Page 27 - FINAT Yearbook 2014

label market growth is forecast at around 4% in the medium- term, with self-adhesives tracking the global rate, glue-applied labels averaging around 3%, heat-shrink (TD) sleeves averaging ± 6%, and in-mould labelling around 3%.
EU FOOD CONTACT REGULATIONS
An update on the important new EU food contact label regulations was provided by FINAT’s Public Affairs & Issues
Manager Mark Macaré. He examined the issues which led to the legislation – incidents related to contamination through ink set-off and migration. The 2004 food safety framework regulation and the 2006 Good Manufacturing Practice requirements, with the Plastics Regulation 2011, have together created a platform for in-depth national legislation
in the absence of any harmonised EU legislation. Indeed, the Swiss Ordinance on materials and articles in contact with food, and the draft German Ordinance on food packaging inks and varnishes, said Mr Macaré, ‘might become the de facto standard at EU level. FINAT will continue to monitor developments, represent the industry at EU level, and keep members informed.’
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
Moving into the specifics of self-adhesive label technology, Wolfgang Aufmuth (CH), Collano
Adhesives examined how new UV curing approaches for radiation-curable pressure-sensitive adhesives can contribute to the redesign of labels, delivering significant benefits, both with low-pressure amalgam lamps and UV LED lamps.
Silicones in flat release, and developments to improve high-speed release performance, were addressed by Alex Knott (B), Dow Corning Europe, in an age when, he said, ‘materials become ever thinner and the converting and labelling process ever faster’.
The possibilities of stamping foils for label finishing were detailed by Dr Ulrike Plaia (DE), Leonhard Kurz. They ‘uniquely combine the areas of brand protection, brand design, and brand communications’, she showed.
Prof Dr Dirk Burth (D), University of Applied Sciences, Munich (D) examined the influence of material components in the self-adhesive laminate on the kiss- diecutting process.
Laser diecutting -- already successful in applications in labels and packaging, industrial, and abrasives -- was introduced by Mike Bacon (USA), Spartanics. Lasers, he said, can ‘through cut, kiss cut, etch, and engrave at speeds of 7000mm- 15000mm per second’.
Prof Dr Anke Lindner, University of Denis-Diderot, Paris, explained the role of viscoelasticity on soft adhesive debonding mechanisms from a variety of complex substrates, rough and smooth.
Multilayer adhesives were explored by Marcus Gablowski (D), Herma, who lookedatthemultilayerslide-diecoating process, and how adhesive migration can be controlled by choosing the components that deliver a laminate suitable for direct food contact with dry, moist, and fatty foods.
The brand protection functionality of security labelling was provided by Dr Matthias Rauhut (D), Drewsen Spezialpapiere. He prescribed ‘individual tailor-made solutions for customers,’
-- solutions which specialty papers can deliver effectively, combining such elements as threads, watermarks, visible
and UV-readable features, and chemical sensitisation.
Paul Beamish (UK), Ravenwood Packaging, detailed his company’s continuing development of commercially-viable
linerless labelling -- which requires an integrated approach that embraces material suppliers, purpose-built coating machinery, label printers, product packers, purpose-built application machinery, and the retailer. ‘It has to be as good, if not better, in its market niches than linered self-adhesive labels,’ he said,
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FINAT YEARBOOK 2014 |