Avery Dennison positions humidity-resistant labeling for East Asia rainy season

Avery Dennison’s AW5301K has offered the East Asian market a specialized solution that prevents label edge lifting caused by humidity during the regional rainy season.

Avery Dennison says that when humidity rises sharply, one of the biggest concerns for printing companies and end users is label wrinkling or edge lifting after labels are applied to corrugated cartons.

“During the East Asian rainy season, rapid changes in humidity can cause corrugated cartons to absorb moisture and deform. Even when relative humidity rises dramatically from 30% to 80%, AW5301K maintains a secure bond, keeping labels firmly attached,” states the company.

“Traditionally, pressure-sensitive labels designed for humid conditions rely on heavier adhesive coatings. However, high adhesive coat weights often create processing issues. AW5301K uses an innovative structural design that delivers high adhesion while maintaining a standard adhesive coat weight.”

Best-practice recommendations

Avery Dennison has also provided Asian companies with practical recommendations to help prevent label lifting caused by the different expansion rates of corrugated cartons and labels when exposed to moisture.

To reduce the impact of the regional rainy season, Avery Dennison suggests that companies improve transportation and storage conditions to prevent cartons and labels from absorbing moisture before application.

“If the labeling environment cannot be improved, store the labels and cartons together under the same environmental conditions in which labeling will take place, allowing them to acclimatize before application and verifying labeling performance.”

If the labeled cartons are expected to experience significant environmental changes after application, Avery Dennison explains that aligning the fiber direction of the label with that of the carton surface can improve resistance to environmental stress and further reduce the likelihood of wrinkling or edge lifting.

Last month, Avery Dennison launched the Pathfinder Edge, a handheld label printer that enables faster operator labeling times.

Specialized labels 

Label manufacturers are increasingly developing specialized products designed to perform under different environmental and application conditions.

Recently, UPM unveiled UPM PharmaSure for pharmaceuticals, UPM Vetro for wine and spirits, and UPM Endurance for oil and industrial chemicals, delivering tailored adhesive performance for each end-use.

Additionally, Securikett released a strong-adhesive security label for digital product passports. The label is made to remain attached to the product throughout its entire lifecycle, even on “difficult” surfaces such as wood and in “demanding” weather conditions.

Last year, DHL commissioned InNo-Liner shipping labels from cab and Herma to replace conventional self-adhesive labels at its site in Nohta, Germany. The InNo-Liner labels were made without liner material or silicone coating.