Partner Focus Laser sharp focus on innovation
Laura Evans, marketing manager at DataLase talks about how the company is focused on flexible, high quality, yet efficient printing processes.
Q. What makes DataLase’s offering unique and what is it an alternative technology to? Our coding and marking technology fundamentally changes the way businesses can approach printing key variable information on products and packaging. By using a laser and one of a range of different coatings, variable data can be printed, such as batch numbers, dates or barcodes and/or QR codes. This inkless printing process is called photonic printing. This technology is an alternative to traditional printing technologies such as print and apply labels, high resolution inkjet and ablation. It gives scope for each individual product or packaging to be printed according to language, regulatory, nutritional, brand or geographical needs, minimising production, shipment and storage, therefore lowering the associated carbon footprint.
SKU rationalisation brings multiple benefits to a supply chain in its own right, including improved manufacturing efficiency thanks to reduced changeovers, reduced costs through better inventory management, reduced warehousing and logistics requirements due to more accurate planning and forecasting and ultimately, an improved bottom line due to a reduction in operational costs.
Q. How do you ensure your technology stands out from the competition?
DataLase has a track record of creating solutions to some of the major issues faced by supply chains across the globe. With production environments becoming increasingly challenging, both brand owners and converters alike are demanding more robust, high contrast data coding to ensure compliance, security and traceability of products and packaging.
Our coding solutions provide food and beverage, home and personal care, industrial and pharmaceutical brands with the benefits of an efficient laser marking system, delivering variable data on wide range of substrates.
The technology also offers a real-time marketing capability that equips brand owners with the ability to fine-tune their traditional large-scale marketing campaigns to a more personalised, one-to-one level, keeping the consumer engaged while encouraging repeat business.
As a further endorsement of the technology, we recently had our water-based coatings approved for Swiss Ordinance (commonly known as ‘Swiss Listing’). Swiss Listing means that they not only comply with
the most stringent European packaging regulations, they also continue to meet customers’ demands for the very highest quality in product formulation. Our global reach includes over 300 granted patents through filings in Europe, USA and Asia. The patents typically cover technologies across our laser-active chemistry and coatings, as well as high speed laser systems.
Coatings development continues to keep DataLase’s technical expertise in focus, as we are routinely launching new coatings to improve production environments and supply chain efficiencies. Recent releases have included: OA new antibacterial coating, which we believe will help make an important contribution to reducing bacterial transmission on printed packaging surfaces
OUV offset (UVO) litho metal decoration coating, designed for use on offset litho presses equipped with UV curing units.
OA range of water based flexographic (WBF) high humidity coatings aimed at paper and corrugated printing industries where high humidity and rub resistance is a factor in post-print processes.
Q. How easy is it to use DataLase solutions for printers/convertors?
Through the use of a combination of conventional and digital printing, photonic printing involves a two- step printing process.
First of all, during the conventional printing process of generic artwork, for example flexography or gravure, DataLase laser-reactive coating is laid down
in a patch format on to a substrate, such as corrugate, folding cartons, flexible films, labels, metal decoration, or even included as part of the manufacturing process as a plastic masterbatch. Then, at the latest point in the product supply chain i.e. at the point of packing or filling, the pre-printed patch is exposed to specific laser wavelengths, which activates the coating to print variable data or graphics as required.
Q. What benefit does adding DataLase to your product portfolio bring?
DataLase is focused on continually developing technology that generates high quality coding directly on products and packaging, without interruption to production lines. The technology helps deliver a range of benefits including consistently high-quality coding, robust quality control processes, optimised productivity and reduced costs. Typically, our customers have removed a process whilst increasing operational efficiencies, including the important elimination of environmental waste, which emphasises the sustainability of the DataLase process. Sustainability is a vitally important issue for the print, label and packaging industry. No longer a brand-differentiating USP, environmental responsibility is now considered a necessity, as consumers and the wider market all demand more from processes, practices and products. As a leader in coding and marking printing solutions, we recognise this and actively promote a range of sustainable advantages to meet 21st century consumer needs.
Xwww.datalase.com/distribution-partners
28
October 2021
www.convertermag.com
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