Cover Story
A gritty sand experience at your fingertips
Haptic textures can unlock a world of branding opportunities – but only if they can be effectively delivered by formulators, printers, and converters. Jacqueline Revet, Jovana Grubic and Adri van der Waals of DSM Coating Resins discuss how value chain collaboration has been key to the success of its textural coating resins for print and packaging, including its new sandy-feel resin
W
ith high levels of visual saturation in packaging design, many of today’s brand owners are demanding new ways to differentiate their products and provide a complete sensory experience. In particular, ‘touch’ is increasingly seen as a potential catalyst for brand personality and an influence on consumer behavior. Indeed, not only do 56% of shoppers that pick up products, purchase a product in that category but, appealing to more than three senses can increase brand impact by more than 70%. So, can packaging and converting technology help deliver an authentic brand experience through textural coatings?
RECOGNITION WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE
Over the past few years, the materials manufacturer DSM Coating Resins has addressed this question and developed a range of haptic options for packaging materials by creating specialty polymer resins, including ones that add texture. “Engaging multiple senses enhances brand differentiation and recognition, with touch being particularly powerful,” says DSM Coating Resins global marketing manager packaging, Jacqueline Revet.
“Our flagship haptic resin innovation for packaging is the Skins series of polymer resins that deliver different feels to a range of substrates. A specialised ‘feel panel’ and haptics team steer the development process to match established feels.” Currently, there are four different Skins textures available: silk, rubber, velvet and sand. Each of these Skins resins has been presented as a character with
its own look and personality: Silky, Rubbert, Vel-Veeto and Sandy. Over the past years, all of these resins have demonstrated their easy processability and potential to deliver an authentic haptic experience. Take, for example, the unique haptic innovation Skins Sandy (NeoPac F-3000), a resin that delivers a gritty feel ranging from fine to coarse. Unlike other sandy-feel finishes on the market, Sandy requires no additives or fillers, so converters can apply it quickly and easily. It’s also water-based, suitable for food contact and, since it facilitates mono-material packaging by replacing a sandy-feel substrate with a coating, can enable easier recycling. As such, Skins Sandy is both driving the transition away from solvent-based materials and contributing toward a circular economy.
WORKING TOGETHER, OPTIMISING TOGETHER
In developing the Skins solutions, DSM Coating Resins has been keenly aware that the resins must not only work well for brand owners, but also for printers, formulators, and converters. By working closely with a range of partners throughout the value chain, the Skins range is well adapted for industrial use and can be applied using flexo printing. “Most haptic coatings currently available on the market are achieved with complex, costly systems and print techniques,” says DSM Coating Resins business development manager, Jovana Grubic. “The ability to use flexo instead meets the fast-growing demand for quicker, more economical printing.” DSM Coating Resins product launch director, Adri van der Waals adds: “For printing, especially flexo, Skins Sandy’s
large particle size could have presented a challenge. By collaborating with our partners, including a formulation developer and printing machine manufacturer, we have been able to optimise Sandy and ensure that the solution can be rolled out without any problems.”
SANDY EFFECTS FOR MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS
Indeed, Sandy is now being used to provide new haptic sensations in applications from labels to luxury packaging. As a water-based binder, it makes up 70-80% of the final overprint varnish formulation and can be used as a one-component system. Its strong chemical and mechanical resistance remove the need for additives, but it can also be further enhanced with waxes or crosslinkers for a particularly durable varnish. Thanks to its strong adhesion to multiple substrates, including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and various paper and board types, Sandy can be used in a broad range of primary and secondary packaging applications. These include luxury packaging, book covers, labels, and – thanks to its broad food contact compliance – food packaging. As well as its sandy texture, it delivers a transparent, semi-gloss appearance and can enhance the color of any type of print design in the background.
FEELING OUT THE PATH AHEAD Moving forward, DSM Coating Resins will continue to work closely with partners throughout the value chain to both optimise their current Skins offering and deliver new texture solutions. Indeed, DSM Coating Resins is happy to think along with potential customers and explore the options of using textural coatings to deliver specific brand experiences. More than ever, then, the future of brand recognition is within touching distance!
u
dsmskins.com
8
February 2021
convertermag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
