Behind the Scenes
Although they are rarely in the limelight, adhesives are the glue that holds the pieces together.
July 2007 by Missy Smith
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Adhesives have a thankless job. Unlike specialty inks or innovative packaging, adhesives tend to go unnoticed by consumers. But, they discreetly carry an enormous amount of responsibility to reliably bond a wide range of substrates.
Because adhesives have to work with such a diverse spectrum of materials, many times they are tailored to specific applications. For instance, adhesive trends have been influenced by the use of package decoration materials that originate from sustainable resources, says Philip Emery, director, applied surface technologies, FLEXcon.
“PLA film, which is created from corn rather than petrochemicals, as a packaging-grade plastic, is a notable example,” he says. “Adhesives are now being defined that will allow these materials to flow smoothly into labeling applications. Benefits unique to individual end-use applications derive from the use of lower surface energy materials, but this also represents one of the more difficult substrates on which to achieve an adhesive bond.”
Environmental and cost-saving issues have dictated what type of adhesives to consider. “Gas prices are at an all-time high and there is a shortage of refinery capacity. Solvent-based adhesives waste valuable natural resources and are becoming cost prohibitive,” says Steve Bergerson, technical director, ADMTronics. Instead, water-based, environmentally friendly adhesives are gaining popularity in the industry.
Besides looking out for Mother Nature, adhesives can help your bottom line, if you know which are most cost-effective for your packaging job. “Here you have to look at the per-square-foot cost and not just the price as supplied,” says Bergerson. “Another consideration is process cost. Water-based adhesives can be wet-laminated to porous substrates with no energy usage to dry off the solvent or to hot-laminate the construction.”
But, even if the price is right, the adhesive could be wrong. “Converters should always consider their substrate and what kind of adhesive is needed to work well with that substrate,” says Shirley Monte, business development manager, performance products business team for FLEXcon. “Then they should consider the environment the package is going to live in. Answer these before considering whether it is best to use a water-based acrylic adhesive or solvent-based adhesive.”
Working with film suppliers can help hone in on these answers, says Rick Harris, product manager, product branding business team, FLEXcon. “Printers should rely heavily on the expertise of the pressure-sensitive film supplier. They should share all the requirements for the adhesive performance with their PS film supplier. The PS film supplier will also need to know the film type, printing process, diecutting process, handling and dispensing methods, and environmental requirements,” says Harris. “All of these factors combined will give the PS film supplier a road map for recommending the best choice of adhesive that will perform to the needed requirements without problems.”
Because adhesives have to work with such a diverse spectrum of materials, many times they are tailored to specific applications. For instance, adhesive trends have been influenced by the use of package decoration materials that originate from sustainable resources, says Philip Emery, director, applied surface technologies, FLEXcon.
“PLA film, which is created from corn rather than petrochemicals, as a packaging-grade plastic, is a notable example,” he says. “Adhesives are now being defined that will allow these materials to flow smoothly into labeling applications. Benefits unique to individual end-use applications derive from the use of lower surface energy materials, but this also represents one of the more difficult substrates on which to achieve an adhesive bond.”
Environmental and cost-saving issues have dictated what type of adhesives to consider. “Gas prices are at an all-time high and there is a shortage of refinery capacity. Solvent-based adhesives waste valuable natural resources and are becoming cost prohibitive,” says Steve Bergerson, technical director, ADMTronics. Instead, water-based, environmentally friendly adhesives are gaining popularity in the industry.
Besides looking out for Mother Nature, adhesives can help your bottom line, if you know which are most cost-effective for your packaging job. “Here you have to look at the per-square-foot cost and not just the price as supplied,” says Bergerson. “Another consideration is process cost. Water-based adhesives can be wet-laminated to porous substrates with no energy usage to dry off the solvent or to hot-laminate the construction.”
But, even if the price is right, the adhesive could be wrong. “Converters should always consider their substrate and what kind of adhesive is needed to work well with that substrate,” says Shirley Monte, business development manager, performance products business team for FLEXcon. “Then they should consider the environment the package is going to live in. Answer these before considering whether it is best to use a water-based acrylic adhesive or solvent-based adhesive.”
Working with film suppliers can help hone in on these answers, says Rick Harris, product manager, product branding business team, FLEXcon. “Printers should rely heavily on the expertise of the pressure-sensitive film supplier. They should share all the requirements for the adhesive performance with their PS film supplier. The PS film supplier will also need to know the film type, printing process, diecutting process, handling and dispensing methods, and environmental requirements,” says Harris. “All of these factors combined will give the PS film supplier a road map for recommending the best choice of adhesive that will perform to the needed requirements without problems.”
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