Speedier heat transfer decorating

The system, unveiled March 5 at Krones, includes revamped materials from Avery and a new application system built upon Krones' Autocol rotary labeler machine. It was demonstrated on 12-oz flint glass beer bottles with a process-printed color illustration. The decoration, consisting of gravure-printed inks on a release agent and carrier web, represents new Clear ADvantage(TM) versions of Avery's Therimage(TM) decoration, long used for plastic bottles. In the process, a heated container and a heated decorating web come into contact so the decoration transfers from the carrier web to the container. Therimage systems had been limited to speeds of approximately 200 bpm, and they used wax as the release agent. Clear ADvantage employs new chemistry. The process is expected to compete economically with pressure-sensitive film and with Applied Ceramic Labeling. It's expected that glassmakers may be able to use the residual heat in bottles fresh from glassmaking lehrs to cut energy costs. Owens-Brockway (Toledo, OH) has helped Avery and Krones in the system development. An impressive roster of major companies that market glass, metal and plastic containers and container makers attended the Thermocol seminar. Krones, Inc., Phone: 414/423-5650.