FASSON LEAN FILM PROVES ITSELF IN FIELD TRIALS

Leiden, The Netherlands - Even before its launch at Labelexpo Europe 2007, new Fasson Lean Film from Avery Dennison had already won enthusiastic supporters – at Nova Milanese near Milan in Italy, for example, where label converter Maer and major international brand owner Bolton Manitoba were both highly satisfied with field trials using the new self-adhesive labelstock.

Recognising the label and packaging market’s current issues and needs, Avery Dennison decided to invest in the development of an innovative self-adhesive film labelstock. Prime design goals were to deliver cost-efficiency at all levels of the label supply chain, and the desire to contribute in terms of environmental responsibility to the supply, conversion, and application of self-adhesive labels. Using proprietary Avery Dennison technology, the company created a new product range – Fasson Lean Film based on a thin film facestock – a co-extrusion of a machine-direction-oriented polyolefin blend. This special facefilm, at a caliper of just 53 micron, gives a significant improvement in the number of printed labels per converted reel of labelstock. Fasson Lean Film can therefore save time and cost – in terms of reel changes or splices – for both end user and label converter.

Extensive field trials

As in any product development project, field trials were carried out at various stages to check a variety of aspects, including how the new material performed under real-life conditions and whether it satisfied the specified quality requirements.

Two Italian companies agreed to participate in these trials: label converter Maer Italia and its customer Bolton Manitoba, both based in Nova Milanese near Milan, who collaborate closely as strategic partners in packaging development.

Partners in innovation

Maer Italia SRL, founded in 1959, is a long-established and respected converting company, with nearly 50 years’ experience in labels, and a belief in continuous investment in procedures, equipment, and consumables to meet customers’ changing needs. Maer offer rotary letterpress, offset, screen process, flexo, and hot stamping, either singly or as an in-line combination of processes, and most recently invested in a high-capacity nine-colour press. With a staff of about 40 professionally trained and dedicated employees, Maer can think big while still offering the flexibility of a small enterprise.

Bolton Manitoba SpA is the international Bolton's Group's European research and development centre for home care products and detergents. Its main brands – market leaders in many European countries – are Omino Bianco, WC Net, Smac, and Merito. The company's Nova Milanese site is its main production centre for the whole of Europe, running the full production process – mixing the product, blow-moulding thecontainers, filling, and labelling – and spanning the whole supply chain. The facility produces about 80 million containers (1 litre to 5 litres) and dispenses about 250 million labels per year.

Reduced downtime and waste

Following their converting and label application trial with Fasson Lean Film, Mario Giulianini, Key Account Sales Representative at Maer, and Bolton Manitoba, were unanimous in their opinion: ‘It was a very good experience and we are highly satisfied with the characteristics of Fasson Lean Film.’

For both converting and dispensing, their verdict was: ‘Thanks to the longer reels, Fasson Lean Film helped us to save time and increase productivity. Every reel splice means 5 to 10 minutes' downtime, which may not seem much, but it adds up over time. And every splice is a potential risk. If it is not properly made, you can experience a time-costly web break. What's more, splices result in more scrap, and fewer reel changes can prevent that.’

Maer had already conducted trials using prototype material. As production scaled up, they then ran trials with around 1000 linear metres of Fasson Lean Film – a statistically relevant amount. For Bolton Manitoba’s Smac labels, they used non-topcoated white Fasson Lean Film, which they printed reel-fed offset in five colours and over-varnished.

With a height of 17.5 cm and an asymmetric shape, the labels actually exceeded Avery Dennison's recommended label size range – but Maer did not hesitate to print and convert them because, already familiar with Fasson Lean Film, they trusted the material to deliver the desired results.

Nor did Bolton Manitoba hesitate to start their dispensing trials, which might have turned out to be expensive if they had not been a success. Says a spokesman for Bolton Manitoba: ‘We take a holistic approach to packaging development, involving all the suppliers, taking every step into consideration, and selecting appropriate technologies and materials. There is a lot of cost pressure – through rising raw material prices, for example. Today, you need to look for new ideas all the way through the supply chain, really. So we were delighted to take part in the Fasson Lean Film trials.’

Outstanding results

‘Fasson Lean Film performed outstandingly well in comparison to generic PE film, particularly in relation to its perfect on-press registration,’ says Maer's Mario Giulianini. ‘As well as printability, tight, accurate register is critical because there are a lot of full-colour, detailed graphics and text on the Smac labels, plus the mandatory instructions for use on the back label.’ An added benefit Maer experienced during the conversion of Fasson Lean Film impressed Giulianini: ‘The stability of the material allowed us to increase our converting speed to 70 metres/minute in comparison to the 50 metres/minute we can achieve using generic PE film.’

Label dispensing benefits

For home care products, good visual appearance is essential. Bolton Manitoba explains: ‘Our consumers are not as loyal to a specific brand as they are for personal care products: the buying decision is 50% influenced by the shelf appeal of our products. Therefore our strategy is to operate at the upper end of label specification.’

Bolton Manitoba's spokesman summed up the company's experience with the dispensing trial, saying: ‘When we switched from running generic PE film to Fasson Lean Film, we made no major adjustments to the label dispensing line – and we got a result that ranked among the best. Even though it was just a test run, there were no issues.

The asymmetric labels did not lose any conformability, even even on the slightly-curved and not completely smooth containers. Additionally, in our post-application tests on ageing and conditioning, the material performed normally. Based on these trials, we see a lot of potential for the Fasson Lean Film range.'

For full details and samples of the Fasson Lean Film range, which is now commercially available across the whole of Europe, contact Avery Dennison Roll Materials Europe, or visit the website, www.leanfilm.fasson.com.

Reader enquiries

Avery Dennison
Lammenschansweg 140
2300 AA LEIDEN
Netherlands
+31 (0)71 579 4113
erwin.zijlstra@​eu.averydennison.com
www.europe.fasson.com

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Notes for editors

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison is a global leader in pressure-sensitive labeling materials, retail tag, ticketing and branding systems, and office products. Based in Pasadena, Calif., Avery Dennison is a FORTUNE 500 Company with 2006 sales of $5.6 billion. Following the acquisition of Paxar in 2007, Avery Dennison employs more than 30,000 individuals in 51 countries worldwide, who develop, manufacture and market a wide range of products for both consumer and industrial markets. Products offered by Avery Dennison include: Fasson brand self-adhesive materials; Avery Dennison and Paxar brand products for the retail and apparel industries; Avery brand office products and graphics imaging media; specialty tapes, peel-and-stick postage stamps, and labels for a wide variety of automotive, industrial and durable goods applications.

© 2007 Avery Dennison Corporation. All rights reserved. Avery and all other Avery brands, product names and codes are trademarks of the Avery Dennison Corporation.