on the adhesive, the surface and the application point. Condensation defeats most pressure sensitive adhesive, so we test your label on your filled can. The fix is often the label stock or where the label goes on, not the machine.
Do you sell fillers or case packers? No. We sell labeling, print and apply, pallet labeling and coding equipment, and we service Altech, Label-Aire 3100 applicators and 5100 systems, PackLeader, CTM and Tach-It machines.
How much does a brewery labeling machine cost? It depends on the class (a semi automatic kit, a head on a conveyor or a complete ALline), the label size, the sensing and the handling around it. We quote after we know the container, the label and the rate.
Can you code the date on a can or bottle? We do not sell continuous inkjet or laser marking. A thermal inkjet code on a can end or glass is something to test on your actual pack, and we will not promise it beforehand.
Do you only sell to breweries near you? No. Our field service base is the Pacific Northwest, but we serve any US plant, and we would rather route you well than leave you without an answer.
Can you service a labeler we already own? Yes, on the brands we service. Our labeler repair and service work covers them, and a preventive maintenance plan can be scheduled around your bottling days.
Bring us the bottle, the can and the label
Tell us the container, the label, the rate and how many days a year the line runs, and we tell you which of the four labeling jobs you need a machine for, including when the answer is that you do not need one. Call 253-709-5566, or book your line audit.