Acucote Inc.

GRAHAM, N.C.—Acucote Incorporated celebrates its 20th anniversary this year as a privately-owned and operated supplier of self-adhesive labeling solutions. Based in North Carolina, Acucote has grown to provide a comprehensive range of specialty materials domestically and internationally through a wide reaching sales and distribution network. Acucote is a NASPO Certified company and a founding member of the Brand Protection Alliance, a thirteen member organization focused on delivering authentication technologies to genuine brand owners.

In-mold labeling (IML) is a product decoration method that has grown in popularity over the past 10 to 20 years. Why? Because it can provide lots of apple-pie type of stuff—improved quality and shelf appeal, reduced waste, reduced cost, and better durability. Who can argue with that? The IML process gets its name from how the label is applied to the plastic packaging container. The label is placed “in the mold” as the container itself is being formed. Plastic containers are produced using several different forming methods, including thermoforming, injection molding, and blow molding. To a large degree, the forming method used is

Diversified Converter Materials, Inc. (DCM), Cincinnati, Ohio, and Acucote Incorporated, Graham, N.C., announced a multi-year extension to their joint sales and marketing agreement for DCM’s proprietary line of MagikStik and sheet-fed media products. Under the terms of the agreement, Acucote will market and sell the DCM product line through its existing national sales network and serve as the licensee coater to DCM. MagikStik is a light tack removable adhesive system that features the properties of repositionability, reusability, and controlled tack over time. This product is available in white (topcoated and non-topcoated) as well as matte and gloss clear (non-topcoated) vinyls on a variety of

By definition, “standards” is “fulfilling specific requirements as established by an authority, law, rule, custom, etc.; a guiding principle.” However, I can state without equivocation that sometimes the pursuit of standards can literally go to the dogs. When discussing this matter with TAGSYS’ Chief Technology Officer, Alastair McArthur, he instantly recalled his experience with his children’s pet bulldog, Oscar. It seems Oscar has had an encounter of the closest kind with RFID. As an unsuspecting pup, the French bulldog was injected with an RFID tag. The use of RFID for the identification of companion animals, referred to as micro-chipping, is a very mature

With competition from alternate decorating methods on the rise, paper holds its own in the label market. THERE'S GOT TO be more certainties out there than death and taxes, life is just too short. In the context of package printing, one thing for certain is that converters are continually being asked to print and deliver labels with quicker and quicker turnarounds. Knowing this as a constant in the formula of faster = better, printers are in a never-ending search for materials, equipment, and processes that will enhance their capabilities. For materials, statistics show that it's not always what's new that is better, as

With energy costs soaring, CPCs may be looking for additional ways to attract consumers' diminished spending power. AS IF BUSINESS wasn't tough enough already, the drastic rise in oil prices over the last several months will test the fabric of people and companies throughout every stage of the supply chain. The pain will be felt everywhere, starting at the end of the supply chain—the consumer—who supports the flow of money throughout the long, complicated supply-chain trail. The typical consumer is going to have noticeably less hard cash left in his or her pocket after putting gas in the car and staying warm

Are synthetic label materials really the best choice for converters to use for their products? Some manufacturers seem to think so. YOU CAN'T JUDGE a book by its cover, and in some instances that old adage is true. Consumers are bombarded with products on the grocery store shelves everyday and typically, they have to make up their minds within just a few seconds. So to get them to even look under the cover, the label has to convey the quality of the packaged product—and synthetic labels can do just that, if used properly. Key factors when choosing synthetic There are many pros and

At first glance, pressure-sensitive labeling can appear cost-prohibitive, but many suppliers say to get a true picture, users should look at total applied costs. ACCORDING TO THE 2004 North American Label Survey (NALS) completed for TLMI, pressure-sensitive (PS) labels still remain the top choice for consumer products companies (CPCs), with nearly 53 percent using PS labeling technology for the markets they serve. With such a high consumption rate for the PS labels, it would seem that users would not need any sales pressure to purchase the labels. Not true. The whole story Converters need to step back and take a look at the

Acucote Pressure-sensitive labelstocks with environmentally safe, water-based, permanent, removable, and specialty adhesive formulations. Write 977, Visit www.acucote.com API Foils Hot stamping foils and supplies: metallic, pigment, pearl, specialty, and holographic foils. Write 978, Visit www.api-worldwide.com Avery Dennison, Fasson Roll N.A. Innovative Fasson-brand pressure-sensitive and non-adhesive paper, film, and specialty roll products used by label converters and consumer products packaging designers and manufacturers. Productivity, profitability, and growth achieved with innovative Fasson Advantage™ offering best-in-class service solutions such as next-day delivery, Fasson EXACT™ and RollXchange, an online marketplace for trading surplus roll products. Write 979, Visit www.fasson.com Arjobex Polyart™

The pressure-sensitive label market continues to stretch itself in pursuit of increased market opportunities. Could it do more to extend its reach? On top of the lingering challenges of overcapacity and maturity in the narrow-web industry, the pressure-sensitive label market is having to weather a persistent price squeeze and steady inroads by alternative label and package structures. How are pressure-sensitive converters and suppliers staying strong in the face of these market forces? Statistics have long favored this label segment, and for good reason. "Pressure-sensitive has the widest application base of any label decorating method," says Jennifer Dochstader, managing director at Label and Packaging Communications