Ravenwood Packaging and Zeller+Gmelin partner on linerless technology

British company Ravenwood Packaging is working with printing ink specialist Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG on a linerless technology product range.

The ink manufacturer has developed varnishes for the application area of linerless labels, three of which have been specially certified by Ravenwood for its linerless systems.

These varnishes are from the RSP-7G106 FCM Uvaflex LM Gloss, RSP-7M105 FCM Uvaflex LM Matt and RSP-7M108FCM Uvaflex LM Satin Matt series.

The three products conform with the current legal regulations in Europe. They have a low odor and are BPA-free.  

When Ravenwood was founded in 2004, the company, which has headquarters in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and offices in the US and Australia, recognized the importance of the quality of the materials used for linerless systems.

In recent years, interest from brand owners and retailers in this sustainable alternative to conventional self-adhesive labels has increased dramatically. Linerless labels are advantageous from an ecological and economic point of view. They do not require backing paper, which reduces waste and enables savings in storage and transport costs. 

Triggered by the supply bottlenecks of 2021-22, Ravenwood saw a need for linerless technology. Zeller+Gmelin supported the implementation with its experience in painting and varnishing. The collaboration began with a six-month test phase. The varnishes, specially designed for use on Ravenwood's coating machines, achieved consistently positive results. The varnishes RSP-7G106 FCM Uvaflex LM Gloss, RSP-7M105 FCM Uvaflex LM Matt and RSP-7M108FCM Uvaflex LM Semigloss, newly developed by Zeller+Gmelin, were then certified by Ravenwood for this application.

'Thanks to the collaborative partnership, the two companies have succeeded in establishing a holistic and sustainable labeling solution — from the materials used to the final application,' said Karl Ebner, product manager, lacquers and adhesives at Zeller+Gmelin.