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By Ron Romanik
Traditional adhesive labels may become a thing of the past when Sherwood Technology’s DataLase™ ink and laser techniques start making the rounds. Sherwood Technology Ltd., the color-change specialist company from the United Kingdom, made quite an impression at Pack Expo 2004 in Chicago. Demonstrations of its instantaneous laser-marking color change solution were a hit with attendees.
The innovative application of this technology allows images such as barcodes, two-dimensional codes, logos, and graphics to be produced by a low power CO2 laser directly onto any surface. The company hopes this process will replace the time-consuming two-step process of printing labels and applying them. The “virtual” label becomes an integral part of the packaging, and unlike conventional labels will not peel or fall off the package.
DataLase™ itself is a non-toxic and environmentally friendly ink, coating, or substrate additive that produces a positive image when marked by a low-power CO2 laser. The ink, coating, or additive undergoes a simple chemical color change and creates an image that is stable and has high contrast. Using a low-powered laser to mark directly on the product is a much cheaper option than any established printing technique, as it removes the cost of the label itself, machine maintenance costs, and machine downtime losses.
Laser-marking transparent products
Sherwood followed up the highly successful 2004 launch of DataLase™ with the innovative DataLase™ Clear. As an additive that can be dissolved into solvent-based coatings, this DataLase™ Clear allows images to be marked directly into transparent materials. By combining chemistry, substrate conversion, and laser energy, DataLase™ Clear provides high-speed coding, marking, and printing.
DataLase™ Clear enables images to be transferred onto— or “into” transparent media without interfering with the translucency of the substrate. The advantages are high contrast images, rapidly applied, using a low power supply, and with higher fidelity. More importantly, because this process does not require the use of inkjet fluid or transfer ribbons, there is very little maintenance involved.
The ability to form images directly between the layers of a clear laminate film or self adhesive label while retaining the integrity of the uppermost layer is a critically important aspect of the technology. Absolute image permanence and resistance to abrasion are guaranteed. Furthermore, the embedding of the laser responsive DataLase™ Clear coating within a laminate construction can bestow a number of overt and covert security features as valuable brand-protection devices.