Our pharmaceutical adhesives are developed, formulated and manufactured to meet industry regulations and safety requirements, including EMA, FDA, and IPAC-RS guidelines. We guarantee long-term stability of supply, with a minimum of 36 months’ rolling availability of unchanged materials and 12 months’ notice in advance of product changes. Full documentary support is provided for validation and approvals.

ADHESIVES

RP80 LT

Low-temperature storage down to -80C with multiple freeze-thaw cycles

RP80 LT is designed to perform in storage conditions down to -80 C. The RP80 LT adhesive also withstands multiple thawing and freezing cycles as samples are thawed at room temperature or in warm or iced water, and later returned to the freezer.

With good mandrel hold, this adhesive is recommended for identification labelling on laboratory vials, ampoulesand test tubes, as well as plates, slides, steel cabinetsand storage boxes. RP80 LT retains its adhesion for extended periods, on surfaces including glass, steel, cardboard and PP.

RP Cryo

Cryopreservation labelling down to -196 C

Cryogenic storage stops time for countless tissues, cell types and subcellular materials. But if these biological samples can’t be identified, they are lost forever.

UPM Raflatac label materials based on the RP Cryo adhesive withstand steam autoclave sterilization and cryopreservation conditions down to -196 C, in both vapour phase and liquid nitrogen. This adhesive is extremely resistant to thermal shock, and provides a strong and enduring bond to polypropylene (PP) cryogenic vials, tubes and storage boxes.

RP Cryo also withstands multiple thawing and freezing cycles, further ensuring that valuable biological samples are identifiable for the duration of their cryogenically extended lifetimes.

RP31 Purus

Migration-safe labelling for liquid drugs in plastic containers

RP31 Purus is a ‘migration safe’ adhesive with low leachable characteristics. Leachables are compounds that leach from packaging because of direct contact with the drug product under normal storage conditions and could potentially be dosed to a patient. Migration is a concern particularly for drugs in liquid or gaseous form, stored in containers made from plastic materials.

RP31 Purus performs well on small diameters and curved surfaces, and on a variety of labelling substrates including PP, PE and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). LDPE is widely used for squeezable nose or eye-drop containers, where migration safety is critical.

The FDA has assigned Drug Master file (DMF) number 25392, type III for RP31 Purus.

RP32 PB

Primary blood bag labelling

Regulatory requirements and the extreme conditions associated with blood storage and processing place stringent demands on labels for blood bags. RP32 PB has been developed and tested according to guidance from the ISO 3826 standard. It withstands temperatures of +121 C during steam sterilization, down to long-term storage conditions of -80 C. It also tolerates freezing in ethanol at -50 C.

RP32 PB has low-leachable characteristics on blood bags and is compatible with various plasticizers used in PVC blood bag manufacturing, including the most common, DEHP.

RP32 PB is supplied with a choice of non-PVC label faces according to market preferences.

RP31, RP31L, RC3P

Labelling small diameters

Small-diameter containers – such as syringes, ampoules, cartridges, pens, vials and test tubes – place special demands on label construction. UPM Raflatac’s research indicates that a diameter of 15 mm is the threshold at which the choice of label material becomes critical. Thin and flexible label faces are supplied with the following adhesives for optimal performance.

RP31 is formulated for labelling curved surfaces and small-diameter packaging. It offers a reliable solution for a wide variety of applications requiring excellent mandrel hold. RP31 bonds strongly to glass, HDPE and PP ubstrates.

RP31L is essential in applications where product identification must be secured by reducing the risk of missing labels to zero. Supplied with clear films, RP31L offers luminescent functionality for missing label detection on label dispensing lines and is a convenient and consistent solution compared to luminescent varnishing on-press.

RC3P is a UV-acrylic adhesive with excellent clarity for labelling on glass and is especially beneficial for visual checks of liquid container contents. Good water, heat and chemical resistance make RC3P suitable for a wide range of applications as well as end-uses requiring resistance to steam autoclave sterilization.

RP3H

Genuinely self-adhesive on surgical sterilization wraps and bags

ΤReusable surgical instruments leaving hospital operating theatres are cleaned, washed, packed on trays and wrapped in non-woven or crepe wrapping material, prior to sterilization by steam autoclave. Allpacks are individually labelled for identification and traceability.

RP3H retains excellent adhesion in the steam, pressure, and heat of the autoclave process, which is typically at 134 C for up to 18 minutes. This adhesive also accommodates swelling and shrinkage of various wrapping materials during and after processing.

Uniquely, RP3H labels are genuinely self-adhesive because no additional sealing tape is required to secure label adhesion. Light application by hand is both convenient and cost- efficient.

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.