Manufacturers and agencies the world over use security label and packaging solutions to protect items from counterfeiting, tampering and diversion. Self-adhesive labels provide an efficient means of identification, authentication, verification of integrity, and monitoring through the supply chain. They protect consumer safety, brand value, and commercial or governmental revenues.

Anti-counterfeiting labels incorporate specific properties or combinations of features into the face material as a means of authentication. These labels are difficult to reproduce, and depending on the level of security used, their authenticity can be checked by brand owners, government agencies or consumers. UPM Raflatac works with customers to build effective custom solutions and provides a taxi-coating service where customers send security face materials for adhesive-coating and lamination.

Tamper-evident or tamper verification labels are based on destructible papers and films that change appearance or are destroyed when an attempt is made to remove them, break the seals they create, or transfer them onto other products. VOID labels are visibly damaged upon removal and additionally leave a text or pattern adhered to the labelled surface which is extremely difficult to remove undetected.

Very often it is the selection of either a paper-based or filmic label face that is the starting point for adhesive selection in security labelling. This selection is based on cost-efficiency and the requirements of the final application. The choice of adhesive is determined by application-specific criteria such as the smoothness or roughness of the substrate, challenging small diameters, the required strength of final adhesion, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and water from the immediate environment or through attempts to remove the label.

ADHESIVES

FOR PAPERS

RP36 is often combined with thin and flexible paper label faces due to its high cohesion, which supports reliable labelling around package edges or on small diameters.

FOR FILMS

RP37S provides good initial tack and long-term adhesion on polar and non-polar surfaces and performs well in a broad range of security applications such as consumer product labelling and internal logistics. This clear adhesive has good resistance to water, chemicals, oils and UV-light, and excellent UV-stability once labelled.

RP77 is a versatile adhesive for white films and is typically combined with destructible label faces. This high-tack adhesive provides strong final adhesion on rough and textured polar and non-polar surfaces including PE and PP.

FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE

RC18 provides very strong adhesion to polar and non-polar surfaces in long-term applications and demanding conditions. Excellent resistance to water, chemicals and high temperatures also make RC18 very difficult to soak off, chemically remove or lift by applying heat.

RC20 provides very strong, long-lasting adhesion and excellent temperature and chemical resistance like RC18. In particular, RC20 offers high performance on polar and non-polar substrates which are rough, grained or textured.

Retail labels are applied to goods in stores, from books and home d cor items to shoes and mattresses. They serve a range of purposes: promotional and decorative use, in-store pricing, weigh-scale labelling, size-marking and other informational needs.

Typically, general purpose adhesives are used. In cases, adhesives are dedicated to substrates such as textiles, or they have finely tuned properties for a particular application. Food labelling has a specific range of needs and regulatory requirements and is covered in its own chapter in this book.

For logistics and transport end-uses, self-adhesive labels are typically variable information printing (VIP) products which route, track and trace objects throughout the supply chain, support inventory management, and streamline operations. They often experience significant wear-and tear during their relatively short lifespans, and may require good low-temperature performance on various plastic and cardboard substrates.

ADHESIVES

RP51

Multipurpose performance

This multipurpose, strong permanent adhesive is suited to a wide range of retail and logistics applications. RP51 adheres well to packaging films, card and corrugated boards, and after labelling retains good adhesion even in chilled temperatures of 0 to 5 C.

RHR5

Convenient weigh-pricing on PE bags

The specially adapted RHR5 hot-melt adhesive has balanced performance for convenient tack at room-temperature on PE weigh-price bags, plus good resistance to bleeding for clean, low-maintenance label dispensing. RHR5 is well-matched for weigh-price applications in grocery departments and has the necessary approvals for indirect food contact.

RH6

Shipping and logistics

The RH6 adhesive covers an extremely wide range of shipping and logistics labelling applications. RH6 performs well in chilled and room temperature conditions, on substrates including cardboard and stretch film. Compared to RP51, it also has slightly better cold tack on cardboard.

RR23

Long-lasting removability

RR23 provides exceptional long-term removabilitywith paper labels on a wide variety of substrates in logistics and retail uses. It also performs well on curved surfaces. For food labelling applications, RR23 meets the requirements of EU frame regulation EC 1935/2004, and complies with EU 10/2011 regarding components of food packaging containing plastic in its layers.

RS29

Resealable and repositionable

RS29 is a long-lasting resealable adhesive for filmic open-closure labels on substrates including HDPE, PP and glass. Retail and product labelling with RS29 covers dry goods which are resealed for freshness and convenience. RS29 also provides short-term repositionability with paper labels on a wide range of substrates, making it possible to correct any mislabelling.

RP38 TXL

Residue-free removal from textiles

For textile labelling on retail goods, RP38 TXL balances good tack to keep the label secured with residue-free removal to protect the value of goods.

RP36

Stable performance for luggage tagging

RP36 has increased cohesion to withstand the heat of thermal printing applications while also adhering well to itself when tags are looped back onto themselves. These are ideal properties for luggage-tagging applications.

RP45 & RP45 LW

Wash-off and recirculation for multi-use containers

RP45 and RP45 LW cover numerous rotational applications for plastic and metal crates, boxes, pallets, kegs and other multi-use containers. These adhesives last reliably for the lifecycle of the label and wash off quickly and cleanly for trouble-free container rotation

RP45 is intended for retail as well as standard logistics applications such as plastic transport boxes with smooth surfaces and metal kegs used by breweries. RP45 LW provides greater endurance on challenging rough and patterned surfaces and also in chilled warehouses and deep freeze conditions.

Optimal wash-off is achieved with hot alkaline water, though RP45 is also washable with pure hot water.

ULTRA-REMOVABLE ADHESIVES

RR522U, RR523U & RR524U

UPM Raflatac’s ultra-removable adhesives offer decisive removability where cleanliness really shows and where damage-free surfaces are essential to an item’s value. Clean removal also assists fast and cost-efficient handling.

These adhesives consist of minute adhesive spheres in an adhesive emulsion. This produces uniform, noncontinuous adhesive contact with the labelled surface, resulting in low-tack adhesion and a smooth peel-away.

The RR522U, RR523U and RR524U adhesives offer varying levels of tack for labelling in a wide range of logistics, general branding and retail promotion end uses, on surfaces from glass and white goods to books and newspapers.

Safety, information, traceability, and the prevention of stock losses – the label transforms industrial chemicals stored in Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), steel and HDPE drums and many other container types into usable goods.

Adhesive selection needs to take into account the surface energy of polar surfaces like metals, paints and lacquers, and more challenging non-polar surfaces such as HDPE plastic. Other parameters include the smoothness or roughness of the labelled surface, the condition of the surface at the time of label application, and possible requirements for momentary repositionability.

After labelling, the adhesive needs to tolerate the conditions in which containers are stored and transported as well as any contact with the container contents. UPM Raflatac draws on decades of technical expertise to formulate adhesives for these highly demanding applications, for the lifetime of the labelled goods.

Home and personal care labelling leverages strong brand imagery to attract consumers.

Lasting presentation is a challenge, however, because products are often used in wet and humid conditions over long periods of time. Labels may also encounter a wide range of oils and chemicals from the container contents.

Labels also typically need to flex with squeezable plastic packaging without forming creases. If the label suffers edge-lift or other loss of contact, the adhesive will be at risk of whitening when exposed to water.

WET WIPES APPLICATIONS

Note: Novatron does not print labels.

Wet wipes packs require an adhesive with resistance to oil, chemicals and water to retain good open-closure performance for the duration of the product’s useful life. The adhesive shouldn’t leave any sticky residue, it should help prevent label creases and curls, and it should seal well to prevent content leakage. UPM Raflatac provides two resilient UV-acrylic adhesives which cover the majority of commonly used package types.

RC12 has relatively high tack for applications where a, stronger peel is desired, and provides long-lasting openclosure, functionality.

RC13 suits applications where the preference is for a softer, smoother and quieter peel.