Labelling Technologies: Helping Beverage Producers Meet Fast-Paced Consumer Trends

When shopping for consumables the choice of a product is made in a matter of seconds. With such an incredibly brief decision-making process, it is even more important for a brand to stand out on the supermarket shelf.

During this crucial so called 'moment of truth' a label can significantly help in attracting consumers' attention and encouraging them to select one beverage over another. In today's changing market a manufacturer needs to be able to adapt quickly to succeed. Sidel offers a wide range of labelling solutions to enable beverage producers to bring new products to market quickly, using flexible and reliable solutions to meet fast-paced consumer trends.

Challenges to meet new consumer trends
The consumers of today are more concerned with beverages that reflect their personality and individuality.  It is no longer enough to deliver a quality product in a package with any label. A key contributor to success is personalisation and products that match the consumer's lifestyle. A successful example of adapting to consumer trends is Coca-Cola's personalised label redesigns in their impactful "Share A Coke" campaign. It was a simple idea with a great outcome - a 2% increase in sales in the US.

Labelling solutions changeoverTrends impact the way we perceive products - especially their packaging and specifically the labelling. In the trend landscape of today, it is no longer just a case of creating a concept and getting it to the consumer safely and successfully. It requires the manufacturer to be fast, flexible and willing to challenge convention. It is about thinking consumer first and thoroughly understanding how to build end-user engagement. Labellers that are flexible and offer the capacity for simple and fast changeovers can, in this new trend landscape, help to bring new products to market quickly and efficiently.

For beverage producers, the challenge lies in following new consumer trends while incorporating these successfully into production and across the supply chain. It is not as simple as having the product "speak" to the consumer. There is the long production process to consider and consumer trends are also driving changes in this area. Many consumers expect sustainable production and a fully recyclable product. Great labelling can, in turn, improve the beverage producer's green profile with thinner, glueless and therefore more eco-friendly labelling, deliver a reduction in costs across several areas - from materials to maintenance - as well as a boost in productivity.

Innovative solutions for all labelling needs
As the leading global provider of PET solutions for liquid packaging, Sidel has the experience to meet beverage producers' needs for both attractive packaging and sustainable production.  Sidel understands the importance of equipment quality and reliability, as well as the need for equipment and services that are responsive and flexible, adapting easily to changing production requirements.  Sidel offers innovative labelling technologies that can help beverage producers, whatever those production requirements.

Labelling solutions SL90 labeller
Over more than 40 years of labelling experience, Sidel has installed almost 4,000 labelling machines worldwide.  The range of many different technologies developed by the company over that time is extensive and the solutions offered currently includes rollfed, pressure-sensitive, pre-cut and shrink-sleeve labelling machines.  These are suitable for many different types and shapes of containers and items, from liquids to food, oils, cosmetics and household goods.  Sidel labelling solutions are easy to use and flexible, enabling producers to adopt different label types and materials on the same machine.  All Sidel labelling solutions are designed to maximise both the impact the products make on the shelf and the profit earned on each item sold.

Michele Morrone, a member of the Labelling Product Management team at Sidel, comments: "The way goods are labelled has a significant impact on their success in the marketplace, with the design and branding a major influencer on consumer purchasing decisions.  Producing attractively labelled products cost effectively is therefore crucial."

Rollfed remains a popular option
The hot-glue application of rollfed labels remains the main method through which PET containers for soft drinks and water are labelled.  Although paper labels are still applied, the continued success of rollfed labelling is today mostly down to plastic labels, which remain popular with both producers and consumers thanks to their physical and practical qualities.  Having a high-gloss finish, they are waterproof and consequently less likely to be affected by adverse storage and transportation conditions.

The latest generation of Sidel Matrix SL70 is a highly modular rollfed labeller with an output of up to 60,000 bottles per hour (bph), which can be installed in various different layouts and easily reconfigured.  Changeover times for containers of different shapes and dimensions are 30% faster than previous generations and can be achieved in just 25 minutes by a single operator.  With an open structure for easy cleaning, it requires 40% less downtime for maintenance.  It has direct drive motorisation which eliminates the need for lubrication points, has no requirement for below-the-table maintenance and has easily replaceable main modules.

Sleeve and rollfed labels: both applied by one unique machine
Statistics reveal that the market for shrink sleeve labelling (SSL) is growing faster than any other labelling process.  There are several reasons for this success.  The larger area available for graphics on high-shrinkage, full-body sleeves naturally presents designers with greater opportunity for creativity.  The extra space also facilitates the positioning of data such as volume, contents, barcode and other legally required information, as well as enabling producers to add messages and communications of their own.  By covering the whole bottle including the cap, the label sleeve can also serve effectively as a seal.  In the case of sensitive beverages, it can be used as a light barrier to protect the contents.  As the sleeve is heat-shrunk into position, it adapts to any surface and eliminates restrictions due to container shape.  It also removes the need for glue and solvents, therefore making recycling of the basic PET raw material much easier.

Labelling solutions bottles shelf
Designed to meet growing demand for shrink sleeve labels, Sidel Rollsleeve is a flexible rotary labeller that offers production flexibility in terms of labelling.  It allows easy switching between sleeves and rollfed label application in a single machine, requiring only ten more minutes than a normal changeover.  It also offers the ability to use multiple types of label material to achieve sustainability and cost savings.  Sidel Rollsleeve is unique in terms of the sleeve creation, which takes place within the machine.  This requires far less operation on the converter side and label costs are therefore substantially reduced.  The machine is equipped with an ergonomically designed, robust and precise linear labelling station.  The infeed roller, driven by servomotors, and a single rotating knife, create a clean, precise and waste-free cut every time.  It is one of the fastest sleevers on the market, running at speeds of up to 54,000 bph.

Premium self-adhesive and reliable cold-glue labelling
Ideal for long print runs, the cold-glue application of labels is a proven and established method still dominating the food and beverage industry because of its exceptional reliability.  Also having a high market-share, self-adhesive, pressure-sensitive labels (PSL) are particularly suited to the premium labelling of both beverages and non-beverages.  This is because of the number of shape, size and imaging opportunities that they present to producers.

The Sidel SL 90 is a high-speed rotary labeller designed for both self-adhesive and cold-glued labels.  It can easily switch between both kinds of labels through the simple replacement of the modular labelling stations.  A smart modular labeller that delivers high-quality output and gives producers maximum flexibility in applying labels to all kinds of packaging, the Sidel SL 90 carries out the high-quality placement of pressure sensitive labels.  Optimised label stretching reduces the risk of wrinkles and bubbles and high label adhesion results in an attractive 'no-label' look.  This labeller is exceptionally reliable for cold glue label application, even under extreme production conditions such as 24-hour operation and high temperatures.  It is also suitable for high speeds and offers excellent flexibility.

Sidel is continually innovating in the field of labelling to meet growing market demands in terms of efficiency, sustainability, safety and low maintenance.  Output rates are increasing to meet the demands of high production.  Many developments are designed to reduce usage of raw material (label thickness, glue, etc.) and consumption of energy.  The design of the labellers is being simplified, with a greater attention paid to ergonomics for more user-friendly operation and reduced maintenance.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Conference returns on May 2nd-3rd to Bangkok, Thailand

Packaging is the fastest growing industry in Asia and has been tipped to lead the packaging industry growth until 2020. As the Packaging Industry continues to grow, it’s more important than ever that you keep ahead of trends, technology and more than ever your competition. To keep abreast of the latest trends, technology and more, the 16th Annual Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Conference returns in May 2nd-3rd to Bangkok, Thailand. With the best line up of speakers from around the world, this year’s conference will show you over two days all that you need to be one step ahead. This year’s conference speakers are from Europe, USA, Australia and Asia, and will present topics that cover every area of Packaging Production.

Combined with the Asian Packaging Excellence Awards, the conference will be held at Marriott Marquis Hotel on May 2nd-3rd, 2018 and the Annual Awards Gala Dinner will be held on the 3rd May, 2018. You cannot afford to miss this event. To make sure you are up to date on the latest trends, register for the conference immediately.

Hybrid Software schedules orders at Belgium Label Printer

When the printing capacity at Accent Etiketten outstripped the ability of the company’s production scheduling software, the Belgium label printer called on the services of Hybrid Software. The solution came in the form of a customised production scheduling tool within the industry-leading workflow software CloudFlow.

“We operate HP Indigo digital presses and flexo presses,” says Christophe Beke, quality assurance and project manager. “We had originally written our own software for scheduling jobs, which operated within the ERP environment and had performed quite adequately. However, recent investment in our press department meant that the workload demands had overtaken what our package could handle and we estimated that to rewrite it would have taken us more than a year.

“Instead, we started examining what was available on the market and when we looked at the products from Hybrid Software we were immediately interested in the company’s potential to meet our needs. We liaised closely with its specialist team of developers in order to tailor its existing production scheduling tool to our particular requirements and this cooperation enabled us to reach our current position.”

The family run business specialises in supplying self-adhesive labels to customers throughout Belgium, France and Holland. It employs more than 60 people and operates HP Indigo 6600 and 8800 digital presses as well as eight and ten-colour flexo presses. These are in use around the clock five days a week and in addition to scheduling their workloads Accent Etiketten wanted to include its cutting and packaging facilities.

Bert Van der Perre is Sales Manager Benelux at HYBRID Software and has been heavily involved in the project. “In the new environment, job information is sent from Accent Etiketten’s MIS system directly into CloudFlow using XML files,” he says. “We set up a device manager within CloudFlow to define the relevant details of each machine, providing parameters that include minimum run time, setup time, production speed, number of print stations, time to change rolls and cleanup time. The solution incorporates an ‘availability calendar’ that takes into account factors such as staff holidays, maintenance, potential for extra shifts etc.

“Based on the technical details of a job and its due date as described in the XML, CloudFlow checks the machine’s availability and assigns the job to the press or equipment as well as providing a given time slot. As with all of our CloudFlow-based solutions, what we have created for Accent Etiketten is available as an HTML5 web interface, so this is readily accessible to other companies,” says Bert Van der Perre.

The advantages to Accent Etiketten have been numerous, with optimised scheduling of orders leading to improvements to delivery times and greater productivity. The company is a leading label printer in Belgium and during Labelexpo Europe 2017 HP Indigo presented Accent Etiketten with its award ‘Fastest Growth Champion in Northern Europe’.

Christophe Beke picks up the story. “All of our pre-press operators use Hybrid Software’s Packz editing software, so we already had a connection with the supplier,” he says. “Being able to liaise directly with its software engineers on this new project was excellent as this meant we benefited from extremely fast replies and solutions.

“We implemented the Hybrid Software package in two phases and have been using it with our digital presses and cutting equipment for about four months. The set up of our flexo presses is more complex so we left this for phase two, which started a few weeks ago. The training and installation have all gone well and we’ve achieved great transparency of the delivery process throughout the organisation. This new scheduling tool helps us to remain at the forefront of technology and can be utilised with any future investment made in the pressroom,” says Mr Beke.

Uflex Chemicals Business becomes India's First NABL Accredited Entity

In a big development, Chemicals Business of Uflex Limited has become India’s First NABL accredited entity in the field of combined manufacturing of Packaging Inks and Lamination Adhesives. National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is a Constituent Board of Quality Council of India. NABL has been established with the objective of providing Government, Industry Associations and Industry in general with a scheme of Conformity Assessment Body’s accreditation which involves third-party assessment of the technical competence of testing including medical and calibration laboratories, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers.

Chemicals Business of Uflex that recently made to the TOP 25 Club of International Companies on the basis of global ink sales (ref. Ink World; August 2017) enjoys an irreproachable reputation as a manufacturer of world-class quality inks, adhesives, speciality coatings and polyols that are required in the converting process for packaging.

Some of the highly acclaimed and much in demand products by Uflex Chemicals are Laminating Solvent based Adhesives, Solventless Adhesives, Water-based Adhesives, PU Adhesives, Ink Binders, Flexo, Gravure Primers, Top Coats, Inks, Heat Seal Coatings, Energy Curable Coatings, UV Coatings, Solvent Borne Coatings, UV LED Coatings, etc.

Expressing delight over this development, Mr. Rajesh Bhasin, Business Head, Chemicals at Uflex Limited said, “With this, the Laboratory of Chemicals Business has been formally recognized by an Accreditation Body in line with the internationally laid down principles and is now authorized to issue results (within defined scope) for customers as a third party for outside samples in accordance with ISO/IEC17025:2005. Reports issued by an NABL accredited laboratory are internationally accepted owing to its tie up with International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC).”

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 specifies the general requirements for the competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration performed using standard methods, non-standard methods, and laboratory-developed methods.

Congratulating Team Chemicals at this remarkable feat,  Mr.  Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex Limited said, “This accreditation by NABL further testifies the quality conscious approach governing the manufacturing processes at Uflex Chemicals. Upholding our overarching Brand Promise across our business portfolio, we remain committed to offering value-added best-in-class flexible packaging solutions for our esteemed clients across the globe.”

Uflex is India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials and Solution Company and an emerging global player. Since its inception back in 1985, Uflex has grown from strength to strength to evolve as a truly Indian Multinational with consumers spread across the world. Uflex today has state-of-the-art packaging facilities at multiple locations in India with installed capacity of around 100,000 TPA and has packaging film manufacturing facilities in India, UAE, Mexico Egypt, Poland and USA with cumulative installed capacity in excess of 337,000 TPA.

All Uflex plants are accredited with ISO 9001, 14001, HACCP & BRC certifications. Uflex caters to markets spanning across the globe in over 140 countries like USA, Canada, South American countries, UK and other European Countries, Russia, South Africa, CIS, Asian and African nations. Integrated within its core business profile are allied businesses like Engineering, Cylinders, Holography and Chemicals which further give Uflex a superior edge above competition.

Uflex Limited is also a part of the D&B Global Database and winner of various prestigious national and international awards for its products’ excellence. Uflex offers technologically superior packaging solutions for a wide variety of products such as snack foods, candy and confectionery, sugar, rice & other cereals, beverages, tea & coffee, dessert mixes, noodles, wheat flour, soaps and detergents, shampoos & conditioners, vegetable oil, spices, marinades & pastes, cheese & dairy products, frozen food, sea food, meat, anti-fog, pet food, pharmaceuticals, contraceptives, garden fertilizers and plant nutrients, motor oil and lubricants, automotive and engineering components etc.

Some of Uflex’s clients on the global turf include P&G, PepsiCo; Tata Global; Mondelez, L’ Oreal, Britannia, Haldiram’s, Amul, Kimberly Clark, Ferro Rocher, Perfetti, GSK, Nestle, Agrotech Foods, Coca Cola, Wrigley, Johnson & Johnson among others.

Xeikon to head to Labelexpo Asia with innovative digital label solutions

Xeikon will head to Labelexpo Asia with innovative digital label solutions this time. Xeikon will be joined by the Flint Group’s Narrow Web and Ink divisions at Labelexpo Asia 2017, scheduled for 5 to 8 December 2017 in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The companies will be located on Stand G21 at the show. By combining Xeikon’s digital printing expertise with the wide range of conventional narrow web offerings from the Flint Group, visitors to Stand G21 will find solutions that address all label converter needs for self-adhesive and heat transfer labels. In addition to a Xeikon 3500 roll-to-roll digital press configuration, the stand will also feature a ThermoFlexX integrated plate production system for flexo and letterpress.

“There is huge growth potential in the Chinese market for digital label production, and it is an important market for Xeikon,” said Bent Serritslev, Xeikon’s Managing Director of Xeikon Asia Pacific. “With the broadest range of digital label printing solutions in the market, Xeikon has doubled its market share in China over the last two years, a growth rate we expect to continue. This expectation is validated by the fact that Xeikon customers are experiencing strong volume growth on their digital presses, indicating there is no shortage of volume suitable for digital production.”

Serritslev points out that customers in China appreciate the quality and reliability delivered by Xeikon presses, but they also value timely, responsive service and support when issues do arise. “To that end,” he added, “Xeikon has invested heavily in the establishment of a quality direct sales and service organization in China. Our objective is to make the customer experience as seamless and responsive as possible in order to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction and equipment up-time.”

The Xeikon 3500 roll-to-roll digital label press prints on web widths up to 516mm (20.3”) at 1200 dpi, and at speeds of up to 594 m2/hour. It uses high lightfastness QA-I or ICE toner. As Xeikon’s flagship wide web label press, the Xeikon 3500 enables shorter runs, faster delivery times, and the utmost in production flexibility. It’s highly functional X-800 digital front end with VariLane imposition software minimizes prepress activities, allowing label converters to easily combine different jobs on one substrate – even if the labels are of different heights and widths and with different run lengths. Last-minute adjustments to artwork or the addition of variable data is fast and easy, further increasing profitability for label converters. This type of out-of-the-box thinking and unique value-add sets Xeikon apart in the world of digital label printing.

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Registration opens for FTA Forum and Infoflex

Registration is now open for Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) Forum & Infoflex 2018, which will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana from May 6-9. Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has announced that registrations for the 2017 Forum & INFO*FLEX Exhibition are officially open at the FTA Store. The Trending Now Forum will take place April 30 – May 3 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel in downtown Phoenix, AZ. More than 2,000 trend-setters, representing every segment of the supply chain will be there.

The Forum event themed Bringing It All Together: Processes, People and Potential is set to be hosted at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Across the Skywalk, Infoflex will be themed ‘Where the Worlds of Package Printing and Converting Technologies Successfully Intertwine’ at the Indiana Convention Center on May 7 and 8.

‘The growth we are seeing in flexible packaging has been phenomenal,’ said forum chair, Bob Coomes, Plastic Packaging Technologies. ‘This makes it even more important for those serving within the industry to identify trends in the consumer space; keep up with the latest in technology; and raise up a strong, productive work force that will meet tomorrow’s challenges today. I believe that the session speakers at Forum 2018 will provide many ideas, insights and solutions that are relevant to those attending. It’s also a great opportunity to hear from industry experts and network with others within the flexo-family. There will be something for everyone.’

Sessions will cover topics including the future of flexo, process improvements, equipment purchasing, understanding the customer’s customer, the importance of the press approval process, the role company culture and leadership play in a successful work environment, and more. Registration includes Forum’s nine technical sessions, a seat at the annual awards banquet, entry to walk the show floor at Infoflex and the Monday evening social.

SPGPrints presents complete rotary screen printing workflow for added value labelling and packaging at Labelexpo Asia 2017

SPGPrints Printing Systems Wuxi Co., SPGPrints’ China subsidiary, will show rotary screen printing and laser imaging systems for creating high-quality labels and packaging in a streamlined, efficient workflow at Labelexpo Asia 2017, (Stand F10) 5 – 8 December, Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

SPGPrints’ rotary screen solutions displayed at the show cover every step in the workflow, providing a cost-efficient, productive way of applying numerous eye-catching and functional effects that add brand value. These include the no-label look, raised varnishes, fine linework, small text, metallic foil, security features and Braille up to 250 micron thick, in a single pass.

The company’s programme of Rotary Screen Integration (RSI) printing modules, using 100 per cent nickel re-imageable RotaMesh and re-usable RotaPlate rotary screens, enable smooth incorporation of the process inline with flexo, gravure, offset and letterpress processes. SPGPrints has a close partnership with many of the world’s leading press manufacturers, to install the technology on both new and, through retrofitting programmes, on existing presses, up to at least 900mm width.

Expanded, durable nickel screen programme for high-value effects
With a unique hexagonal hole structure, SPGPrints’ seamless nickel RotaMesh screens offer precision, durability and long-term value. They withstand handling and several imaging cycles, and remain stable at printing speeds of up to 150m/min. The nickel RotaPlate screens also offer significant reusability and stability at relatively high speeds.

Samples covering the complete range effects possible with both screens will be available for visitors to appreciate the visual impact and aesthetic appeal achievable.

SPGPrints has recently expanded its RotaMesh programme of rotary screens. The RotaMesh 405 was introduced to meet the demands of the Chinese market for sharp reproduction of small han, hanzi and Western text, down to 3-points. The ultra-high mesh count gives brand-owners the natural vividness of rotary screen, with the ability to provide more information, clearly, on a label. Also new is the RotaMesh Glitter Screen for glitter, lustre, shimmer and optically variable inks.

High-definition CtP Laser imaging solutions for multiple processes
The variLEX processor is a high-definition digital imaging solution for flexo, dry-offset, screen and letterpress printing formes – combining ablating and exposing in one machine. Offering resolutions of up to 5080dpi, variLEX features multi-beam diode lasers that ablate the black mask and/or directly expose UV-sensitive screen materials. The flexibility of the variLEX means that it is easily adapted to customers’ plate and dot-shaping specifications.

For dedicated rotary screen imaging, SPGPrints also offers rotaLEN 7511, a direct CO2 laser engraving system with resolutions up to 5080dpi, without using film, chemicals or water. SPGPrints’ software optimises control when creating fine positive and negative images.

Additionally, there will be information about SPGPrints’ new Dev & Dry developer and washing system for RotaPlate screens, providing a fast, automated imaging solution with minimal manual input and outstanding reproducibility, without risk of error.

Jimmy Cao, sales manager label printing, SPGPrints Printing Systems Wuxi Co., comments: “Retail goods manufacturers seek distinctive packaging for their brands, to convey the quality expected by consumers. We are experiencing a growth in demand for our rotary screen technology, as brand owners see a workflow centred around RotaMesh and RotaPlate as the solution to meet brand-owners’ quality demands, combined with a low cost of ownership and the support of SPGPrints’ global network. Our experienced technical sales team will be available at Labelexpo Asia to explain how these advanced technologies are the ideal platform for meeting the Asian market’s needs.”

PrintReleaf partners with PRT Group

PrintReleaf has partnered with PRT Group--a major mailing house and commercial printer based in Italy.  Discussing the partnership, PrintReleaf Founder and CEO Jordan Darragh said:  "Our partnership with PRT Group marks the further expansion of the PrintReleaf franchise into Europe.  The PRT Group will integrate the PrintReleaf API into their proprietary business critical mail software platforms--MyMailHouse in the United States and PostaPronta, which operates in Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and Japan.  We are pleased that the PRT Group recognizes the value and simplicity of our API through which they can easily scale certified paper reforestation."

Also commenting on the partnership, Dario D'Urso, CEO at PRT America Inc,  said: "PRT Group is pleased to partner with PrintReleaf and to demonstrate to our customers that we are an environmentally responsible printer and mailer.  We are confident that PRT Group customers will see this as a positive step in making the world a greener place."

PRT Group provides solutions to companies in the business communication market, offering a variety of solutions with high technology content and an emphasis on international communication.  PRT Group technology services include data formatting, document  composition,  postal services , and direct mailing, with platforms and services also customized for individual customer needs.

PrintReleaf creates a global sustainability standard by certifiably guaranteeing to releaf the paper consumption of PrintReleaf customers.  PrintReleaf is the only technology platform that measures customers' paper usage and certifiably reforests that usage on an equivalent basis.  The patented PrintReleaf technology not only tracks paper consumption, but also monitors PrintReleaf reforestation partners to ensure fulfillment.

Market-leading companies with a passion for the environment and a progressive concern for advancing environmental stewardship, together with their customers, rely on PrintReleaf to provide a nexus of partnerships involving forestry, technology, and business.