Download Sustainable UV coating with glamour factor delivers convincing

Technical Article
2011/01/05
MiraFoil from Henkel in use at topac GmbH
Sustainable UV coating with glamour factor delivers
convincing results in practice
Sustainability and glamour – can the two be combined? Very well in fact, as
MiraFoil from Henkel shows. At topac GmbH, a company specializing in print
products and carton packagings, the environmentally sustainable metalliceffect UV coating delivered convincing results in extensive practical trials.
“We see ourselves not just as suppliers but as consultants and a source of ideas for
existing and prospective customers,” asserts Susanne Klose, Sales and Marketing
Manager at topac GmbH in Gütersloh, Germany. The company, which specializes in
print products and carton packagings, belongs to arvato AG, the services division of
Bertelsmann AG. “We keep a close eye on the market with a view to identifying
promising innovations that can help our customers to gain an edge over their
competitors.” One such product that topac identified is MiraFoil, the UV metallic-effect
coating from Henkel.
Susanne Klose: “MiraFoil seemed especially interesting to us because it opens up a
completely new approach to finishing. For one thing, the visual impact of a package
is the decisive factor at the POS, and MiraFoil already showed its strengths in this
respect because of the variety of gloss effects it can produce. The other aspect is
that Henkel also turns the spotlight on sustainability with this product. And it is
precisely this issue that increasingly tips the scales for or against a particular
finishing method. We are already taking this into account through our Top Green Line
product group, with which we introduced climate-neutral packagings using FSCcertified materials. There is a very definite focus on sustainable packagings in the
cosmetics industry, especially for nature-based cosmetics, but we are also seeing
this more and more often in the entertainment sector as well. Here, economics is an
Page 1/4
equally important factor, and this is where the metallic-effect coating scores once
again.”
Since MiraFoil is a completely new kind of UV coating, the topac management
decided at the end of 2010 to run extensive line trials in collaboration with Henkel.
The two companies are longstanding partners. Ever since topac was founded 27
years ago, this packaging specialist has relied on Henkel’s expertise in adhesives
and coatings to achieve a common goal: end products that meet the highest
expectations in terms of both visual impact and functionality. In folding-carton
production, for example, one of the essentials is to achieve a perfect match between
the UV coating and the adhesive. As Susanne Klose says: “This allows us to produce
packages without having to mask off areas for the finish because the coating and the
adhesive are compatible.”
For the MiraFoil trials run in close interaction with Henkel experts, topac therefore set
the bar as high as possible. “The purpose of our feasibility study was to explore all
the possibilities of this effect coating – to push it to its limits, you might say.”
Accordingly, the prepress department at topac was called in to try out different
scenarios with anilox or screen roller combinations. For example, more than 20
machine passes were run each time to compare the results on a variety of
substrates.
Even during application, MiraFoil already demonstrates its strengths in terms of
sustainability and resource conservation. In flatbed or rotary screen and flexo printing
processes with appropriate machine configurations, the coating can be applied inline
just like standard UV coatings. This eliminates the effort required for hot or cold foil
stamping – the extra work step, transporting of materials, and the time involved.
Another plus is MiraFoil’s stability. Since the effect coating neither foams nor
thickens, it can be left in the machine circuits for several days. It is also possible to
pump the remaining coating out of the coater for later use, which means there are no
material rejects.
The glamour factor that MiraFoil brings with its silver, gold and copper varieties is due
to micro-thin aluminum platelets in different sizes. During curing under UV radiation,
these platelets align themselves into a highly reflective structure similar to that of fish
scales. This effect remains even when the coating is overprinted with ink. It gives
designers the freedom to create an impressive metallic brilliance with any desired
color.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Corporate Communications
Page 2/4
“MiraFoil convinced us both technically and visually. We rated the results of our trials
as excellent,” reports Susanne Klose. “At the same time, we were able to determine
the parameters for optimal printing results, for example regarding the quality of the
substrates and the settings for the rollers. In terms of design, we see two major
advantages over hot foil stamping – overprintability and the possibility to use small
fonts with both positive and negative images.” To demonstrate this, topac designed
and produced a series of folding cartons for a fictitious brand of nature-based
cosmetics it called ‘Juventas’. MiraFoil, used here in its gold and copper varieties,
showed all its versatile performance features and its top-class visual appeal. The
latter was in some cases actually noticed more by consumers at the POS than
packagings that had been hot foil stamped with a higher degree of gloss, according
to the results of a shopper survey.
Equally important in topac’s eyes are the advantages of the effect coating versus
conventional technologies in terms of sustainability and the associated costefficiency. Since MiraFoil can be applied with utmost precision and in a very thin
layer, material usage is restricted to the actually required volume. There is no excess
material to dispose of, such as die-cutting scrap with foil stamping technologies, and
any coating that is not used can be saved for another job. These are just two of the
factors with which MiraFoil demonstrates its superiority over the hot stamping
technique and especially over metalized board with vapor-deposited aluminum. Add
to that the savings on resources due to the single-step inline production process and
the possibility to separate out the coating during de-inking.
The life cycle analyses that Henkel is conducting in collaboration with respected
external partners cover many more aspects than that. In order to determine the
ecological footprint, all impacts in terms of global warming and aquatic eco-systems
are being investigated – from manufacture through processing and use to disposal or
recycling. Henkel will be publishing detailed results of these analyses soon. The
internal interim results show that, with MiraFoil, the company is well on the way to
establishing itself as a supplier of combined system solutions for sustainable printing
and bonding.
Photo material is available at http://www.henkel.com/press
Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry &
Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally
leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such
as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 48,000 people and reported sales of
15,092 million euros and adjusted operating profit of 1,862 million euros in fiscal 2010. Henkel’s
preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX and the company ranks among the Fortune
Global 500.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Corporate Communications
Page 3/4
Contact
Phone
E-mail
Evelyn Necker
+49 211 797-56 72
[email protected]
Holger Elfes
+49 211 797-99 33
[email protected]
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
The following material is available:
Optimal printing results with MiraFoil satisfy critical examination by Susanne Klose, Sales and
Marketing Manager of topac GmbH, and Ralf Sippel of Henkel.
MiraFoil offers enormous scope for creative designs, such as the gradients and small fonts being
checked here by Dirk Rasche at topac GmbH.
In the ‘Juventas’ series of folding cartons, MiraFoil – used here in its gold and copper varieties –
shows all its versatile performance features and top-class visual appeal.
Myriad colors can be achieved here by overprinting the metallic-effect gloss coating. The MiraFoil
Color Selection Guide inspires designers with more than one thousand color examples.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Corporate Communications
Page 4/4