While electronic communication has reduced the overall size of the market for postal stamps, demand is growing for special editions for philatelic interests. Requirements are also growing for embedded security features which authenticate high-value stamps.

UPM Raflatac offers considerable resources in materials expertise and product innovation, in addition to security solutions to safeguard postal operators’ revenues. All our label faces, in rolls and sheets, are available both gummed and self-adhesive. We’re also able to develop truly unique products – such as the world’s first flavoured, gummed adhesive postage stamp.

Gummed

This non-self-adhesive, water-activated synthetic gum is designed for moistenable paper coating applications, for example to adhere a postage stamp to letters and other mailed items. This is the traditional ‘lick-and-stick’ stamp adhesive.

Permanent Stamp

More and more countries are moving to permanent stamp adhesives to help prevent stamp re-use. Perm Stamp meets this need when removability by water soaking is not required. Perm Stamp is designed for sheet and booklet conversion, with bleed-resistant properties to avoid sticky edges.

Permanent Stamp Soak-Off

Stamp collectors have traditionally removed gummed stamps from envelopes by soaking, but not all self-adhesive stamps make this easy. If the stamp has to be soaked too long, the paper becomes fragile, and the stamp is easily torn. Permanent Stamp Soak-off is permanent as the name suggests, but removes easily by soaking in water. It leaves stamps intact and free from residue, protecting the value of the stamp for years to come for philatelists, and driving continued enthusiasm for the stamps business. Perm Stamp Soak-Off is designed for sheet and booklet conversion, with bleed-resistant properties to avoid sticky edges.

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.