Following the integration of Fasson and Jac Avery Dennison sets out its stall to invest and innovate
In a move to increase capacity and meet the product needs of label converters, Avery Dennison is investing €60M in lines and equipment this year. Announced vice president and general manager Avery Dennison Roll Materials Europe Okke Koo recently: “We plan to build two more 2m width coaters in France and Luxembourg and install more state of the art slitters close to customers.” The first line is due to be commissioned in Champ-sur-Drac, in June, and the Luxembourg line in September.
The company’s vision, he stressed, is to “consistently exceed customer expectations through innovative products and services”.
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Director of marketing Palle Jespersen told Converting Today: “As far as innovation is concerned, the converter needs one or two products to cover 90 per cent of their needs. These are primarily paper products. We know this will work to reduce stock as well as provide efficiency on presses. It means that stock does not necessarily have to be changed between jobs.”
And it is not just the converter who benefits from these two new “robust” materials, he explains. “Customers want products that not only print and convert well, but also overprint and dispense well at the customer in a high and consistent quality.” The first of the new products – S2045 – combines the 2045 Fasson specification with Jac’s D170. “It offers the ability to provide 90 to 95 per cent of the application range and will convert at around 180m/min.” It is currently on beta test in label converter sites throughout Europe. Applicational areas include low temperatures, rough surfaces, difficult substrates and small diameters.
“The second product is S 2000 N (Fasson’s 2000 and Jac E 115), which provides even better running on all well-known presses and therefore less waste,” said Palle Jespersen. “Depending on the shape of the label you can run more or less 25-50 per cent faster, but we have examples where people are doubling converting speeds.” S 2000 N will run at speeds of up to 200m/min and covers 80 per cent of the applications, it is claimed. It was introduced in December, produced on the older 2m Luxembourg line, but will be produced on the new coater from June.
Converters also need materials at the right time and in the widths needed. So the company is also including in its investment five state of the art slitters across Europe with more to come later, revealed Palle Jespersen. They include Wickeltechnik equipment capable of slitting paper or film. And new distribution centres are being opened, including one in Milton Keynes,UK, and another in Warsaw.
Being in at the start of global innovations in the label business is an important part of the company’s vision. Sjaak Elmendorp, vice president, product technology and innovation, Fasson Roll Worldwide, cited the development of temperature indicators for food packages. “Although we have seen this for some time in the supply chain, we could do this this year and to end users’ specification.” The idea is that the indicators would change colour to show if certain temperatures have been encountered by the pack – certainly a safety issue with fresh foods.
Sjaak Elmendorp added: “You can make any functionality, delay and colour chain. The label would be activated when it is placed on the product through the dispensing head. The technology is in the formulation of the adhesive – it’s a pretty complex three-layer label.”
He sees clear on clear labels for beer, RFID labels and those that recognize smells as potential development areas. “End users are already very interested in this,” he said enthusiastically. “For example think of a label stuck to a toothpaste carton printed with something that could sense bad breath.” The technology, based on that of ChemSensing (www.Chemsensing.com) comprises a series of printed dots, which are vapour sensitive dyes or metalloporphyrins. By checking how the colours change in the presence of an aroma it is possible to determine the smell.
Another service enjoying expansion and increased success is Fasson Rapid-Roll. Business director Marcus Scheiber says the initiative – which offers customers a variety of non self adhesive materials to help “provide new business for the narrow web printer” – gives speed and flexibility. “It is about providing new opportunities for the converter on the same equipment.” In one year Rapid-Roll claims 450 customers and has gone from offering 25 to 165 products. The list includes tickets and tags, flexible packaging and cartonboard.
More information from Palle Jespersen, Avery Dennison, Roll Materials Europe, Bembergstr 1-4 D-42103 Wuppertal, Germany.