A ‘new generation’ topliner that combines a high brightness paper with containerboard can help improve visual impact in point of sale and display, consumer packaging and shelf ready packaging applications, claims the manufacturer, Sappi Fine Paper Europe.
Called Fusion, the premium quality, 100% virgin fibre based white liner is targeting foods, drinks, cosmetics and perfumes, consumer electronics, home wares and toys.
The brand name was chosen to underline that the speciality paper can offer ‘outstanding appearance’ in retail environments with best possible convertibility, explains Sappi.
Fusion is said to guarantee a ‘spotless’ paper tailor-made for lamination to corrugated board and a smooth surface able to support ‘all’ finishing techniques. It is suitable for flexo and offset printing and litho-lamination, direct printed litho and flexo-preprint, adds Sappi.
Display and POS producer Holbox, based in The Netherlands, has become one of the first companies in Europe to use Fusion. By the end of April the company expects the switchover to Fusion to be ‘close to 100%’ when old contracts have expired, Martijn Hol, Director of Holbox, told Packaging Today at Sappi’s recent launch event in Brussels.
The company’s output of board is some 3 million sqm2/yr and between 40-50 orders/day. Its customers include Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Henkel, Grolsch, Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline.
“The brilliance of the paper is particularly noticeable with displays that feature a lot of white and bright colours. The brightness ‘splashes’ from the display," says Mr Hol. “It adds the extra visual punch that can really make a difference to a product’s shelf appeal.”
Thanks to Fusion’s better production efficiency and material savings, prices have not been raised for customers that switch from 230gsm GD2 Liner, or white lined chip (WLC), to 180gsm Fusion, confirms Mr Hol.
In addition to improved visual impact and no ‘cracking’, a lower grammage can result in reduced user costs, says Sappi.
