Labelling Blog

    PCT is proud to announce that US Patent 8,106,369 has been issued for a new advancement in Electron Beam (EB) processing equipment - Integrated Shield Roll technology. This technology utilizes an innovative roll design that supports the web while simultaneously serving as a functional part of the EB system’s shielding. Combining these functions greatly simplifies the machine design and eliminates the need for a separate enclosure around the roll. The advantages of this design include: 1) precise web handling and presentation of the substrate to the electron beam, 2) precise temperature control during the curing or cross-linking process, 3) compact machine footprint compatible with low web pass heights, 4) simplified cleaning and maintenance, 5) reduced nitrogen interting costs, and 6) enhanced process integration by the addition of nips, coating heads, or casting directly on the exposed roll surface. This technology is currently being deployed over the full range of PCT’s Br

Systems Labelling have announced a major breakthrough in the development of recycled polypropylene (PP). The widespread use of PP means it is the third most common polymer found in household waste in the UK after high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Unlike milk and drinks bottles, PP packaging is used in many different grades and colours making it difficult to recycle. Until now there has been little incentive for UK industries to consider the benefits of reducing the dependence on virgin PP in the manufacture of food packaging and, at the same time, divert waste from landfill and boost the UK market value of recycled PP. Injection moulded pots, containers and lids for example are used to package huge volumes of food and dairy products in addition to non-food sectors including cosmetic and household goods. Much of this waste is sent to land-fill given the low demand for “jazz” or black/grey pellets and therefore has a major impact on our environment.

Compostable labels are now available from Convex Plastics to put on Econic® and other bio-degradable packaging. The new compostable labels are ideal for putting on plain packs and can be custom-printed to maximise branding and shelf appeal. Developed in partnership with Tauranga’s EcoSavi Group, the compostable labels are an adaptation of Convex’s award-winning GreenSACK™ technology, which easily breaks down when composted into CO2, water and bio-mass from the micro-organism activity. They also incorporate a unique, specifically designed water-based adhesive, free of the numerous chemicals used in traditional adhesives. This enables the labels to break down in just two and a half months after composting. Convex Plastics Technical Manager Andrew Sheerin says the new EcoSavi labels were developed to provide an economical labelling option for companies not yet ready to custom-print their compostable packaging. Andy says, “Using EcoSavi will enable companies to use well-pres

  On the presses today are these printed labels for a new range of products in the “Original Shot in a Tube” range ( www.shotinatube.co.uk ). After the runaway success of other products in the range, manufacturer RedsStar Drinks Ltd have launched a new line of angelically sweet and devilishly sour flavours, complete with a new label design. Produced by Etiquette’s expert label printers using the latest UV inks the labels feature the same custom shape and perforation as previous designs in order to adhere to the tubes and provide a tamper evident seal respectively. Source:  http://www.etiquette.co.uk

COMEXI GROUP and BASF are combining strengths and focusing on a new vision for the flexible packaging industry. These innovative and forward thinking partners are driven by the goal of sustainability. At Drupa 2012 they will show how the combined power of chemistry and innovation can enable their customers to make the important switch to sustainable printing. The COMEXI FLEXO F2 press will demonstrate the true meaning of innovative quality and show what sustainable efficiency in the flexible packaging world is all about. BASF will highlight their sustainable approach to the converting world by presenting their solutions for water-based printing inks, lamination adhesives and biodegradable films for flexible packaging. Both companies share the common aim of driving the conversion from conventional to solvent-free printing. As front runners in this conversion they are becoming the preferred suppliers for chemistry and engineering solutions for the printing industry. Sustai

At the recent GUA Conference 2012, Kodak demonstrated its ongoing commitment to helping customers, partners and users from the commercial printing, publishing and packaging industries learn about new industry opportunities to maximize their investments and help grow their businesses. Themed “Sharing Knowledge to Drive Results,” the event took place January 16-20 in New Orleans and featured a series of engaging keynote speakers and standing-room-only breakout sessions. A consistently busy GUA Innovation Technology Lab highlighted KODAK Solutions and Services, partner solutions, workflow demos and new applications. This year’s conference opened its door to all GUA members—in addition to Kodak customers and companies interested in learning more about KODAK Solutions. Chris Payne, Kodak’s Vice President of B2B Marketing, offered a candid perspective on Kodak’s Commercial Business in his session, “Kodak—Today and Tomorrow.” Payne reviewed the company’s drupa 2012 plans and emphasize

With unique features and variable data now ever more frequently demanded in the carton industry, the Mercian Labels Group have today announced the launch of their latest innovative new service at the Packaging Innovations Exhibition in Birmingham, UK. Using the latest Xeikon 3000 series digital platform and a unique new inline conversion process, the company are now delivering variable data and multiple designs onto printed folding cartons, cost effectively in short runs. Managing Director Dr Adrian Steele said “The conventional sheet fed litho manufacturing process for printed folding cartons limits the creativity that brands wish to incorporate into their packaging. Digital printing permits the inclusion of personalised content on every pack, with infinite versions for trials as well as inclusion of unique brand protection features. The Xeikon imaging technology we use offers fantastic full colour 1200dpi quality using light-fast and FDA approved food-safe toners.” The samples on

Tony White, Chairman of Judges at FINAT has 17 years’ experience of judging print competitions around the world. In this article he reveals how to avoid the common pitfalls and submit an impressive award entry.  Winning awards and gaining the recognition of industry peers can really lift a company’s profile. And in the highly competitive print market, an independent, third-party endorsement is a powerful way for a company to set itself apart from its rivals. But despite the business benefits afforded by scooping an award, many companies don’t invest sufficient time in submitting a compelling entry. In fact, many entries fail because of elementary mistakes. I’ll explain how you can avoid these mistakes and paint your product in the best possible light. For the purpose of this article, I make reference to the FINAT label printing competition, however the general principles also apply to packaging awards.   Get the basics right Some universal principles apply wi

The Hague, The Netherlands – February 27, 2012 – FINAT, the world-wide association for the self-adhesive labels and related products, introduces the entry and participation details of its annual international labelling competition and the provisional programme of its congress which will take place in the Hilton Hotel in Athens, Greece from 6-9 June 2012. FINAT also reveals the winner of the congress logo contest of this year's edition.   Congress 2012 Theme: Sustainable labelling – now is your chance! "In today’s developed society, businesses are increasingly embracing a corporate approach that goes beyond the single dimension of company profit," says Kurt Walker, FINAT President. "Awareness is growing that short-term profit maximization cannot be achieved without taking into account a company’s corporate responsibility towards the environment, the community in which it is operating and the people it employs. ‘Sustainable entrepreneurship’ is aimed at

Universal Converting Equipment have extended the the range of attachments available for their popular roll handling trolley   Safe roll handling is essential not only for the health and well-being of machine operators, but also for efficient job setup and turnaround, but not all rolls need handling in the same way. To ensure that customers have the right tools for the right rolls Universal Converting Equipment now offer a wide variety of attachments for their electric raise/ lower roll handling trolley. The most popular roll handling attachment picks up a roll that is standing on end and (after lifting the roll) the operator can rotate the roll to horizontal position ready for loading onto slitter shafts, or vice-versa for unloading finished rolls from a slitter unwind shaft. This type of roll handling attachment grips rolls of material by their cores, the additionally available attachments hold and lift rolls via a range of different means including cradles, v-beds (tra

Machines will benefit the Brazilian Converter's 100% inspection of pharmaceutical labels ROTOCONTROL today announced another two machines sold into Brazil to Flexcoat Produtos Auto-adesivos , a highly regarded company in the Brazilian Label Market. Ordered were two RSP Single Pass 100% Security Inspection Machines, subsequent to an on-site visit from Marcelo Zandomenico, of MZ Maquinas, the ROTOCONTROL Agent for Brazil and Michael Aengenvoort, Business Development Manager for ROTOCONTROL. The ROTOCONTROL RSP series machines are built with an extremely small footprint (only 1.2 x 2.6 meters of floor space plus the moveable control panel) and are specifically designed for compliance with the most demanding security label inspection and finishing applications. Flexcoat plans to run 100% inspection of pharmaceutical labels and other production runs with their two RSP finishing machines investment. "The production intended for the RSP inspection machines requires secure ins

New Michem Flex P2300 Extrusion Coating Primer for Converters Promotes Strong Adhesion; is Available Worldwide Michem Flex P2300 is a new extrusion coating primer from Michelman that produces strong adhesion between extruded resins, and paper and film substrates. It is effective at thin coat weights – just 0.04 dry gsm – and is designed for paper and film packaging converters, and film producers. It is manufactured in North America, Europe and Asia, and is readily available anywhere on the globe. Michem Flex P2300 is water based and contains no VOCs. It is a single component formulation that is used inline by converters of flexible packaging in the extrusion coating process and requires no curing. It is optically clear and is acceptable for food packaging, and suitable for dry or low moisture applications. Typical users of the versatile primer include converters of food packaging, medical packaging, health and beauty product packaging, industrial laminating stock, as well as fil

X-Rite , Incorporated (NASDAQ: XRIT), – the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies, will present its expert insight on new measurement standards, technologies and ways operations can enhance their business in a free webinar. For two days only the exclusive event entitled New Color Management Standards in 2012 – How Will You Be Impacted? will focus on ISO color and M1 measurement standards in prepress and print.  The issues surrounding optical brighteners in paper will also be detailed before a Q&A session at the end. Targeted at prepress professionals and commercial printers, the webinar will take place on March 1 and March 2 at 17.30 CET (16.30 GMT). The first to register will be among the selected few to receive “The M Factor”, a comprehensive white paper explaining how to successfully color manage papers with optical brighteners. To register for the free event follow the links: §March 1, 2012 - 17:30 CET (16:30 GMT) htt

Latest innovation from HERMA Self-Adhesive Materials division: • HERMA is raising the standard with innovative multi-layer products based on HERMAperfect technology. • Customers to benefit from significant product enhancements and a full service offering – for an unchanged price. • The first product lines to adopt the new standard are HERMAperfectCut and HERMAperfectTack.   From March 1, 2012, HERMA is introducing a new standard with two innovative multi-layer products based on its HERMAperfect technology. The product lines HERMAperfectCut (with the 62Xpc adhesive) and HERMAperfectTack (62Gpt) will replace the current lines based on the 62X and 62G adhesives. The change will enable customers to benefit from significant product enhancements and a full service offering – for an unchanged price. Label printers will now have access to a large assortment of pre-slit rolls in defined standard widths, even when specifying HERMAperfect products. HERMA customers can call off supplie

Edale are pleased to confirm a new agent with EdaleRus signed up to distribute Edale products exclusively into Russia. This sees Edale put firmly back on the map in Russia following a successful Poligrafinter show.   The sign up was rapidly followed up with the sale of a nine colour Beta modular flexopress with combination flexo/screen and hot foiling units to Laguna, a company based in Tver. Laguna are a well established offset printing company who decided to move into self adhesive flexographic printed labels where they will use their Beta for the production of healthcare, cosmetic and liquor labels.   Evgeny Lebedev, of EdaleRus was delighted with the sale so soon after signing the partnership deal with Edale and says “We r ecently made a commissioning of the Edale Beta 330 flexo press at the Russian printing house Laguna in Tver. It was a joint installation Edale’s engineer’s alongside specialists from EdaleRus. The press has many options, such as delam/relam, Stork screen

Universal Converting Equipment are actively reducing energy usage The need to reduce energy consumption in industrial processes is well established and often discussed and the motivation is strong; being both ecological and financial. Universal Converting Equipment have introduced a package of energy consumption reducing features into their range of Slitting and winding machinery. Technical Director Dave Ward explains. “We design our machinery to be a frugal as possible with energy and have identified significant areas where energy savings can be made; in some cases functionality and performance has been increased as a positive side effect. One of the ways we achieve this saving is by using the latest high efficiency (Efficiency 1) AC motors, with the most up to date AC Vector Drives. Commonly we design in regenerative motors rather than more traditional pneumatic brakes so rather than braking energy being lost (as heat) it is turned into electricity and used by other syst

UPM Raflatac has launched a new addition to the durables labelling range. The new top-coated polyester face PET Matt White TC 50 offers a more fit-for-purpose solution in many applications compared with the highly heat-resistant PET Matt White 60.   Matt films provide excellent bar code readability due to the absence of reflection. The top-coat assures excellent thermal transfer print results and superior scratch resistance with compatible TTR ribbons. PET Matt White TC 50 is available with both general purpose adhesives and special adhesives for applications where higher levels of adhesion and chemical and heat resistance are needed. UPM Raflatac is bringing more choice to the market with the continued development of durable label materials including white, clear and silver PET faces, PSA overlaminating films, PPs and high tear-resistant materials. The adhesive options cater for even the harshest conditions across a range of substrates. PET Matt White TC 50 and other produc

Skanem Group partners with the Indian labeling company Interlabels in order to take part in a growing market in South Asia. Skanem is buying 51% of the shares in Interlabels. Owner and CEO of Skanem, Ole Rugland, says: ”India is a market with a great potential and rapid consumption growth. Through this partnership, we get access to this exciting market.” The introduction into India represents a strategically important step forward for Skanem Group. This is Skanem’s first establishment in India, but Skanem already has one factory in Asia, which is located in Bangkok, Thailand. Skanem Bangkok opened its doors in 2007. Ole Rugland says: ”Interlabels is today a well run, profitable company. Our aim is to support this profitable growth. We therefore want to build on the existing management and staff on site.” Ole Rugland further explains that during the process of finding a partner in India, the importance of the company culture was emphasized. He says: ”By partnering with a compa

Following a successful trip to South America Harland are pleased to announce the appointment of Odecopack as their agent in Columbia.  Odecopack, a specialist machine manufacturer in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, have many years' experience and are able to support Harland with their Engineering and Service teams.   A further trip to Columbia is scheduled for March 2012.  This will also include a visit to Venezuela, where Harland have recently sold a Sirius Mk5 to a Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical company.    To add to their success in South America Harland have also installed two Sirius Lite labelling systems into a Chilean blow moulding company.  The systems will be applying a front, back and wrapround application.   Source:  http://www.harland-hms.com

The Loparex Group are investing significantly in their European operation for release liner production.   As part of an ongoing program of global  investments to  further enhance Loparex Group’s capability to serve the global release liner market, the Apeldoorn production facility in The Netherlands will be equipped with an extensive capacity and capability expansion by the third quarter of this year.   The additional capacity and product capabilities in Europe will complement Loparex’ existing world-class manufacturing facilities in North America, China, India and Thailand.   Loparex customers within traditional pressure-sensitive markets for release liners such as graphic arts, tapes and medical, as well as growing sectors such as photovoltaics, electronics and composites, will benefit from local service capability and technical support from every region of the globe.    ‘One-stop shop’ The expansion project includes the installation of a new state-of-the-art, high-speed si

The 2012 Asian Flexographic Technical Association awards and conference were held on 9 to 10 February 2012. The two day conference and award ceremony was held at Pattaya, Thailand. The event had exhibitors such as Bobst, Gallus, Mark Andy, Gidue, Quadtek, Flint, Siegwerk, EFI and IGT among many others.   Among the numerous award winners across Asia, Indian label manufacturer Wintek won two golds and the Best Label Printer of Asia award while Latex Graphix won one gold and three silver awards. Based in Bengaluru, Wintek was earlier this week acquired by ITW India.   The keynote speakers at the conference were Simon Healy of Mediaware who focused on digital packaging, Kamlesh Shah of Letra Graphix on packaging and labelling opportunities in India, Bob Pent of Wired Pente gave two presentations: Packaging That Works, Packaging That Doesn’t Work; and, Understanding What You’re Printing – The role of the Package in Relation to the Customer.   Kelvin Emmanuel Ng of Acacia Design

Since autumn 2011 POLAR has been offering a new, more variable counting scale. The new POLAR counting scale serves to measure the accurate amount of sheets. It is easy to handle and works very fast. Integrated into the jogging process it guarantees exceptional counting precision due to its double reference weighing. The scale is operated from a 5.7" color display. An Ethernet interface allows network connection and input of the counting data and results. The solid aluminum stand is made of three sections and can be converted for different scale positions. Due to a very adjustable fixture the control unit can be positioned in many different ways. The new model was introduced in October 2011 replacing the previous device. The first reactions we have got from our customers prove the scale's excellent reliability and precision.

This year’s Specialty Paper Conference in Amsterdam, organised by AWA Conferences and Events, features a number of well-known speakers on paper-related topics, and offers a full program for all concerned with the manufacture, sale, and use of specialty papers. The two-day agenda concludes with a special facility tour of independent paper maker Crown Van Gelder’s facility in Velsen-Noord, near Amsterdam. Taking place at the Hotel Casa 400 in Amsterdam on March 13 and 14 2012, the event has established itself as a leading source of market intelligence on current status, trends, issues, and technology change in the specialty paper industry. Following a review of the global specialty paper and paperboard market in 2011 from Corey M Reardon, President and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates, Ian Murdoch of PricewaterhouseCoopers provides a perspective on 2010 and 2011 in the forest, paper, and packaging industries and Saara Söderberg of Pöyry Management Consulting discusses the ‘marria

UPM Raflatac’s film release liner ProLiner PP30 challenges the conventional glassine backings with improved efficiency and profitability – and it’s also completely recyclable. SACIIndustrie Spa chose ProLiner PP30 for some of its product labelling, enjoying benefits in production efficiency and in the waste disposal of this polypropylene-based liner.   With a 60 million euro turnover, 150 employees and annual production of 90 million containers, SACI is one of the top three Italian producers of liquid detergents in both size and turnover. Explains Filippo Campanile , CEO of SACIIndustrie: “We invest huge resources in packaging planning – a strategic element in the success of a detergent. The packaging must be efficient from the production and logistical points of view, and must also be forward-looking in terms of eco-compatibility. In the planning phase, material savings and process optimization are a priority.”   “We were delighted to adopt ProLiner PP30, since we have

Advanced Labelling Systems Ltd (ALS) of Thame, Oxfordshire are proud to announce the launch of the FastPaQ TM Series of ultra high-speed self-adhesive label applicators. Designed and built in the UK, the FastPaQ Series Labellers are designed for applications that demand extremely high labelling rates and high accuracy requirements. The ALS FastPaQ Series includes the World’s Fastest Labeller , which can dispense at blistering speeds of 375 metres/min and apply up to 3,000 products per minute. A bold claim but ALS firmly believes there are no other commercially produced self-adhesive labelling machines that can match the speeds and accuracy of the swiftest FastPaQ machines. Even the mid-range VHS-250 model can dispense at 250 metres/min, which is still way above the top speed of most other manufacturers’ ranges! The mind-blowing top-end “Ultra” UHS-375 model needs to be seen to be believed. Dispensing labels at up to 375m/min, there is now the ability to place a self-adhesive la

Labeling adhesives have to satisfy multiple requirements. A new generation of casein-free adhesives now offers extended properties and a performance profile that ensures trouble-free production processes for beverage manufacturers while extending their options. As the leading supplier of adhesive technologies, Henkel is dedicated to application-driven research and development of innovative solutions that respond to the growing needs of the market and the environment.     In the course of their life cycle, beverage bottles can encounter a whole range of conditions – in bottle cellars, in beverage retailing, during transport, in refrigerators or during cleaning. The same applies to their labels that position the brand and also inform the consumer about the beverage’s composition and ingredients. The label is also exposed to a large variety of influences, e.g. fluctuating temperatures, changes of air, moisture and mechanical stress. The adhesives employed therefore have to do far

OMET has  announced the completion of the installation of a 10-colour XFlex X6 at ETITEC, Milan, part of IMPRIMA Group, Italy. ETITEC is an historic Italian label manufacturer working with a wide variety of adhesive substrates. They recently expressed the intention to widen their product portfolio to include shrink sleeves. They chose a XFlex X6 after evaluating different offers, knowing it would comply with their special requirements. The configuration designed by Leo Ingrosso, Chief Executive of ETITEC and Mr. Gandolfi, OMET Sales Manager for Italy, and the inner flexibility of XFlex X6 allow the printer to satisfy quite any request coming from different sectors, with the inclusion of the newly approached shrink sleeve market. This 430 mm, 10-color XFlex X6 combines in-line a few additional groups – cold foil, delam/relam, print on reverse, booklet – that make it competitive in the printing of short and medium runs of difficult jobs on different materials. “I’ve known OM

Heritage Family Specialty Foods Inc., a leading Southwest supplier of specialty food products for retail and food service markets, has introduced its Brack Ranch Sweet Pepper Glaze in new 32oz decanter-size polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor Rigid Plastics, the world’s leading producer of PET Packaging. The move to lightweight and break-resistant PET gives Heritage Family an entry into the club store market segment with a launch late last year at Costco’s locations throughout the Southwest. The stock PET bottle, weighing in at 50-g, was chosen over alternative packaging options thanks to its premium look and sustainability benefits. Most important was the 32-oz PET container’s ability to deliver cost benefits and improved manufacturing efficiencies for club store distribution, according to Michael Moss, Vice President of Marketing for Heritage Family Specialty Foods. “If we hadn’t found an acceptable bottle like Amcor’s we would have been forced to use two shrink-wr

  As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of fishing hooks and lures since the late 1800′s, Partridge of Redditch has an outstanding portfolio of innovative products. When the need arose to update current product packaging, Partridge of Redditch naturally looked to Etiquette – the independent experts in labels and labelling – to provide a solution. Products were being packed into small plastic bags with “euro slots” to enable hanging display but the adhesive labels being used to promote the hooks and lures within the bags were proving to be ineffective from a sales perspective and were in fact making it difficult for customers to view the product on offer. After a consultation with Alan Minson of the Etiquette Sales Development team, Partridge of Redditch were provided with a labelling solution that would display their products effectively at the same time as reducing their packaging costs. Etiquette’s label printing division produced an attractive 3-colour printed label o

An investor solution has been found for the sheet fed business of insolvent manroland AG, just days after a sale of the web machines business to German Possehl group was announced. British entrepreneur Tony Langley and the privately owned engineering group, Langley Holdings plc ( www.langleyholdings.com ), have emerged as the investors behind a 100% takeover of the sheet fed printing equipment division and its properties portfolio in Offenbach, together with manroland’s international marketing organization in more than 40 countries. “I am very pleased with the solution which will provide a long-term perspective to the Offenbach location and the sheet fed printing business”, said Werner Schneider, Insolvency Administrator. Roughly 860 employees in Offenbach will be taken over...” …Tony Langley is well known as a long term investor who acts strategically. I am convinced that a lasting perspective has been found for manroland’s sheet fed printing business“, Schneider went on to say.