Ditone creates innovative labels for hospital mattress

UK converter Ditone Labels has created innovative labels for the pumps used to inflate the Repose specialist hospital mattress overlay used for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.

Frontier Medical Group appointed Ditone to create a technical label for its plastic pump products due to its experience in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Ditone created a label to work harmoniously with an applicator designed by Graham Machines, to replace an inefficient and prolonged production method.

Prior to the new system, the process of screen printing was used, applying up to three colors separately, which was time-consuming and costly and did not offer a scuff-resistant finish.

Ditone introduced the method of flexo application, which allows all the colors to be applied in one run at the point of assembly. The label has also helped increase consistency of brand and can easily be adapted to suit a range of markets.

The labels are printed on clear polypropylene with a permanent adhesive, using two different colors. Using the color of the tube as a background, the adhesive involved creates an ‘invisible’ label. The labels also incorporate a white panel created using special writable varnish on to which hospital staff can write patient details. This is applied in addition to an overall anti-scuff varnish to provide protection during handling and packaging.

Beryl Young, business development manager at Ditone Labels, said: ‘We were really pleased when Frontier Medical Group approached us to work on some new labels for them. We strive to work alongside our clients to help improve efficiency where possible and on this occasion in particular it’s been a tremendous success.’

Rachael Bowden, product marketing manager at Frontier Medical Group, said: ‘We appointed Ditone Labels due to their excellent reputation as label innovators and experience in the healthcare sector. We wanted to create a label that, along with a new application method, sped up our production process and made it easier to adapt the mattress pump labels according to our clients’ needs.

‘The labels have made the whole process much more efficient and less costly and have taken our products to a new level by offering a “no label” look and an effective anti-scuff resistance, which they didn’t really have before.’

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