6 minute read
Irplast: an Oscar-winning label for cans
tecnologia Bruckner-LISIM a stiro simultaneo). Il film può essere certificato ISCC PLUS, secondo l’approccio del bilancio di massa e ottenuto da fonti rinnovabili (oli vegetali), oppure da riciclo chimico da post consumo. L’applicazione dell’adesivo all’etichetta in fase di produzione permette di eliminare l’uso della stazione di colla a caldo e quindi di ridurre i consumi di energia e di ridurre i fermi per manutenzione e per pulizia. L’assenza di hot-melt facilita inoltre la rimozione dell’etichetta dal contenitore, sia negli impianti di riciclo in fase di separazione dei materiali sia da parte del consumatore. L’adesivo è acrilico a base acqua e pre-applicato mediante una tecnica proprietaria. La tecnologia è «a settori» - l’adesivo è applicato soltanto in alcuni punti, e non «a tavola piena», e questo consente di utilizzare una quantità di adesivo di gran lunga inferiore alle etichette autoadesive tradizionali, con evidenti vantaggi per l’ambiente. Rispetto alle Pressure Sensitive Labels (PSL) Preglued4cans è linerless: l’utilizzatore beneficia così del fatto di non dover gestire scarti di supporto siliconato, contribuendo inoltre alla riduzione del consumo della materia prima necessaria per produrre il liner stesso. Rispetto a una soluzione PSL, la tecnologia è roll-fed, quindi la decorazione del contenitore è a 360°. L’estrusione del film su tecnologia LISIM aumenta la brillantezza del film e di conseguenza anche lo shelf-appeal del prodotto finale. L’utilizzo della tecnologia di stampa rotocalco o flessografica riduce significativamente le limitazioni intrinseche alla tecnologia di stampa diretta su lattine in alluminio, permettendo inoltre di realizzare artwork fino a 10 colori. Tutto questo senza inficiare la produttività perché le etichettatrici possono raggiungere la velocità di produzione fino a 80.000 bph.
ENGLISH Version Irplast: an Oscar-winning label for cans
Advertisement
PREGLUED4CANS LABEL BY IRPLAST WINS THE PACKAGING OSCAR - BEST PACKAGING 2022 - SPECIAL ETHICAL PACKAGING PAPER AWARD. THIS IS THE RECOGNITION FOR THE INVESTMENT PLAN LAUNCHED BY IRPLAST WHICH INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION INTO THE CORPORATE STRATEGY
Irplast has risen to the top step of the podium of the Oscar of Packaging 2022 by winning the Special
Ethical Packaging Paper Award with the roll-fed BOPP label to decorate aluminum cans, tinplate cans and aerosol containers. The historic award - promoted by the Italian Packaging Institute, which has been awarded to the best Italian Packaging since 1957 - was awarded to the company in Milan last 4 May, as part of the Ipack-Ima Fair. The recognition certifies the validity of the path taken to date by Irplast in terms of sustainable innovation with this motivation: “The Preglued4cans label satisfies several values: accessible, transparent, informative, educational and sustainable. The flexibility of application on different materials and shapes is meaningful, allowing the customization of the container without waste. It is also recyclable and easily separable from the container”. “We are very proud of this award”, said Fausto Cosi, CEO of Irplast SpA. From an environmental point of view, the vision of an integrated sustainability along the entire supply chain is one of the group’s priorities as highlighted in the first Sustainability Report, which we have published in 2020. Investments in R&D have made it possible to develop special films (also thanks to our technologies such as the LISIM Line to produce PP films), which allow the reduction of plastic material and make it recyclable and suitable for new applications”.
PREGLUED4CANS: THE WINNING SOLUTION IN DETAIL The impulse to Research & Development has led to the creation of a label to decorate containers based on real demand, which may vary according to the target markets. The label can also be applied to already printed cans, thus eliminating the problem of stock in the warehouse. Furthermore, Preglued4cans represents a valid alternative to paper labels, as the BOPP support (100% recyclable) and sandwich printing make the label much more resistant in presence of unfavorable weather, storage or transport conditions. Preglued4cans can be printed on transparent polypropylene film, cavitated or with high shrinkage (with Bruckner-LISIM technology with simultaneous stretching). The film can be ISCC PLUS certified, according to the mass balance approach and obtained from renewable sources (vegetable oils), or from post-consumer chemical recycling. The application of the adhesive to the label during the production phase eliminates the use of hot glue station and therefore reduces energy consumption and downtime for maintenance and cleaning. The absence of hot-melt also facilitates the removal of the label from the container, both in recycling plants during the separation of materials and by the consumer. The adhesive is water-based acrylic and pre-applied using a proprietary technique. The technology is “in zones”, that is the adhesive is applied only in some points, and not on the whole surface, and this allows the use of a much lower quantity
CHI È IRPLAST
Irplast SpA (irplast.com) è uno dei maggiori produttori di film in polipropilene per la realizzazione e stampa di etichette, di nastri adesivi e di soluzioni multipack per i mercati food, beverage, dairy, personal & home care. Integrata verticalmente - dall’estrusione del film ai processi di stampa - l’azienda ha messo innovazione e sostenibilità al centro delle strategie di crescita. Il piano di investimenti ha previsto: riduzione di peso e spessore dei film, abbattimento delle emissioni di CO2, con lo sviluppo di soluzioni di packaging che utilizzano minori quantità di materia prima vergine e con la sostituzione di materia prima da fonti rinnovabili o da riciclo chimico. Inoltre, grazie al processo di rigranulazione in-house del film BOPP, è stato possibile ottimizzare la produttività. Irplast vanta un’esperienza consolidata in progetti di rilevanza di livello internazionale e si avvale di un team di tecnici specializzati nella progettazione, implementazione e assistenza on-site. Irplast ha chiuso il bilancio 2021 con un fatturato di 110 milioni di euro e prevede di chiudere il 2022 avvicinandosi a 140 milioni di euro.
WHO IS IRPLAST
Irplast SpA (irplast.com) is one of the largest producers of polypropylene films for the production and printing of labels, adhesive tapes and multipack solutions for the food, beverage, dairy, personal & home care markets. Vertically integrated - from film extrusion to printing processes - the company has placed innovation and sustainability at the heart of its growth strategies. The investment plan envisaged: reduction of weight and thickness of the films, reduction of CO2 emissions, with the development of packaging solutions that use lesser quantities of virgin raw material and with the replacement of raw material from renewable sources or from chemical recycling. Furthermore, thanks to the in-house regranulation process of the BOPP film, it was possible to optimize productivity. Irplast boasts a consolidated experience in projects of international importance and employs a team of technicians specialized in the design, implementation and on-site assistance. Irplast closed its 2021 financial statements with a turnover of 110 million euros and expects to close 2022 approaching 140 million euros.
of adhesive than traditional self-adhesive labels, with obvious advantages for the environment. Compared to Pressure Sensitive Labels (PSL) Preglued4cans is linerless: the user thus benefits from the fact of not having to manage siliconized support waste, also contributing to the reduction of the consumption of the raw material necessary to produce the liner itself. Compared to a PSL solution, the technology is roll-fed, so the container decoration is at 360°. The extrusion of the film on LISIM technology increases the brightness of the film and consequently also the shelf-appeal of the final product. The use of gravure or flexographic printing technology significantly reduces the inherent limitations of direct printing technology on aluminum cans, also allowing the creation of artwork up to 10 colors. All this without affecting productivity because the labelling machines can reach production speeds of up to 80,000 bph.
