Sticking to its guns

Labelexpo Europe 2013 takes place this September against a backdrop of ongoing growth in the flexible packaging market. Recent research from Smithers Pira forecasts that the sector is set to grow by an average of 5% per annum from 2012 to 2017, at which point it will account for 37 million tonnes of material.

The research identifies the retail market as a key driver of demand, with a considerable 55% of flexible packaging materials being used in the construction of packaging for the wealth of products that flood onto the shelves of our local supermarkets on a daily
basis. With the biennial label event due to return to Brussels Expo later this year, innovation is once again high on the agenda for
labelstock manufacturers and suppliers.

Pressure-sensitive production

Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials has recently bolstered its pressure-sensitive label portfolio with the addition of 10 facestocks and four adhesives. The company is pitching these materials at breweries in the craft beer market.

According to the manufacturer, the new paper and film labelstocks offer a range of qualities and are capable of handling a variety of printing and finishing processes. Avery Dennison has paired five of the new facestocks with the group's Z3338 emulsion adhesive. This
combination enables beer brand owners to secure pressure-sensitive label materials on surfaces with heavy condensation that are
frequently found in such environments.

Laura Clark, global director for beer and beverage at Avery Dennison, says: "Through their ability to accept multiple printing techniques and accents, pressure-sensitive label materials can help deliver that differentiation allowing brands to create unique, meaningful on-bottle stories that connect with consumers.

"Successful marketers drive consumer preference by differentiating their brand packaging, which is very important for success in a
crowded segment such as craft beer."

Another manufacturer aiming to improve the appearance of contoured containers such as bottles is Dow Europe, which has partnered with PetroplastVinora to launch a new stretch sleeve label. Visique integrates Elite Advanced Technology resins from Dow, features a high gloss finish and is claimed to offer "excellent" stability and consistency.

The film's key properties are claimed to be its strong elastic recovery of around 95%, which means the film shrinks back into the
recesses of the container. In addition, Dow claims the film has a low level of defects and is suitable for both transparent and colour-printed labels.

Visique integrates a blown extrusion film, achieved without loss of machinability and according to Dow Europe, trials havedemonstrated "exceptional processability", with its Elite Advanced Technology (AT) resins helping to enable the films to retain
their stiffness while staying soft and offering a "snug fit" around containers.

The product was initially developed for customers in the beverage market but both Dow and PetroplastVinora have identified a growing demand for stretch sleeve labels from other sectors.

"We see significant potential for expanding their use in the future into a broad range of applications, including personal, household and
healthcare products. Because we listen carefully to our customers, we have been able to identify key performance indicators and together with Dow have developed a new label that can be used in a wide variety of applications," adds Thomas Galatik, project
manager for technical services and development at PetroplastVinora.

Label paper promotion

On the paper front, Sappi has enjoyed ongoing success with the now established additions to its Parade range of speciality labelling papers. Parade Prima High Gloss and Parade Prima FS were introduced on the back of specific customer demands, according to Sappi.

The former is available in weights up to 90g/m², suitable for both flexo and offset printing, and is targeted at product applications such as confectionery wrappers and soft cigarette packets. The latter, Parade Prima FS, is an 80g/m² one-sided coated facestock, which represents the manufacturer's foray into self-adhesive label production.

"Parade Prima High Gloss responds to the current demand in food wrapping for contrasting matt and gloss finishes to provide greater consumer attraction, while Parade Prima FS caters to the increasing number of print on demand applications and smaller run promotional or special product labelling," adds Kris Verschueren, marketing manager of speciality papers at Sappi Europe.

The speciality papers division of Stora Enso has broadened its MediaSet portfolio with an increased range of weights that span from 80g/m² to 100g/m².

Manufactured at the company's Uetersen mill in Germany, the papers are also designed for confectionery, as well as cans and jars. MediaSet is claimed to offer strong glue adhesion properties and excellent runnability, as well as "outstanding" offset printability.

Elsewhere in the label sector, UK-based Insignia Technologies has unveiled a new 'smart label' that is activated once a pack is opened. This triggers a timer that changes colour as the food inside loses freshness, which allows the consumer to see when the product is out of date.

The Embedded Timer, which can be "easily incorporated into any film lid" has already generated interest from major supermarket chains in the UK, France and USA, and Insignia is now looking to roll it out in food packaging technology in these key regions during 2013. The company is also developing indicator products suitable for cosmetics and pharma packaging.

www.averydennison.com
www.dow.com
www.storaenso.com
www.sappi.com
www.petroplastvinora.ch
www.insigniatechnologies.com