It’s Evolution, Baby

Innovation and embracing change is the name of the game when it comes to release liners; at least that was the word at the Global Release Liner Industry Conference in Chicago, March 28-30, organized by AWA Conferences and Events.

At the conference, Todd Schweigert, director of marketing for Loparex, explained how films are driving release liner opportunities—growing at 5-6 percent annually. He also discussed which films represent the “right substrates” for liners in labelstock, composite, industrial, tape, graphic arts, medical, and hygiene markets; choosing coatings; and features of silicone adhesives. Derrick MacDonald, director of films product management for Avery Dennison Fasson Roll North America talked about the benefits of PET liners, which he said experienced a 5-year compound annual growth rate of 22 percent in Avery Dennison’s label business.

According to UPM’s John Smedley, sales director, North America, for Specialty Papers, the release liner world is changing. The industry is demanding greater efficiency, higher quality and speeds, automatic label application, and sustainability and forest managment, he said. As a result, cooperation throughout the value chain is crucial in facilitating innovation.

According to Conference Chairperson Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA, while North America and Europe remain the main release liner producers, both regions only saw about 4 percent growth in 2006. On the other hand, Asia and South America are growing at the fastest rate. Asia saw a 9.8 percent increase in 2006, and South America’s market grew by 12 percent. Because of these high growth rates, Reardon said, silicone coating capacity utilization is moving upwards, between 65 percent for in-house coaters and 74 percent for commercial coaters. But, industry threats including liner waste issues, linerless labelstock, incursion into the self-adhesive label market from alternative technologies, and raw material price inflation are still very much a concern, he said.

Reardon concluded, “A real game-changer in the industry has not yet been identified, so, for the time being, changes will continue to be evolutionary. While that is good news in some ways, it is also bad news: evolutionary change can make you lazy,” he said. “We have heard over the last two days how important it is to embrace change positively, in order to stay competitive both in our market segments and geographically. There are still real growth opportunities in liner substrates—both paper and film—and we have heard how there are developments to create different dynamics from the supply side to take costs out on the production side.”

The following companies offer innovative and tried-and-true products for this evolving industry.

Rayven’s Econ-O-Liner
Rayven’s Econ-O-Liner 2.3 MIL lightweight paper release liner is clay-coated and available with a variety of release chemistries that can be tailored for specific applications. This release paper’s diecuttability and lay-flat properties make it suitable for the label, packaging, and industrial markets.—Rayven, www.rayven.com

Fasson Paper PET Liners
The Fasson Roll North America Division of Avery Dennison Corp. has technology to provide hot melt products on PET liners. Fasson PET liners are available in a variety of facestocks/adhesive combinations, including Fasson 60# Semi-Gloss Elite, with an enhanced blue-white shade and smooth print surface, and Fasson C2500, an optimized hot melt adhesive.—Fasson Roll North America, www.fasson.com

Loparex’s ESP
Loparex’s ESP in-line siliconized release paper’s product properties include diecuttability, printability, compatibility with high-temperature conversion processes, good compatibility with hot melt adhesives, high tear and tensile strength due to optimum fibre content, and good formation. No optical brighteners are used, and they are FDA and BfR approved. Other available grades include ESP C, which is calendered, and has a smoother surface and higher density.—Loparex, Inc., www.loparex.com

TRACrite liners
FLEXcon’s TRACrite liner is an ultra-smooth polyester release liner that FLEXcon uses on a number of products in its optiFLEX, PHARMcal, and THINflex lines. It is available in three calipers: TRACrite 100 is 1 mil, TRACrite 120 is 1.2 mil, and TRACrite 150 is 1.5 mil. TRACrite is designed for tight-registration graphics, which leads to reduced waste. The liner’s strength provides a good diecutting base and allows for high-speed dispensing.—FLEXcon, www.flexcon.com

acpo’s polyester release liners
Self-wound overlaminate film manufacturer, acpo ltd., offers two polyester release liners, 848U and 891U. Both clear polyester films are treated with platinum-based silicone release and offer total thicknesses of 1.42 mil and 0.92 mil respectively. These clear polyester films meet a high standard of optical clarity after laminating.—acpo, www.acpo.com