Self-adhesive material for laseractivatable labels

Press reports Self-adhesive Materials

20. July 2011

•HERMA LAM (laser-activatable material code 920) is a new self-adhesive material developed specifically for inscription with CO2 lasers
•It is ideal for labels dispensed in inhospitable and dusty production environments
•The protective coating assures non-smudge and scratchproof printing

From the batch number, sell-by date and additional information for specific countries, to different languages and codes, the volume of data to be overprinted on product labels is growing continuously. For this reason, many label users are extremely keen to identify more reliable, economical and flexible labelling methods – including the use of a CO2 laser for instance. HERMA is now enabling label producers to benefit from this market potential. HERMA LAM (code 920) is the name of a self-adhesive material recently developed specifically for inscription with CO2 lasers.

High-resolution labelling – even with small font sizes
The concentrated beam of light brings about a black colour change in the special HERMA material. The printed image produced on the material by the laser is always very sharp, whether plain text, a graphic and/or a code. The technique ensures not only exact edge definition even with very small fonts, but also a print quality that is consistently outstanding. Such consistency is rare in the case of thermal transfer printing, for example, because damage to the ribbon, soiling or residual cleaning fluid can impair the print sharpness of an EAN code. In comparison, laser marking enhances the reliability of the labelling process.

Since the laser does not burn off any material, no vapours or smudgeable particles arise and the label is not damaged at all. It produces a non-smudge and scratch-resistant printed image. Thanks to its protective coating, moreover, HERMA LAM can be used for all applications requiring a label paper that resists solvents and grease. This new self-adhesive material is therefore ideal for manufacturing labels that are to be dispensed in inhospitable and dusty production environments.

No additional consumables
The combination of labels made from HERMA LAM and a CO2 laser allows flexible and individual labelling anywhere in the workflow – even outside of a production line and after the labels have been dispensed. Another advantage of this concept, compared with other final marking techniques, lies in the absence of any additional consumables. The idle times of the labelling systems can therefore be significantly reduced as well.