In its 50th anniversary year, VPF GmbH & Co. KG, the Germany-based specialist in self-adhesive materials and coatings, is showcasing its versatility at Labelexpo Europe. The main focus has been an expanded range of seawater resistant self-adhesive materials, as well as new developments for special security applications and water-based inkjet printing.

VPF has developed a completely new extensive portfolio of combinable options for sea-water-resistant self-adhesive labelstocks that can be printed with variable information by laser, inkjet or thermal transfer printers. For water-based inkjet printing, a new item being presented is the Inkjet Special PP white matte 85 µm film (VPF 60241), which has been tested – also in compliance with BS 5609 Section 3 – and approved for use with pigmented inks on all common printing systems (EPSON C 3500, Primera LX 2000, Kiaro D).

For color laser printing, VPF is presenting the Laser PP film 100 µm in matte white with opaque back side (VPF 60606), and for conventional printing its long-proven Data Special PE film in matte white with a thickness of 95 µm. All three films are available with BS 5609-tested adhesives in hot-melt, dispersion and UV acrylate varieties. Depending on the application area and the technology chosen, they can also be supplied with increased coating weights up to 40 g/m2.

The demands on protection and security for premium products are steadily growing. Meeting these expectations, VPF is showcasing a broad range of 11 security films. These security materials are designed with a variety of protection mechanisms such as VOID, checkerboard or diamond patterns and splittable or ultra-destructible characteristics. They come in white, silver, holographic or clear – matte or glossy, as desired.

A brand new member of the range is a transparent, ultra-destructible acrylate security film with a thickness of 50 µm (VPF 72704), which can be used as an authenticity seal for branded products or as a tamper-evident closure for pharmaceutical packaging. Another innovation being presented to the industry for the first time is the Inkjet-PE splittable 120 µm film in matte white (VPF 71634) that enables security labels to be produced very economically on demand and in color, even in the smallest print runs, using water-based inkjet printers. As with all other VPF security materials, these two films are already available from a minimum order quantity of 200 m².

Among the digital printing processes, water-based inkjet printing has firmly established itself in recent years as a niche solution for high-quality small print runs, as well as for flexible in-house label printing. In this segment, VPF displays its technology in inkjet self-adhesive materials by presenting four new facestocks offering entirely new application possibilities.

The very thin Inkjet Paper in matte white (VPF 1393299) with a grammage of 70 g/m2 is suitable for adhesion to small radiuses and for removable labels. Another new addition to this range is the Inkjet PET 80 µm film in glossy white (VPF 70363). Because of its high temperature resistance, it is ideal for many technical applications. Moreover, it is not only suitable for water-based inkjet printing but can be used in laser printers as well.

VPF has also augmented its extensive portfolio by an 110 µm glossy silver Inkjet Special PP film (VPF 60449). Another new addition is the Inkjet PO film 80 µm in glossy white. It has higher elasticity than comparable Inkjet PP films and is suited for use on deformable containers and for attaching labels around small radiuses. The VPF portfolio for water-based inkjet printing now includes 15 specially developed films and papers, which can be freely combined with the required special adhesives and release liners from the VPF range to meet the requirements of the specific application.