Drinks bottle front and back labelling machines

Drinks bottle presentation and compliance

Drinks packaging often uses a front brand label and a rear information label. Accurate positioning supports shelf presentation and helps keep barcodes and product details readable.

The bottle shape, surface condition and fill temperature should be checked before the labelling route is chosen.

• Front brand label and rear information label.
• Barcode and recycling information placement.
• Glass or plastic bottle handling requirements.

Wet or chilled bottle conditions

Condensation, chilled bottles or washdown environments can affect label adhesion and machine handling. If bottles are wet at the labelling point, this should be flagged during enquiry.

Label material and adhesive should match the real production environment.

• Confirm whether bottles are dry before labelling.
• Share fill and storage conditions.
• Check label adhesive suitability.

Glass, PET and shaped bottles

Glass bottles, PET bottles and shaped containers behave differently in the labeller. PET bottles can flex, while glass bottles may have embossing or tapered panels.

The machine should be assessed against the actual container range, not just a general bottle description.

• Send photos of every bottle size.
• Confirm label panel dimensions.
• Check for embossing, tapers and raised features.

Output and line planning

Automatic twin-side labelling is usually the route for continuous drinks production, while compact systems can suit lower-volume runs or trial products. Coding and inspection can be planned alongside the labeller.

• Confirm bottles per minute target.
• Plan infeed/outfeed and conveyor direction.
• Allow for barcode or date-code inspection if needed.