The beverage industry is renowned for exceptional branding and marketing to catch the eye of the consumer and stimulate point-of-sale decision-making. Labels need to maintain a high-quality appearance and flawless performance in variable conditions during the lifecycle of the bottle.

During the bottling process, the adhesive must provide good tack in manual and automatic applications, possibly at low temperatures and in humid conditions. Areas where there is inconsistent contact between the label and bottle might not be visible immediately, but can lead to the development of bubbles or creases.

With clear filmic materials supporting a pristine ‘no-label look’ it’s vital that the adhesive remains clear during the life of the bottle. Excellent surface contact is required for good adhesive wet-out to prevent haziness. If exposure to moisture or water will be concerns after labelling, the adhesive needs to be resistant to water-whitening.

ADHESIVES

RP37

Multipurpose and multi-tasking

This multipurpose adhesive is for film label faces on. paper liners, and provides good adhesion on glass and even plastics. RP37 has good resistance to water and UV to retain reliable properties of adhesion for the entire label lifecycle. An optimal balance of high adhesion and high cohesion provides clean and stable performance in high-speed conversion and label dispensing, even in potentially moist and chilled conditions.

RP74

Quality, ultra-clear ‘no-label look’

RP74 is designed for a quality no-label look in combination with clear label faces and PET film liners,which encourage a smooth and clear adhesive wet-out. Long-lasting clarity is assured by excellent resistance to water-whitening once labelled. Good cohesion provides clean and stable performance in high-speed conversion and label dispensing.

RP76E

High-speed, high-productivity labelling

Specially designed for beverage and spirits labelling, RP76E provides good adhesion to smooth polar surfaces like glass bottles and metal and lacquered metal cans. It is supplied with clear film label faces on filmic liners. Excellent UV-stability plus resistance to water-whitening once labelled assures long-lasting clarity.

RP76E’s extra-high cohesion and the strength of a PET liner enable reliable high speeds and high productivity in label conversion and dispensing.

RC7B

Wet labelling clarity plus pasteurization

This UV-acrylic adhesive is designed for bottle labelling applications where excellent water and moisture resistance are required – providing good adhesion and retaining its clarity even on wet bottles. RC7B’s excellent temperature and water-whitening resistance also make ita good match for applications where bottles are labelled prior to pasteurization.

RC7W

Clean wash-off for recovering food-grade PET

RC7W is specially designed for wash-off film labels on PET beverage bottles destined for recycling. During the wash-off process in hot caustic, gravity separates label materials with RC7W from ground-up PET bottles. This produces pure, food-grade polyester suitable for re-use as bottles. RC7W has excellent performance in highspeed dispensing and is resistant to water-whitening once labelled.

In the competitive wine, spirit and craft beverage industries, it’s all about the brand and how it is portrayed on the bottle. Producers from global brands to small independent companies compete for space on crowded retail shelves, so eye-catching wine and spirits labels provide a powerful edge.

No matter how fine the label face, its design and print work, correct adhesive selection provides a vital technical foundation for accomplishing immaculate visual appeal. While glass is a relatively straightforward substrate for achieving good adhesion, factors such as bottle surface treatments create huge variation in surface energy, which must be 38 dynes/cm or above.

Bottle contours and especially the lifecycle conditions of the product also present a challenge. Bottles may be cold and moist during label application. Temperature and humidity will certainly fluctuate during transport and long durations in storage. Extended refrigeration and ice bucket conditions may also be considerations. The various risks include label slide resulting in poor alignment during label application, edge-lift, bubbling and creasing.

Wine, spirit, and craft beverage adhesives from UPM Raflatac perform to the most demanding technical requirements, so that brands perform to the highest expectations.

ADHESIVES

RP30

Compelling presentation for the lifecycle of the label

Maintaining compelling presentation throughout the lifecycle challenges of wines and spirits takes a dedicated adhesive like RP30. This adhesive provides all the required properties for labelling champagnes and sparkling wines, whites, reds, roses and all spirits and liqueurs.

High initial tack provides excellent adhesion on the dispensing line and prevents label slide, even on moist and cold surfaces.

Good accommodation of fluctuations in temperature and humidity keeps labels looking their best without bubbling or creasing, from the bottling line, to transport and storage, to serving. RP30 also retains good hold in ice bucket conditions and provides good resistance to edge-lifting for reliable presentation on bottle necks when combined with recommended face materials.

RP30W

Efficient wash-off for returnable bottles

In the wash-off process for returnable bottles, the RP30W adhesive separates from bottles and stays anchored to the label face. This leaves the wash water uncontaminated and yields residue-free bottles for optimal presentation when recirculated. In particular, RP30W retains good wash-off performance following a variety of storage conditions for used bottles – including storage outdoors. This is where many wash-off adhesives fail, and where RP30W makes the difference. RP30W also performs reliably on label dispensing lines even in cold conditions.

WITH FILMIC FACE STOCKS

RC7W is specially designed for wash-off film labels on PET beverage bottles destined for recycling. During the wash-off process in hot caustic, gravity separates label materials with RC7W from ground-up PET bottles. This separation produces pure, food-grade polyester suitable for re-use as bottles.

RP37

Clear, strong and resilient adhesion

RP37 is a multipurpose adhesive for label films in combination with paper liners, with properties well-suited to wine and spirits labelling. Strong adhesion combines with good resistance to water and UV, for resilience in a variety of conditions.

RP74

High transparency ‘no-label look’

RP74 is designed for a quality no-label look on transparent containers such as PET and glass. It is combined with clear label faces on PET film liners to encourage a smooth and clear adhesive wet-out. Long-lasting clarity is assured by excellent resistance to water-whitening once labelled.

RP76E

Enduring clarity, exuding quality

RP76E is specifically designed for ultra-clear bottle labelling. It is combined with clear film faces and filmic liners to produce a smooth adhesive layer for an optimally clear adhesive wet-out.

With excellent UV-stability and resistance to whitening when exposed to water and ice-bucket conditions, the enduring clarity of RP76E reinforces perceptions of quality.

RC7B

Wet bottle labelling clarity plus pasteurization

This UV-acrylic adhesive for film label faces has excellent resistance to moisture and water. In particular, RC7B provides good adhesion and retains its clarity even when applied to wet bottles.

RC7B’s excellent temperature and water-whitening resistance also make it a good match for applications where bottles are labelled prior to pasteurization.

RC7W

Clean wash-off for recovering food-grade PET

RC7W is specially designed for wash-off film labels on PET beverage bottles destined for recycling. During the wash-off process in hot caustic, gravity separates label materials with RC7W from ground-up PET bottles. This separation produces pure, food-grade polyester suitable for re-use as bottles.

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.