Exciting linerless breakthrough achieved by Catchpoint licensees

Catchpoint, which has pioneered and patented the production and application of linerless self-adhesive labels using unique micro perforations, has announced a major technology breakthrough to Labels & Labeling, writes Mike Fairley in an exclusive report.

Working closely with founding licensee WS Packaging and applicator partner ILTI, linerless labeling speeds and accuracy levels can now meet the demanding targets required in FMCG markets. This exciting new process will facilitate and contribute to the environmental targets of Global Packaging Initiative Partners without compromising the speed, accuracy and efficiency of their production lines. 

WS Packaging, one of the largest printing and label converting operations in North America, is an industry leader with over 40 years’ experience in printing and flexible packaging for retail, commercial and industrial markets – with 17 manufacturing locations in North America and Mexico. The company will be launching the full ILTI self-adhesive machine range into the USA, and is investing heavily in new production capacity to support the switch to Catchpoint labels. Customers are already welcoming the opportunity to improve sustainability. 

The innovative linerless labeling heads have been tested in high speed rotary labelers developed by ILTI, based in Mantova, Italy. They have one of the most experienced engineering teams for pressure sensitive labeling. The area is famous for a highly skilled work force with a creative and responsive supply chain. 

This success has been supported by material and adhesive suppliers in a carefully planned project over 12 months. Catchpoint and its partners recognized the need to focus exclusively on these high speed challenges to prove their technology and know-how claims. As a result, Catchpoint labels can now contribute to cost and environmental savings across a broad spectrum of solutions, with no adverse effect on production efficiencies or shelf appeal. Indeed creative brand managers can exploit the change to meet consumers’ demand for less packaging waste. 

The breakthrough has also proved how close co-operation within a complex supply chain can deliver significant environmental benefits. Existing self-adhesive processes with a liner, which now account for over half of the overall label market, deliver convenience, but currently with over 50 percent material waste. The industry aim has been to reduce this waste. 

The self-adhesive industry has been creative in tackling these challenges and has been introducing liner collection and recycling schemes; but strategically, Catchpoint’s technology will enable capacity, now making liners, to switch to improving the availability of face materials. To meet rapidly growing world label demand a key conclusion is obvious, reduce and eliminate the waste. 

This successful multinational co-operation with Catchpoint has resulted in a high-quality linerless labeling process which is currently achieving over 350 bottles per minute (bpm), and looks set to go much higher. 

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