This year’s Labelexpo, taking place from September 25th to 28th in Brussels, is celebrating competitiveness with its motto: “Gain an unfair advantage”. This – admittedly provocative – guiding theme of the world’s most important labeling fair stresses the importance of innovation, leading edge production processes and superior materials for succeeding in today’s competitive labeling market. For Henkel, providing its customers with solutions that help them excel in their markets is at the heart of its development activities.

　　Solutions to Meet Safety Standards

　　Outstanding pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) technologies for the label, tape, graphic and medical industry are part of this portfolio. According to Henkel, this particularly means providing high-impact adhesive solutions that at the same time meet highest safety standards for both food or non-food applications.

　　APEO-free Label Adhesives

Consumer as well as industry awareness with regard to product ingredients and safety is rising. At the same time, regulation is becoming increasingly strict. The EU is banning products containing Alkylphenolethoxylate (APEO) from 2021 on, for example. Since those were part of the formulation for many common label adhesives in the industry, producers are looking for suitable replacements.

　　Within its Aquence range, Henkel now has APEO-free adhesives on offer that, at the same time, meet the customers’ highest performance requirements. These water-based adhesives have an outstanding water whitening performance for clear on clear labels, with thorough, seven day testing show a whitening four times lower than that of the next best competitor product.

　　For optimal application, these adhesives have an excellent balance of peel and shear for clear on clear labels on both glass and LSE substrates. They can be used for multi-coating solutions like curtain coatable or reverse gravure. And they are suitable for high-speed die cutting, waste stripping and in line label application. As a complement to its new water-based products for food applications, Henkel will also introduce a new removable grade, which will enrich its comprehensive range for removable adhesives that Henkel can offer today in all technologies.

　　Mineral Oil Free Adhesive Formulation

　　For the packaging and labeling industry, mineral oil components continue to be a major topic, especially with regard to food safe applications. This is particularly true for hotmelt PSA.

Greg Douglas, Business Development Manager for Labels at Henkel explains the challenge:

　　“Mineral oil components play a significant role in the formulation of most common pressure sensitive hot melt adhesives, usually making up around 15 to 20 percent. Replacing those components while maintaining the adhesives’ high performance characteristics requires intensive research and development.”

　　New General Purpose PSAs

　　In order to provide its customers with PSA that do not contain mineral oil components in their formulation, Henkel is presenting several new general purpose PSA at Labelexpo.

　　Technomelt PS 3212 is a pressure sensitive adhesive created for permanent labels with a very good performance on cardboard and well-balanced adhesion and converting properties. It shares its excellent cutting properties – and of course food compliance – with Technomelt PS 3007, which is also suitable for Thermo-linerless label applications.

　　Henkel will also be highlighting another food safe Technomelt adhesive that can be used for chilled, semi-freeze & deep freeze applications: Technomelt 4585 is a real PSA specialty which can be applied at very low temperature with a high initial tack.

　　Release Liner Obsolete

　　Being part of this Labelexpo’s “Linerless Trail”, Henkel will also present another innovation field: Its range of adhesive solutions applicable for linerless PSA labels. Making the release liner obsolete, those adhesives reduce production process waste, lower weight and time for reel changes – and they make double-sided printing possible.

　　PSA Academy: Becoming a Technical Specialist

　　Besides these innovations, Henkel is also introducing the training courses offers at its newly established PSA Academy. The leading adhesives manufacturer is committed to share its industry expertise about PSA technologies with those interested in working and excelling in the field of pressure sensitive adhesives coatings. The partnership with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) assures the top quality instruction of the basic and advanced vocational training courses provided by the PSA Academy.

　　The next course will be held in German in two blocks on February 26th to March 2nd and April 16th to 18th 2018.