The right label in 1, 2, 3, clicks
The Italian ice cream parlor Monte Pelmo in the heart of the "Jordaan" in Amsterdam has been making its own display cards with a card printer from SATO partner Dutch Card Printing (DCP) for years. But the labels that the accompanying ice cream factory needed for sales to other ice cream parlors, wholesalers, restaurants and ice cream vendors were still made with simple Dymo labelwriter that had to be controlled by a computer.
In 2020 Emiel van Dreumel, Partner Manager at SATO, introduces and demonstrates the SATO FX3-LX label printer to Dutch Card Printing. Lars Kiewet (Dutch Card Printer) immediately thinks of Monte Pelmo. This could well be the ideal label printer for them.
The ice cream factory, or Monte Pelmo Gelatolab as they call it themselves, sells artisan-produced ice cream to ice cream parlors, wholesalers, restaurants and ice cream vendors throughout the Netherlands. In all kinds of flavors and volumes. There are boxes with one 5-liter tub, but also boxes with two 2.5-liter tubs. Each box must be labeled, stating the flavor, the ingredients, any allergens and, of course, the best-before date.
This information is also given on the (smaller) label that is stuck on the ice cream containters themselves. Such a label may seem simple, but food laws and regulations are strict. This imposes quite a few requirements on a label. You don't want to have to think about that every time. It must be easy, quick and error-free. And because the packaging boxes are the same size, there also must be two different colored labels, so that everyone can quickly see whether it's one or two containers of ice cream. So, each label is slightly different.
The customer's requirements:
- The right label quickly
- Easy to use for everyone
- Directly from the printer, without a computer
- Automatic calculation of the best-before date
- Reliable printer
The SATO solution
Dutch Card Printing demonstrated the SATO FX3-LX printer to the Monte Pelmo team and showed that the FX3-LX is super easy to operate thanks to the e7-inch TFT full colour touch screen, which offers users the familiar feel of using a smartphone or tablet. With some training by SATO on the Application Enabled Printing software, which comes standard with the FX3-LX printers, DCP was able to develop the user application for Monte Pelmo.+C22
Together with Monte Pelmo an inventory was made of exactly what labels were needed, what information the labels should contain and what would be the most logical steps to get the right label out of the printer. Once all that was determined, DCP started to work on programming the printer for Monte Pelmo. The result is a simple selection menu which allows everyone in the company in just a few clicks on the screen to choose falvour, volume, and label type, and the right labels rolls right out of the printer. Exactly as it should be, quick and easy without errors. No computer is needed anymore.
For Monte Pelmo it was also important that the printer was compact and portable, so it could be used anywhere, even in an environment where hygiene is essential. The FX3-LX has an antibacterial housing, is splashproof and can be operated with gloves on.
DCP also thought along about which labels would be most suitable. Size, colour, but also adhesion. Not every label is suitable for sticking on an icy surface. And of course, the labels must stick well when the ice cream goes into the freezer.
The result
"We are super happy with the new label printer. Now that eveyrthing is programmed, printing a label with all important information such as our product name, the flavor, ingredients with milk, gluten and egg as allergens, and a use-by date of 12 months from production date is a piece of cake. For Monte Pelmo the new way of printing labels saves an enormous amount of time, says Dennis de Vos, Monte Pelmo Gelatolab. Because the printer is in the production area and works standalone, we don't have to go to the computer every time. That saves a lot of time. Also, changing the labels only takes a few moments. Dennis continues; if we decide to add a new flavor for the next season, we can easily expand the database on the computer via SATO's AEP software. Via a USB stick, the database in the printer is renewed fully automatically and the new label can then be printed directly. The contact with DCP is very smooth. You can always call or email them and get a quick and clear answer. And if they need to drop by sometime, they do."
Monte Pelmo and DCP enthusiastic about SATO
Not only Monte Pelmo is happy with the FX3-LX. DCP is also enthusiastic about this label printer from SATO. Owner Roland Gort says: "DCP has been a specialist in plastic passes and cards printers for years. When we decided to expand into the label market a few years ago, we quickly found a reliable partner in SATO. A partner who, like us, goes for quality and innovation. Complete with in-house developed software and the best labels. So with SATO you don:t just buy a label printer, but a complete solution. If one of our customers is looking for a special printer, SATO is happy to advise us which model has the best options for that specific customer and which labels are most suitable. The FX3-LX for Monte Pelmo is a perfect example of this. Unique, because the printer can be used stand-alone, and super user-friendly. The printer can be programmed to suit your needs. Since Monte Pelmo was one of our first customers to purchase a FX3-LX, we had to figure out how to go about it. SATO helped us in this installation process. In this way, together we arrive at the best solution for our customer."
"DCP only leaves when it works and the customer is satisfied. I was convinced that Monte Pelmo would be thrilled when they saw how simple, yet ingenious the FX3-LX works."
Lars Kiewiet, DCP
About Monte Pelmo
Monte Pelmo is a store and wholesaler of artisan Italian ice cream. What started in 1957 with ice cream sales in a snack bar in the middle of the Jordaan, has grown into a separate ice cream store and ice cream factory. Today, the third generation makes fresh ice cream daily, with traditional machines and family recipes. Due to increasing traffic and a difficult to reach Amsterdam city center, the wholesale business moved to Almere in 2021. There, Monte Pelmo Gelatolab now produces fresh ice cream daily for various ice cream parlors, restaurants, ice cream vendors and catering wholesalers. In the Gelatolab, Jordy and Dennis, who have been working at Monte Pelmo since they were young, are in daily charge.
