Mactac and Armor team up for sustainability

‘By focusing on sustainable product development, Mactac and Armor are helping ensure the labeling industry is making strides in reducing the impact on the environment, which is a priority of Mactac and our parent company, Lintec,’ said Sara Damante, senior marketing manager at Mactac Performance Adhesives.

Tim Maher, director of sales for Armor North America, added: ‘Armor adopts a long-term vision of its business, deeming sustainability essential to success. Our eco-design efforts focus on developing products that deliver measurable benefits. Our inkanto AWR 8 ribbon is manufactured with our Solfree coating process, making it the only true solvent-free ribbon in the world. Additionally, our reduced film content ribbons deliver exceptional performance while improving the carbon impact on the environment.’

As partners, both companies have conducted significant research and testing on Mactac products paired with Armor products. They have returned highly positive outcomes in favor of more sustainable industry technologies.

For example, when Mactac’s Optiscan thermal transfer products (Optiscan V, Optiscan K, and Optiscan 2C) with Bloom hi.mpact liner and Armor’s inkanto APR1 wax-resin thermal transfer ribbon are used together, printers, converters, and end-users benefit.

According to Mactac, Optiscan products ensure greater than 20 percent more labels per roll at the same original diameter, increasing converter’s profitability through less raw material usage, more labels and footage per roll, less packaging waste, and reduced freight.

‘The Optiscan series features smooth, smudge-resistant bright white facestocks designed for high-speed thermal transfer printing and converting, and the Optiscan V and K facestocks are 14 percent thinner caliper than other products on the market,’ added Damante. ‘Optiscan is also available with Mactac’s ultra-thin 1.7-mil BLOOM hi.mpact glassine paper liner.’

Similarly, Armor’s inkanto APR1 wax-resin ribbon is said to reduce plastic waste by 12 percent and ensure more prints per roll. This reduction in materials coupled with its high-density black ink makes APR1 one of the most popular wax-resin ribbons on the market. 

‘There is growing market demand for these types of products, which encourages us to continue our efforts to bring more sustainable solutions for the labeling industry,’ commented Maher.