For variable marking of pharmaceutical products Schreiner MediPharm has developed a speciality label that makes it possible to print plastics films with water-based inks using inkjet systems, to offer an eco-conscious, efficient and cost-effective alternative to solvent-based inks, says the company.
In the pharmaceutical industry transparent films are frequently used to mark glass containers. Up to now, water-based inks have not been suitable for printing plastic films with inkjet systems as these inks cannot be absorbed by the material. Schreiner MediPharm has applied a water-absorbing coating to parts of the plastics label. This makes variable marking with inkjet printers and water-based inks possible.
The drying time is ‘less than one second’. And the label can be designed so that the barcode is located underneath a laminate and protected after labelling. This avoids mechanical abrasion and the intrusion of moisture, for instance by disinfectants. For containers with very narrow radii, an additional version has been developed on which the section with the barcode slightly lifts for easy readability.
The plastics speciality label is said to allow fast, cost-effective and high-quality marking. The products can be custom-printed using existing inkjet systems without requiring any process changes, says the company.