Your business card as a companion News | 30.01.2023
Perfect label quality: Modern printing technologies put through their paces in harsh real-world conditions
In industrial labelling, colour plays a central role: it serves as an indispensable tool for organisation and control within the material flow. Whether it’s colour-coding for different production batches, warning notices or brand logos – visual identification must be immediately clear on the factory floor. This places extremely high demands on label printing. In industries such as steel processing, the chemical sector or the automotive industry, the printed colours must withstand extreme stresses. What is required is long-lasting UV resistance during outdoor storage, as well as uncompromising resistance to aggressive substances such as anti-rust oils, pickling agents or cleaning chemicals.
Whilst solvent-based inks were previously the technological foundation for these demanding tasks, S+P Samson has expanded its range with a view to the future. Since 2022, we have been increasingly relying on innovative processes: modern UV flexographic printing and inkjet digital printing.
Practical insights: technology put through its paces
The switch to these new printing technologies was a deliberate move to further enhance the quality and functionality of our labelling solutions. Following an intensive familiarisation phase and numerous demanding stress tests in our in-house laboratory, we have gained two key insights. Firstly: the modern systems produce an exceptionally sharp, high-contrast print image that drastically improves the legibility of barcodes and DataMatrix codes. Secondly, however, the tests have also shown that complex technical requirements encountered in practice cannot always be reproduced digitally on a one-to-one basis.
The transition from traditional solvent-based inks to UV-curing systems requires precise adjustments to the surface structures of our speciality films. Here, there is still some technical work to be done at a detailed level, which we are continuously addressing in the interests of our customers. The gradual conversion of complex print templates to the new technologies is already in full swing.
Your business card as an accompaniment to your product
Why do we go to such great technical lengths? Because the first thing your customer sees upon receipt of the goods is the labelling on the material. A smudged or faded label not only hinders automated logistics (traceability), but also leaves an unprofessional impression. With UV flexographic printing and precise inkjet technology, we combine maximum functionality with a noticeably higher quality in both appearance and feel.
With over 45 years’ experience in industrial labelling, we know that robust, clean labelling is your company’s true calling card for customers. It reliably accompanies your product throughout the entire supply chain and immediately signals the highest level of process expertise – from the first scan right through to final processing.
That might also interest you
Interesting updates from S+P Samson: product innovations, expert comments, personnel news, and trade show dates.
