Catapult Print has invested in a Ravenwood Com500 Coater, adding linerless technology to its packaging and labeling facility in Orlando, FL, including associated distribution centers.  Catapult was recently named a "Company to Watch" in the October 2018 issue of L&NW.

Catapult decided to add linerless to its product portfolio from the outset, when the business launched in April of this year. Linerless is still an emerging technology in the US but one that is rapidly gaining in popularity, and Catapult is capitalizing from this niche market.

The Ravenwood Com500 coater is the only machine dedicated to running Ravenwood linerless labels. The Coater is designed and manufactured in the UK to work in accordance with Ravenwoods’ linerless system. The primary purpose of the machine is to apply silicone and hot melt adhesive to pre-printed labels, resulting in a ‘linerless’ label. The machine works continuously through the label reel at a pace of 450 feet per minute. Where business operations are concerned, eliminating the release liner carries many benefits; less waste, reduced landfill disposal costs and a much reduced carbon footprint. Linerless is overall, a more environmentally friendly and sustainable process of labelling.

Mark Cook, Founder and CEO said: “Collectively, the Catapult team are bringing a 25-year heritage in design and print to the table in the US. In terms of linerless, we are seeing this technology advance and gain momentum, with it fast becoming the label of choice for many food manufacturers and brand owners. Although not a particularly new innovation, linerless is becoming more relevant owing to its multitude of uses and the host of advantages it offers for certain markets. The growth pattern emerging in the US is mirroring what happened in the UK, especially when it comes to fresh and frozen foods. With linerless first being adopted by fish manufacturers, then meat suppliers. This could be said to be down to the increased adoption of food-safe packaging formats that reduce food spoilage.

Beyond this, linerless also derives a point of difference given it delivers improved stand out on shelf from a design point of view. Linerless allows brand guardians more opportunity to communicate with shoppers, as there is more space to tell a story. Extra information can be added to the back of the label owing to the peelable mechanic, which can provide a platform to add to the customer experience via marketing mechanics such as promotions and recipe suggestions etc.”

As well as linerless, Catapult also specializes in self-adhesive and narrow web film, as they believe that by having a very focused approach they can deliver the best possible result. Cook continues: “We want to ensure we focus only in the areas we can truly make a big difference to our customers, redefining their expectations around quality, service, innovation and lead times as well as ensuring their budget works as hard as possible. We see linerless as a huge part of our future, creating a real ‘wow’ factor to help drive sales for our customer base.”

Paul Beamish, MD of Ravenwood said: “We’re delighted to have the Catapult team on board with our linerless technology. As a business, Catapult are extremely driven and are pioneering a new way of working, focussing on setting new standards in the print and packaging industry.”

Catapult Print formed in April 2018 with their 56,000 sq ft HQ based in Orlando, Florida. Their vision has been 25 years in the making, harnessing their knowledge and experience to challenge the status quo, pursue continuous improvement and embed a creative approach across all their commercial activities.

Cook summarizes; “We’re here to make print cool, to give it purpose and meaning and to build a business that puts the customer at the heart.”