Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor10.06.15
Jos de Vries, consultant with AWA, moderated the event and provided a primer for the shrink sleeve industry. The overall global label market is experiencing 3.7% growth (55,500 million square meters in 2014), and the shrink sleeve process is playing a contributory role. Last year, 9.8 million square meters were printed on a variety of substrates. In terms of shrink labels, 87% of the market is comprised of Heat Shrink TD Sleeves, with 7% annual growth being driven mainly by China. Despite relatively low volumes, RFS MD Shrink Sleeves maintain the highest growth among the process with 12.5%.
de Vries also highlighted the differences between the European market and the rest of the world. PET-G materials accounted for 33% of Europe’s shrink sleeves, while PE came in second with 24% and PVC finished third with 23%. Globally, PVC materials were the most popular with 54% of the market, and PET made up 23%.
Dave Kater, business manager, Specialty Films, Klockner Pentaplast, examined different label designs for specific applications in “MDO versus TDO: Competitive or Complementary Technology?” Users must consider their container design and polymer selection, as well as equipment availability, when manufacturing shrink sleeve labels.
TDO is a traditional shrink sleeve, where the film is stretched in a “trans-directional operation.” MDO stands for machine direction orientation, where the film is oriented while it passes through a series of rollers at variable speeds before being annealed and then cooled.
Shrink sleeves offer large real estate and 360 degree design freedom, as well as tamper evidence. Kater added that shrink sleeves offer the most design freedom, albeit at higher total applied costs. The larger space for enhanced graphics and billboard advertising can catch a consumer’s eye on the shelf. The goal is to create an emotional connection that leads to brand loyalty.
Dealing with distortion
Chris Stowe, product manager of 3-D & design solutions, Esko, delivered a presentation entitled “Advances in Shrink Sleeve Artwork Creation.” According to the company, which produces prepress software, nine out of 10 major brands produce products with Esko solutions.
Even though this printing process offers a number of benefits, it comes with some challenges. A flat-design approach to prepress artwork is generally insufficient because the labels are being designed for a curved surface with a seam. Shifting a 2-D design to a 3-D object can cause distortion, both in the graphics and the color of the label. Esko is providing its customers with a 3-D studio workflow that can be shared in multiple formats. In addition to 3-D proofing, the files are accessible through the iOS and Android operation systems on smart phones and tablets.
Stowe stated that conventional artwork can be labor and skill intensive, and cause longer lead times. He adds that by providing the brand owner with a PDF file of the label, the designer is not representing how that design will look on the object. Three-dimensional simulation can predict and quantify distortions, as well as compensate for the effects of the heating process.
With Esko’s prepress software, the company states that users can create packshots, movies or interactive 3-D PDFs, suing fewer physical mockups. It is also possible to simulate how the ink will react on a given substrate.
A stretch in labeling
Wolfgang Plausch, business development director, CCL Label, presented stretch sleeving, which functions in the opposite manner of shrink sleeving. Whereas shrink sleeves start large and shrink when applied to heat in a tunnel, the stretch sleeve starts out small and is literally stretched to meet the dimensions of an object.
CCL provides its Triple S film application for this process, and Ploesch detailed how the labels are often run on a Krones ES machine. Stretch sleeves are commonly employed on squeezable bottles and carbonated drinks. There are several benefits to this process. According to Ploesch, stretch sleeves feature 55% less weight per sleeve, with the average sleeve weighing 3.01 grams. This leads to a 50% cost and materials savings, which enables companies to recycle in a more efficient manner and reduce their carbon footprint. Triple S stretch sleeves also do not use any glue.
“The main benefit to the stretch sleeve is the low usage of material,” added Ploesch. “Also with material savings, cost saving shows up. You don’t need any shrink, which means less energy during the application.”
Much like shrink sleeves, however, stretch sleeves face the same challenges like distortion and losing ink coverage. “The stretch film is getting larger, and that means that we lose ink coverage,” he explained. “If you’re coming from a shrink film, the ink is getting denser. There are some limitations, and the process is complementary.”
The future of shrink
Michel Vanhems, business leader of special effects at Sun Chemical, explained how his company has worked with T-Ink to provide a smart solution entitled TouchCode. In its partnership with T-Ink, in which T-Sun was formed, Sun Chemical has developed an interactive technology through artwork recognition. The device’s camera will recognize the artwork in the same kind of way as a QR reader scans a box.
In order to alter the code, the artwork would have to be changed. TouchCode takes advantage of the electric capacity in the human hand, using any kind of touch device. Therefore, the screen does not react when touched by a hand wearing a glove.
According to Vanhems, TouchCode is a cheaper alternative compared to NFC and RFID technologies. In addition, the QR code takes up space on the label that can better be used for advertising and shelf appeal. The process works on all sorts of printing material, and direct printing is available on paper. It can also be extended to film and other applications.
Sustainability is also a major concern, as brands explore ways to user lighter gauges and implement source reduction. Stuart Foster, CEO of Recoup (Recycling of used plastics) and director of EPRO, looked into how the label and packaging industry can make plastic recycling a sustainable and circular resource. Recoup has 65 to 70 member groups and functions in much the same way as TLMI’s LIFE initiative. Foster also cited Avery Dennison’s role in the sustainability movement. “Companies like Avery Dennison are becoming much more vocal in sustainability activities,” he said. “In fact, they called us up a few months before our conference and wanted to speak at our event. We said, ‘Absolutely, that’s fine.’ They’re doing a good job of it. They’re talking about waste, the PET liners and matrix waste. They also give example projects.”
In Europe, Foster stated that the goal is to have zero plastic in landfills in the next 10 years. Currently, no European country is recycling at a rate greater than 40%. The entire supply chain needs to play a role, and biodegradable resources are a trending topic. According to Foster, biodegradable is “one of the most heated debates going on at the moment.”
“Even little changes can make a big difference in the end,” he said.
“I think that recycling will be one of the major topics in the future because the amount of waste that is created is an issue everywhere,” said Matthias Henker, director of research and development of flexible packaging, EMEA, Flint Group Germany. “I think we need to find creative solutions, and we have seen what is done in Europe in regards to waste treatment. I think we need to find other ways, and we need to be more proactive.”
To close the Sleeving Seminar, de Vries conducted a panel discussion with Chris Frank, global key account manager/global marketing manager, Klockner Pentaplast, Henker and Ploesch. The troika explored the state of the sleeving industry, as well as ongoing trends and developments. In addition to lowering costs, standing out on the shelves and sustainability, the group discussed versatile equipment and digital printing. The group believes that retrofitting is the next big step toward digital printing, and it will have the biggest effect on self adhesive labels. They also added that major brands are seeking uniform packaging all over the world for “consistency and continuity of supply.”
“If we’re talking about the label market, I think a huge part in a couple of years is that it will be printed digitally – maybe not so much in the sleeving market because you have a lot of technical requirements, but if you think about self adhesive labels, then I think that easily could be transferred into a digital process,” explained Henker. “I don’t really see a big digital movement in the volume markets because this is really a speed and cost process.”
For more pictures of the event, click here for the slideshow.