Reelables’ production line, based on Beckhoff's TwinCat platform, incorporates real-time vision, motion control and HMI touchscreens, resulting in a 150% increase in output. 40 n ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING July/August 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com Every day, around 1.7 million parcels are lost or stolen. Traditional tracking methods rely on barcodes or QR codes, scanned at specific points, but offer little visibility between stops. Enter Reelables, a UK start-up that is redefining logistics with Bluetooth and 5G smart labels that provide real-time tracking from the warehouse to the doorstep. To meet growing demand, Reelables has recently increased its production speeds. The company was founded by an entrepreneur called Brian Krejcarek who, when he was climbing up a hill one day, realised that he’d forgotten his Chapstick. This incident evolved into a vision: what if there was a way to track objects actively and to know what you’re missing before you leave home? Originally imagined as a business-toconsumer (B2C) concept, the idea pivoted to a become a business-to-business (B2B) model targeting the huge opportunity in sectors such as freight forwarding, logistics and warehousing. The company’s goal was to create a tracking label that was so low-cost and scalable that it could be attached to almost anything – eventually replacing traditional barcodes or QR codes with active trackers that constantly broadcast their location. Today, Reelables produces two main types of smart label: Bluetooth tracking labels, which are ideal for high-value logistics where delay costs are significant; and temperature-sensitive labels, that are accurate to 0.5°C and are aimed at cold-chain applications such as seafood logistics. Unlike its competitors, Reelables’ labels – similar in shape and size to a credit card – come on reels that can be integrated into automated label application processes, replacing traditional paper or plastic labels entirely. In 2019, a mechatronics engineer, Oliver Boswall-Perks, joined Reelables, and was tasked with developing the company’s manufacturing capabilities. “Reelables is the only company producing labels that have an integrated printed battery,” he explains. “There are several advantages to this. First, our smart labels are categorised as packaging, meaning that they don’t need to be declared at customs. And, second, the labels can pass through standard waste streams, aligning with the sustainability goals of our customers.” Boswall-Perks reached out to Beckhoff, who he had worked with previously. “Reelables approached us with a great proof-of-concept – a smart Bluetooth label that was gaining popularity in the industry – but their early production set-up wasn’t built for scale,” recalls Beckhoff’s business development manager, Bradley McEwan. “They needed to shift from a manual process using non-industrial hardware, to a fully-automated, high-speed manufacturing line.” Up until this point, Reelables had been producing thousands of labels in a ten-hour shift. As demand grew, it built up its system, layer by layer, always aiming to increase speed and throughput, and improve quality. “It was a classic chicken-and-egg scenario,” McEwan explains.“You need a product to go to A London start-up has come up with a low-cost smart label technology that tracks items continuously, broadcasting their location constantly. There has been considerable demand for the technology – which could replace barcodes or QR codes – requiring the company to turn to advanced automation technologies to boost its output. Smart manufacturing produces smart labels
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