Historical Presentation on BOPP Liner for Labels

From the 1970’s until now

BOPP Release Liners

Novelprint’s R&D division at our plant in Brazil

Import Restrictions = We had to think outside the box

We will tell you all about it

History - Novelprint

Novelprint was established in 1958 as a cloth label manufacturer. In 1967 Novelprint entered PS label manufacturing

Brazilian Macro Economic Factors

In 1973 the first oil shock hit, creating an import substitution policy:• domestic production incentives• importation prohibitve

Novelprint sought out alternative solutions.

Brazil – 1960’s. Open door economy and importation was permitted.

Novelprint imported raw materials and machinery

From the early 1960´s to the mid 1970´s, Novelprint imported the highest grade label stock and label applicators

Supply Chain 1960´s

Product Quality EquationNovelprint + high quality raw materials and technologies - Import no longer available

= What do you do?

Settle for what was available OR Develop

The Best

Not very good

Available Supply Chain 1970´s

– Dictionary Definition: de·vel·op·ment     Pronunciation Key  (d-vlp-mnt) n. [syn: growth, growing, maturation,

• The act of developing. • A significant event, occurrence, or change.

DEVELOPMENT

Novelprint’s Solution to the Scenario

Determination of the best techniques for applying a new device or process to production of goods or services.

If you can’t import the products, then import the know how.

The “PEOPLE FACTOR”

Novelprint’s Solution to the Scenario

Cycle of Innovation - Who we are today

Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

1st Machine in South America. Top of the line Flexo at the time.

Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

1968

Development did not start with nor was restricted to BOPP

Novelprint began making rotary dies in 1972

Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

Label applicator development began.

Initially the machines were semi automatic.

Gradually more automatic versions were developed, including a dot matrix inprinter which was one of the first in the world.

Step motors were introduced in the 1980’s

BOPP Liner Automated Application

Faustel Coater

Start up of silicone coating production

1975

Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

o 30 years ago we purchased our first hot melt coater.

o 2 years later, we began formulating & producing our own adhesives.

o Over the last 3 decades we have developed innumerous special formulations.

1975

Novelprint was the 2nd company worldwide outside Japan to purchase and install a Ko - Pack press. Nowadays we have

5 in operation.

1976

Rotary Letter Press Revolution

The rotary Letterpress process

required UV Inks which were not

available in Brazil at the time.

1977

Solution: Develop UV Inks “In House”

Continued R&D Developments

In 1976 there was 1 unreliable Brazilian Super Calandered Kraft/Glassine supplier for release liners.

At the time, NP developed a liner from brown Kraft packaging paper with a primer before silicone coating.

These labels did not require automatic application.

The How of BOPP Development

The only available BOPP on the Brazilian market was for the cigarette industry. The only available thickness was 30 microns.

Polyester was not cost effective for mass production. $$$$$$$

Automatic application became more and more of a demand.

That is how we got to BOPP.

The CATCH

The Catch

The synergy of all of these technologies under one roof lead to a continuous cycle of development.

The arguments presented were:

BOPP will not resist to the silicone heat curingIt didn’t

BOPP liner will not permit die cuttingIt didn’t

BOPP will stretch on the pressIt did,

BOPP will be affected by the press drying processIt was

BOPP will not be an adequate liner for applicatorsIt wasn´t

THE BOPP CHALLENGE

When the concept was pitched inside our company, to our clients and to colleagues throughout the world, we became at times less encouraged to go forth with the idea.

It became clear to us at Novelprint, that siliconized BOPP liners were a manufacturing improvement within the label business.

In November of 1979 at the TAPPI conference the subject matter revolved around paper liners. At the Q&A session, I inquired about the absence of discussion of BOPP liners. The question was brushed off and the subject matter diverted.

At the end of the seminar, both Mr. Chris Watson, the event Co-Chairman and a gentleman from MOBIL approached me and told me that they were working on the same development and we had a fascinating conversation at the time.

The Anecdote – 1979

25 years ago: TAPPI Silicone Coating Course, Chicago

How funny: 25 years later and BOPP is still a novelty

The “whys” and “hows”of BOPP release liner development has been the result of an evolutionary process.

The following slides will show you how we went from the cave to where we are today.

Evolutionary Results

Developing products before the market is ready to use them is not always an easy task to overcome commercially.

Hard to believe?

The initial constructions in the 1980’s, utilized various paper face materials with the 30 micron liner.

Evolutionary Results

Later that decade 40 micron BOPP became available on the market.

The thicker BOPP material lead us back into the development process where we began developing BOPP face material.

Over the next few years, Novelprint began to substitute paper for BOPP face material in label production until it became a preferred construction for standardized products.

40 Micron

Evolutionary Results

The 30 micron BOPP available in the early1980’s was just too thin to use as a plastic

face materials due to die cutting

Evolutionary Results

From Paper to BOPP

In the mid 1980´s, customers beganmigrating from Paper/BOPP constructions toBOPP face 40 micron/ BOPP Liner 40 micron.

From White - to Metalized BOPP

Evolutionary Results

Evolutionary Results

Evolutionary Results

25 years of experience has proven to us BOPP´s various advantages

• Quality Benefits

• Lower Cost Benefits

• Environmental Benefits

BOPP BENEFITS

• Quality Benefits– Improved release performance– No paper dust particles on labeling machines– Cleaner products for hygienic or sterile plants– More transparent “No Label look” labels

• Lower Cost Benefits– Less costly per MSI than glassine paper– Higher speed labeling and less web breakage– Thinner face materials may be used– Fewer roll changes due to thinner BOPP liner

• (more labels per roll )

• Environmental Benefits– BOPP silicone release Liner is recyclable

• Buy back price in Brazil US$ .25/lb

BOPP BENEFITS25 years of experience has proven to us BOPP´s

various advantages

THE END

• To end this presentation – we offer the following video demonstrating the conversion and printing process on one of our presses.

• Both liner and face materials are BOPP

• Thank you for your attention.

TLMI FINAT