WHY ARE LABEL RELEASE LINERS GETTING THINNER?

As the label release liner market grows, these liners are getting thinner. Find out why that is the case and the impact this trend has on adhesives.

While the release liner plays a “behind-the-scenes” role when it comes to product assembly, it is still an important one. For example, if a label doesn’t seamlessly detach from the release liner during production lines while keeping its properties intact, the result can be costly.

As a result, supply chains largely rely on the release liner to meet its production performance quota.

Responding to a push for sustainability, release liners are now being constructed out of thinner materials for certain popular, growing applications. In particular, these include the rising demand for clear-on-clear labels, which are becoming common in the beverage, health care and food markets.

These new release are synthetic, film-based, which means they are formulated using polypropylene, polyethylene or polyester. Sixty percent thinner than traditional paper options, this change means less materials going into landfills. Additionally, thinner release liners offer the following benefits:

• Reduced transportation and inventory costs (with more labels per roll)
• Increased productivity (with fewer changeovers and elimination of web breaks during printing and dispensing)

As a result, using thinner, synthetic, film-based release liners benefit more than the environment. They also significantly improve a company’s productivity levels, saving them time and money.

However, it’s important to note that traditional paper release liners will continue to be used for certain applications in the variable information and pressure sensitive label categories.

Thinner release liner materials can have an impact on adhesives used in the coating process. For example, going from a paper liner to a synthetic liner may mean having to switch coating technologies, such as going from a solvent-based adhesive to a solventless adhesive. This switch could impact the liner’s performance, release value or even shelf life. As a result, it’s a good idea to work with an innovative adhesive specialist, like Bostik.

For more information on how Bostik can help meet your release liner needs, contact a Bostik expert today.