Avery Dennison unveils conformable film designed in India

Avery Dennison has unveiled a new polyolefin-based conformable film developed by the India R&D team at its Pune Innovation and Knowledge Centre. Flexiprint is available as a face material for both conformable tubes and semi-conformable containers. Key applications will be in the HBC and food sectors.

Avery Dennison stand at Labelexpo India

The company also launched a new topcoat, TC8000, with a stronger ink anchorage claimed to allow an increase in press speeds by up to 25 percent and cold foiling speeds by 20 percent.

As well as these new products, Avery Dennison is focusing strongly at this show on RFID. ‘The re-engineering of supply chains will require the building of major new warehouses and logistics systems which will require automated track and trace technologies,’ said Anil Sharma, Vice President and General Manager, South Asia Pacific and Sub Saharan Africa at Avery Dennison.

‘RFID will also be required for some of India’s unsolved problems such as drug counterfeiting, or helping Indian Railways manage their stock,’ said Sharma. ‘In the past the economics or RFID have not worked, but different types of chip give more flexibility and the economics have got better, opening up these new applications.’

There are also great opportunities for brands to engage directly with consumers through NFC and the chip-less technologies developed through Avery Dennison’s Pragmatic acquisition, said Sharma.  

To demonstrate the potential of these technologies Avery Dennison is extending its iLab concept to the Pune Knowledge and Innovation center, allowing brands and converters to experience RFID and smart technologies in a simulation of a real-world retail and food-store environment.

Also new for India is the Concept Lab, which demonstrates different design possibilities using 3D prototyping of actual containers and how these will look on a retail shelf. The Concept Lab on the Avery stand also demonstrates how embossed labels can simulate embossing on glass bottles as one of a number of decoration strategies using PS labels. Based at the Pune Knowledge Centre, the Concept Lab will also be seen touring around the country.

Looking at wider market trends, Pankaj Bhardwaj, senior director and general manager South Asia for Avery Dennison, said there is still huge growth potential in the region, given that annual consumption is still under 1sqm per person. 

‘The label industry in India has a strong correlation with GDP. PS penetration has improved, and more brands are moving to PS from other decoration technologies, although challenges remain in terms of costs. The segments that are growing include home care, e-commerce and general manufacturing, all sectors which reflect GDP growth.’

Avery Dennison has been investing heavily in regional infrastructure, with a new slitting facility in Kolkata and a team of 50 product specialists to work with converters and end users on developing new products and increasing overall print plant efficiency.

In the wider Asia-Pacific region Avery Dennison has recently completed investments in China, Vietnam, Thailand and New Zealand, ‘giving us scale and competitive advantage,’ said Sharma.

Sustainability continues to be a major focus for Avery Dennison in India, and particularly liner recycling. A successful glassine liner recycling pilot was recently completed Himalaya Drug Company, turning liner waste into industrial paper products – typically papers for wrapping shoes. Avery Dennison’s role is as a facilitator – ‘bringing together brand and recycler on set of conditions,’ as Bhardwaj put it.

Andy Thomas

  • Strategic director