Ice Valley mineral water from Shepley Springs is using what is believed to be the UK’s first gravure printed OPP cut and stack ‘no label’ look label applied using a conventional wet glue process.
Printpack European Division and S&C Labels jointly developed the solution for the 500ml PET bottle with sports cap.
Said S&C Labels business development director Paul Gibbs: “Until now, the only clear polypropylene labels available within the marketplace for cut and stack application were UV flexographically printed versions.”
The gravure process, according to Mr Gibbs, offers a higher degree of opacity, necessary when printing on clear labels.
The Ice Valley label was gravure printed by Printpack in three colours on a 50mm PP substrate developed for the cut and stack operation. It replaces a pressure sensitive label.
A speed increase of 75% was made with the wet glue applicator using hot-melt glue.
Shepley Springs’ James Smith said: “Not only is the label applied at higher speeds on our wet glue label application machine com-pared to our self-adhesive labeller, the label also offers a significant cost saving.”
Printpack Europe and S&C Labels plan to continue the product partnership that they believe offers customers with wet glue labelling lines a significant opportunity to use clear gravure printed OPP labels.