Springfield Solutions: Digital suits forthcoming CLP changes

UK-based digital print specialist Springfield Solutions has spoken of how digital printing is allowing it to prepare for the forthcoming changes to classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures in the EU, and to make large time and cost savings during the make-ready process.

Springfield Solutions joint managing director Dennis Ebeltoft with the Screen Truepress Jet L350UV

European Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures came into force on January 20, 2009 in all EU member states, including the UK. It is known as the CLP Regulation or simply CLP.

CLP adopts the United Nations’ Globally Harmonised System (GHS) on the classification and labeling of chemicals across all European Union countries. As GHS is a voluntary agreement rather than a law, it has to be adopted through a suitable national or regional legal mechanism to ensure it becomes legally binding, which is what the CLP Regulation achieves.

The existing legislation on classification, labeling and packaging has been agreed at the European Union level and, from June 2015, will be directly applied on all EU member states, including the UK.

The new CLP regulations require all companies operating in EU member states to adopt new GHS hazard pictograms on packaging which can be identified in any country across the continent, regardless of the language spoken. Although not hugely different from the old system, the new pictograms are being introduced to promote better understanding about hazardous substances being shipped around Europe.

Springfield Solutions said companies needing to bring their labeling into line with the new regulations should consider digital printing, with Dennis Ebeltoft, joint managing director at the printer, noting the make-ready and pre-press benefits offered by digital printing.

Springfield Solutions completed a change from a digital and analogue mix to an all-digital print room in 2012. The company recently invested in Europe’s first Screen Truepress Ink Jet L350UV digital label press and finishing line.

Ebeltoft said: ‘Any company supplying paints, solvents, cleaning products, adhesives and other chemical substances and mixtures have less than a year to bring their labeling into line. Companies going down the traditional route will need to have new plates made up for each new label or piece of packaging they need altering and that will be both time consuming and costly, particularly to those with large product ranges.

‘If there is a rush to meet the deadline, which is very likely, jobs will sit in queues waiting to be completed, meaning some companies risk missing the deadline.’

He added: ‘Although this may be seen as a major cost to businesses, digital printing can help minimize that cost. We have already saved one company a great deal of money and others are likely to make similar savings. And now, as the technology has moved on, the quality is every bit as good, if not better, than traditional presses.’