Ravenwood extends linerless network in the US with Catapult Print

Catapult Print was formed in April 2018 with its 56,000 sq ft headquarters in Orlando. Catapult decided to add linerless to its product portfolio from the outset. Linerless is still an emerging technology in the US but one that is rapidly gaining in popularity, and Catapult is aiming capitalize from this niche market.

Mark Cook, Catapult founder and CEO, said: ‘Collectively, the Catapult team are bringing a 25-year heritage in design and print to the table in the US. In terms of linerless, we are seeing this technology advance and gain momentum, with it fast becoming the label of choice for many food manufacturers and brand owners. Although not a particularly new innovation, linerless is becoming more relevant owing to its multitude of uses and the host of advantages it offers for certain markets. The growth pattern emerging in the US is mirroring what happened in the UK, especially when it comes to fresh and frozen foods. With linerless first being adopted by fish manufacturers, then meat suppliers. This could be said to be down to the increased adoption of food-safe packaging formats that reduce food spoilage.’

The Ravenwood Com500 coater is the only machine dedicated to running Ravenwood linerless labels. The coater is designed and manufactured in the UK to work in accordance with Ravenwoods’ linerless system. The primary purpose of the machine is to apply silicone and hot melt adhesive to pre-printed labels, resulting in a ‘linerless’ label. The machine works continuously through the label reel at a pace of 450ft/min. Where business operations are concerned, Ravenwood noted that eliminating the release liner carries many benefits; less waste, reduced landfill disposal costs and a much reduced carbon footprint.

Cook continued: ‘Beyond this, linerless also derives a point of difference given it delivers improved stand out on shelf from a design point of view. Linerless allows brand guardians more opportunity to communicate with shoppers, as there is more space to tell a story. Extra information can be added to the back of the label owing to the peelable mechanic, which can provide a platform to add to the customer experience via marketing mechanics such as promotions and recipe suggestions etc.’

As well as linerless, Catapult specializes in self-adhesive and narrow web film, giving it a ‘very focused approach’.

‘We want to ensure we focus only in the areas we can truly make a big difference to our customers, redefining their expectations around quality, service, innovation and lead times as well as ensuring their budget works as hard as possible,’ said Cook. ‘We see linerless as a huge part of our future, creating a real “wow” factor to help drive sales for our customer base.’

Ravenwood managing director Paul Beamish said: ‘We’re delighted to have the Catapult team on board with our linerless technology. As a business, Catapult is extremely driven and is pioneering a new way of working, focusing on setting new standards in the print and packaging industry.’

Hub Labels and WS Packaging are further members of Ravenwood’s linerless label printer network operating in the US.