New British Laser Sensing Paint Adds Value to Virtual Labels

Sherwood of the United Kingdom developed a laser-induced coating for the production of cartons. The “virtual label” of cartons and outer packaging eliminates the printing and application of variable data labels in the distribution chain. According to Sherwood, the new coatings have achieved great success in product differentiation and have also significantly reduced costs, which has brought great value to packaging material suppliers and printers.

DataLase is a nontoxic, eco-friendly ink, coating or additive that produces a positive image when clicked with a CO2 laser (in black and white and color reproduction, the tone and shade of gray are consistent with the image of the object being reproduced). This ink, paint, or additive can undergo a simple color change, resulting in a stable, high-definition image. Typically, lasers are installed on packaging lines or filling lines for a variety of information fields, such as dates and bar codes.

Sherwood claims that the low cost and high quality of DataLase will be easily noticed by merchants, applying this technology to basic materials or printing processes. DataLase is incorporated into the matrix or applied to the surface during production. Printers can use DataLose for local printing and can also be used for integral coating. DataLase can be introduced in most printing and coating processes. Unlike traditional labels, the laser-induced coating surface becomes part of the packaging material and does not fall off automatically.

Low-intensity CO2 lasers quickly engrave barcodes, logos and images onto pre-treated coating surfaces. Sherwood said: Since the company launched the DataLase labeling system, professionals in the food and beverage packaging industry have quickly discovered the great benefits of this new product. The traditional labeling technology is the use of heat transfer machines and Inkjet printers print out variable data labels, which are expensive.