Performance Label Material Guide to Designing and Converting Pattern Coated Products

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Arlene Horn
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1 3 Performance Label Material Guide to Designing and Converting Pattern Coated Products Technical Bulletin September, 2007 Scope: The purpose of this guide is to equip converters who are new to the process of designing and converting pattern coated products. Pattern coating is a technique that is useful when converting adhesive products that are prone to ooze or an ungummed functional zone is being incorporated into the label end use. This technical bulletin will incorporate information pertaining to the benefits of pattern coating, how to design your pattern, and general manufacturing requirements pertaining to pattern coating. Benefits: The pattern coating principle is becoming much more widely accepted as a narrow web industry standard. This principle pictured in the diagram below. Pattern coating can be used for one of three purposes: Converting high coat weight and adhesive ooze prone label materials The pattern is set up in such a way that both sides of each slit roll have dry edges. When the material is then run through a flexo press, the adhesive will ooze into part of the dry zone and not out of the roll edge. This keeps the press much cleaner and reduces the number of times that the web must be stopped for cleaning. It also prevents the sides of the roll from becoming sticky should the adhesive begin to flow during shipment. Functional dry zone is desired in a label material The pattern is set up so that the dry zone(s) is located to perform a functional purpose in the labels end use such as lift tabs or wrap labels. Adhesive confusion in double-linered transfer adhesives The material is slit in the dry zones which reduces the adhesive contact with the outside of the roll and aids in reducing adhesive confusion

2 Pattern Design: When putting together the initial concept for a pattern drawing, here are a few tips to use in order to ensure that your concept will be approved by 3M manufacturing. Your ADS can be contacted for additional clarification. The first step in designing a pattern is in understanding the pattern language: Ungummed/dry/void zone: The area of the pattern that contains no adhesive. Gummed/Adhesive zone: The area of the pattern that contains adhesive. Tolerance: Degree of expected variability that can occur in width of the adhesive zone and label. Slit line: Where the material will be slit by 3M down usually in the void zone. Roll width: The finished width of the roll as slit down by 3M. Adhesive residue: When the pattern is created, a very minimal amount of residual adhesive can be found in the void zone. Pattern tool: equipment used to generate the pattern design on the label material. Below is a schematic for a pattern drawing to explain placement of the terms defined above. Desired Roll Width Adhesive Zone Void Zone Slit Line The second step is to take into consideration the tolerance/design criteria that 3M manufacturing has put together. Please review the requirements below before making a pattern design: Design criteria - Acrylics and normal coatweight adhesives: Minimum void zone width is 1/4" Maximum void zone width is 1" Minimum adhesive zone width is 1/2" Adhesive pattern tolerance is ± 1/32" Roll tolerance is ± 1/32" - 2 -

3 Pattern Design: (continued) Design criteria - Tire and heavy coatweight adhesives: Minimum void zone width is 1/4" Maximum void zone width is 1" Minimum adhesive zone width is 1" Adhesive pattern tolerance is ± 1/16" Roll tolerance is ± 1/16" Tire adhesives are more prone to oozing / adhesive residue as pattern becomes more complex. Try to restrict the number of internal patterns that will need to be slit by the converter to one or two. Remember, it is always best to have 3M slit down as 3M is best equipped to handle pattern tolerances in the slitting operations. Do not let the roll size exceed 12 inches in width or 3000 feet in length as larger rolls tend to exhibit pattern shift and adhesive ooze issues. Other Considerations: Minimum 50% adhesive coverage, must be evenly spaced over the web. This level of adhesive coverage (ie. less void zones) will generally result in less adhesive residue in void zones. Minimum slit widths are 3" cuts. Perforations (if required - depends on construction) allow any entrapped air to bleed out of the pattern as it is wound on a roll. These are spaced a minimum of 1 1 /2". Special patterns that are outside of the pattern requirements listed above will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Order and Review Requirements: There are a few other ordering, cost and minimum requirements that you will need to consider when setting up and purchasing a pattern coated product: Review process: Once a customer pattern concept has been submitted to 3M, the pattern design will be review for suitability. If approved, 3M will draft the manufacturing rendering of the pattern and submit to the customer for sign-off. If denied, recommendations will be given to the customer and the customer version will need to be redrafted and resubmitted with updates. Lead Time: Allow 2 weeks for delivery of a pattern tool to our facility Minimums: 6 MMSI = 54 x 10,000 feet per order. M&H orders are commonly used on pattern products to accommodate these higher minimums. Please consult your Sales Representative, CSR, or ADS for additional details on our M&H program. Cost: $500, one time charge, per pattern design

4 Tolerances Printing within the Zones: When setting up print schemes to print on a particular pattern layout, it is important to remember that print should only occur in the zones where the facestock will be backed up by adhesive. Below is an example of a typical pattern design and the tolerances that might be used for successful converting: Label Width ± Adhesive Width ± Print Width ± Note that the print width is given the same tolerance as the adhesive width. Be sure that you take this limitation into account when setting up the print configuration. If this point is neglected, the print will potentially shift into the ungummed zone. This can result in the print taking on a faded appearance along the pattern edge that is unacceptable to an end user. You can avoid potential issues by slightly shrinking the print to fall within the adhesive zone

5 Product Use All statements, technical information and recommendations contained in this document are based upon tests or experience that 3M believes are reliable. However, many factors beyond 3M s control can affect the use and performance of a 3M product in a particular application, including the conditions under which the product is used and the time and environmental conditions in which the product is expected to perform. Since these factors are uniquely within the user s knowledge and control, it is essential that the user evaluate the 3M product to determine whether it is fit for a particular purpose and suitable for the user s method of application. Warranty and Limited Remedy Unless stated otherwise in 3M s product literature, packaging inserts or product packaging for individual products, 3M warrants that each 3M product meets the applicable specifications at the time 3M ships the product. Individual products may have additional or different warranties as stated on product literature, package inserts or product packages. 3M MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY ARISING OUT OF A COURSE OF DEALING, CUSTOM OR USAGE OF TRADE. User is responsible for determining whether the 3M product is fit for a particular purpose and suitable for user s application. If the 3M product is defective within the warranty period, your exclusive remedy and 3M s and seller s sole obligation will be, at 3M s option, to replace the product or refund the purchase price. Limitation of Liability Except where prohibited by law, 3M and seller will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the 3M product, whether direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential, regardless of the legal theory asserted, including warranty, contract, negligence or strict liability. ISO 9001:2000 This Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division product was manufactured under a 3M quality system registered to ISO 9001:2000 standards. 3 Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division Converter Markets 1030 Lake Road Medina, OH (fax) Recycled Paper 40% pre-consumer 10% post-consumer - 5-3M is a trademark of 3M Company. Printed in U.S.A. 3M (9/07)

3 Thermal Transfer Acrylate Label Material 3921

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