PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2020

PACKAGING / PALLETISING PETplanet Insider Vol. 21 No. 05/20 www.petpla.net 25 Holland Colours solutions for PET and rPET Food-safe and secure additive-free laser marking Food brands and PET bottle converters face a dilemma when it comes to preventing counterfeiting and ensuring product safety. Either use inkjet printing to mark bottles with production, use-by and other important information, or engrave this information onto the bottle with a laser. The fi rst of these is open to counterfeiting and migration into food; the second requires the use of expensive additives that also reduce the bottle’s recyclability. PACKAGING Overcoming two key problems without using additives Holland Colours introduced MarkIT, an all-new library of colour pigments that support laser marking without the need for additives. The technology is suitable for both PET and rPET, and can also be used on PVC products for the building and construction industry. “The problem with inkjet printing,” notes Raymond Jongman, Sales Manager EMEA of Holland Colours, “is that counterfeit- ers can easily remove it. And the problem with laser marking is that it causes ablation and melting, espe- cially for pressurised applications like carbonated soft drink packaging. This can be problematic as damage to the bottle wall, may cause potential weak points. MarkIT overcomes both challenges.” Ablation is what happens when the heat generated by the laser removes the top layer of the mate- rial it is marking. Melting refers to the slightly burned look that laser marking can create when the plastic absorbs the laser light. Neither is desirable, especially if target market is brand- conscious consumers. Until now, the only way around this problem has been for converters to add special laser marking additives to the PET compound or resin. However, there are two problems with this: fi rst, the additives are costly and second, their use may contaminate the recy- cling stream. A melt-free, burn-free solution without additives Holland Colours’ MarkIT is a range of encapsulated colour pig- ments that support melt-free and burn-free laser marking without the need to use laser marking addi- tives. The collection comprises selected pigments from the com- pany’s Holcopearl range. In trials, these have been shown to react in a predictable and positive way to the wavelength of the laser. It helps to realise safely, securely, and cost- effectively imprint brand, produc- tion date, batch number, use-by and other information onto PET bottles. In combination with the Videojet 7000 Fiber Laser series, this is a proven concept. Jan Schrauwen, Sales Manager at Holland Colours, explains: “Videojet, a global leader in the development and manufacture of high-quality product identification equipment for coding and mark- ing was looking for a better laser marking solution for a baby-food producer. During this search, we discovered that one of our formula- tions supported fully additive-free laser marking. From there, we used our knowledge to predict which pig- ments would support additive-free laser marking. Then we created a corresponding range of pigments and custom colour solutions. These pigments react at certain wave- lengths, don’t damage the top layer, and don’t migrate. We can offer them in a range of custom-made col- ours, including black, white, green, red, and clear.” The MarkIT pigment range can be incorporated into the production process in the same way as the company’s Holcopearl technology and supports laser mark- ing both inline, after blow filing, and offline. www.hollandcolours.com www.videojet.com