Adhesive bonding on a rough surface or a substrate that is difficult to adhere to, creates a classic conflict of objectives. More adhesive increases the adhesive strength, but it makes the label more difficult to handle due to adhesive leakage at the edges. A tightrope walk that is a knockout criterion when labels are applied by machine.

Another issue is that die-cutting and unmasking the labels during production involves a residual risk of damaging the silicone layer of the liner or not die-cutting the adhesive layer 100% down to the liner. Both interfere with the peel-off function or result in adhesive carryover.

S+P Samson has been working with partial gluing for over 10 years. In this process, the adhesive covers only a part of the entire surface of a label. The great advantage of this solution is the easy handling of the labels, e.g., with gloves. The technology and the precision of the edges of the adhesive application have been improved over the years. So, the idea was born to provide the contour of a label with adhesive in such a way that a small edge without adhesive is created around all sides. This is difficult to implement in production because the web with glue-free zones has to be turned over. Our development team along with the machine operators have been feeling their way towards the optimum solution - the narrowest possible edge without adhesive, with a thick layer of adhesive.

This results in the combination of excellent adhesive strength and perfect handling. An innovative idea and once again a strong solution for tough challenges.