50 years of cab Produkttechnik - labeling thoroughly, by label or laser

cab is a market leader in automated and highly precise labeling and Europe's largest manufacturer of label printing systems. The company's headquarters since 1999 is Karlsruhe Technology Park, an estate of high-tech businesses. Thousands of new units are shipped from the Sommerda facility near Erfurt every year all over the world. Global players and SMEs operate the label printers, applicators, label dispensers and marking lasers. 430 employees at subsidiaries in Germany, France, North and Central America, Asia and South Africa assure comprehensive sales and reliable support. 850 sales partners enhance the high availability of devices, spare parts and service.

Future today

Company founder Klaus Bardutzky and his son Alexander decided for smart solutions in labeling early on and designed cab units accordingly. Long before Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing and the IIoT became key terms of production cross-linked with modern information technologies, cab printing systems had been known for intelligent firmware, quick stand-alone printing and manifold data exchange. cab equipment can be directly installed into automation and robot solutions. If operated in a network, label data can be identified, assigned, linked and recorded specifically to productive processes or consumer applications, and critical conditions, performance and print cycles can be continuously analyzed. Accelerated communication processes, higher productivity and quality and less costs for end consumers are benefits in manufacture and the logistics of a business.

Products require labeling

Industrial production has been in a state of upheaval for years. Increasingly automated processes, networking and new regulations are driving the demands for optimum labeling solutions. Mordor Intelligence forecasts the global label market worth around 54 billion US$ by 2029, which means an average annual growth of 4.9% from 2024. Automotive components can be tracked to the smallest screw. Deliveries are on schedule in logistics. Plates on electrical devices display performance data and use. Labeling prevents from errors relevant to health on pharmaceuticals. Risks associated with a chemical product are indicated multi-colored and without any barrier as regards language. Food items notify about ingredients and textiles inform about best possible care.

Consistency

Every industry sets specific demands. Each activity along a value chain provides its own framework. However, the key concerns of cab customers are basically the same: information, whether printed on a label or applied directly onto a component or a workpiece, must be clearly legible. Hardware must perform perfectly at the point of use. cab units range from 'out of the box' desktop devices to modular systems designed for installation into automatic plants, well-constructed on a high level of workmanship. The latest developed units are tested by selected key accounts. Cognitions are taken into account in further development until market maturity. Figures reflect the special proximity to cab customers. Operators worldwide rely on cab solutions, in many cases for 20 or more years.

Hand in hand directive

The Bardutzky family is decisive in the common goal of fully exploiting potential in the interests of customers and continuously redefining the possibilities of labeling. Klaus Bardutzky, born in 1942, studied precision engineering. In spring 1975, he started developing components and means of production for the electronics industry in Karlsruhe on customers' behalf. He also designed matrix printers for labeling. cab was born. Alexander Bardutzky joined in 1999 after graduating as an industrial engineer. Since 2009, he has been managing the company in the second generation and today holds the majority of the shares. He is responsible for sales, marketing, controlling, human resources and accounting. Klaus Bardutzky is still a role model in product development. Relevant options are thus identified at an early stage and evaluated according to market opportunities. Tools are provided, market entries are planned and project plans are drawn up along with the specialist departments.

Ecological vision is a target

Needs for green supply chains are growing. According to cab, there are several reasons for this. Guidelines in industry are changing. Customers, business partners and suppliers demand proof in procurement. Companies are feeling the pressure of improving existing practices to conserve resources. At the cab plant in Sommerda, a photovoltaic system generates almost all the electricity required. The future site in Karlsruhe is also planned to be CO2-neutral. Internal and external audits regularly check the effectiveness of quality, environmental and energy management. cab involves its business partners and relevant parties in further developments.

When it comes to products, print and apply systems such as HERMES QL stand out. They process logistics labels linerless. Tons of waste are eliminated worldwide. The ecological footprint is significantly reduced. As continuous label materials require fewer changeovers, system downtimes are reduced. Direct thermal printing eliminates the need for ribbons and therefore provides further sustainability and a low-maintenance alternative when labeling in logistics. What entrepreneur would not be pleased to see ecological balance as a guarantee of economic efficiency?

Multiple benchmarks

The history of products shows success when bending in untouched paths at times. cab has pioneered label printing in stand-alone mode. The comprehensive range of accessories is still unique in this market segment. Amongst others, cab provides modules for applying labels automatically in plants, even corner-wrap, onto cylindric or inclined surfaces, units for winding, unwinding or cutting a material or stacking cut labels. When the GHS came into force as a globally standardized system for classifying and labeling chemicals, XC printers were the first to enable label printing with two colors in a single operation. Customers therefore no longer had to stock large quantities of pre-printed labels.

Made in Germany

According to the latest Anholt Nation Brands Index, goods Made in Germany remain 'in'. Germany in this analysis ranks second behind Japan, amid a total of 50 evaluated countries. cab relies on maximum vertical integration to consolidate and further expand its leading technological position. cab's production facility in Sommerda was established in 1992 from the machine inventory of the former Robotron business machine prototype building. A first new manufacturing hall was built in 1996. The plant now provides three halls for manufacture and stock, 10,000 square meters of area and 200 employees. Initially, the plant started in 1992 with six employees. A further extension is already under construction. The majority of all mechanical and plastic parts of the units are manufactured on-site. The machinery as well as the assembly lines have always been using the latest technology. Substantial production methods enable even complex marking systems be manufactured in economical manner.

cab faces up to international comparison. Costs related to manufacture are regularly compared with external procurement offers, and opportunities and challenges of expanding production capacities abroad are weighed up. Due to the increasing requirements and manufacturing costs in Germany in particular, cab now mainly sources electronic components from Asia. For father and son Bardutzky, the choice of location is not a question of individual or temporary trends. When asked about the reasons for the importance of a German facility, they immediately mention the company's high quality standards. Germany should remain the most important location for manufacture also in the future.

Global coverage

cab subsidiaries are in Germany, France, North and Central America, Asia and South Africa. 430 faces on four continents mean 430 different profiles. They all are connected by passion. Every employee contributes with vision, ideas and joy of cab units to achieve outstanding results for customers. cab focuses on long-term relations and business continuity. Investments in employees, buildings, machines and equipment are financed from the company's own resources and profits are reinvested.

https://www.cab.de/en

Presscontact: Guntram Stadelmann, Marketing / Technical Editing, Phone: +49 721 6626-285, g.stadelmann@cab.de, cab Produkttechnik GmbH & Co KG, Wilhelm-Schickard-Straße 14, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

About: cab is Europe's biggest manufacturer of label printing systems. The range of devices includes solutions for marking individual components, units, products or packaging. Healthy global growth, pioneering technologies, products designed according to the needs of operators and the competent support of all customers are prior goals of the company. Employees at locations in eight countries and 850 distribution and service partners around the globe are there to meet the targets.

This release was published on openPR.