When it comes to manufacturing and construction, safety, logistics, and compliance are of paramount importance. It’s not hyperbole to say that within these industrial settings, labels can save lives and be the difference-maker in avoiding catastrophe. From safety warnings to tracking hazardous materials to providing pertinent how-to-use instruction, performance is mission-critical for industrial labels. They must endure extreme heat, chemicals, and the harshest of environments to deliver crucial information when and where it matters most.

For label converters, partnering with suppliers that can provide the right material for their customers’ specific applications is a necessity. One such supplier is PPG, the maker of Teslin, a label material that is an ideal fit for many types of industrial labels.

Amy Donato is PPG’s global strategic marketing director. We caught up with Donato to discuss the growth and intricacies of the industrial label market, as well as PPG and Teslin’s role within the space.

LNW: How would you assess the health of the industrial labels market? Is this an area of growth?
AD: The industrial labels market remains strong and continues to grow, driven by increasing regulatory requirements, supply chain traceability demands, and the need for durable labeling solutions. Key industries fueling this growth include chemicals, medical, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products, particularly sectors that require high-performance labels capable of withstanding harsh conditions. This includes food and beverage, household cleaning products, automotive, and outdoor equipment, where durability and long-term adhesion are essential.

Several factors are driving this expansion. E-commerce is increasing demand for high-quality, scannable labels that support logistics, inventory tracking, and authentication. Regulatory compliance remains a critical factor, with stricter labeling requirements across industries, especially for hazardous materials, pharmaceuticals, and globally-regulated consumer products. Additionally, customization is becoming more important as brands seek labels tailored to specific applications, including personalization, branding consistency, brand protection, and smart labeling technology for improved consumer engagement and supply chain visibility.

As automation and digital transformation reshape manufacturing and logistics, the need for smarter, more resilient label solutions continues to grow. Industrial labels are evolving to offer greater durability, print flexibility, and adaptability.

LNW: What makes for an effective industrial label?
AD: An effective industrial label must withstand harsh environments, including exposure to chemicals, abrasion, moisture, and extreme temperatures. Labels used in industries like chemical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and heavy-duty consumer products must maintain their integrity over time, preventing fading, peeling, or degradation that could compromise safety and compliance.

Print quality and adhesion are critical. Labels must remain legible for tracking, safety warnings, and regulatory compliance, even when exposed to demanding conditions. Static resistance is another key factor – excessive static buildup can lead to safety hazards in volatile environments, making materials that dissipate static, like PPG Teslin label material, a safer choice.

LNW: What are some trends in today’s industrial labels market?
AD: Sustainability is an ongoing trend, with brands seeking label materials that reduce environmental impact while maintaining durability. Digital printing continues to expand its market presence, allowing for more customization and flexibility in label production. Additionally, smart labeling technologies, including RFID and QR codes, are enhancing traceability and compliance across industries.

A growing number of converters are taking greater control over their supply chains by producing their own pressure sensitive label material in-house. To mitigate supply shortages, increase flexibility, and, in some cases, reduce costs, instead of relying solely on external suppliers, they are purchasing facestock, liner, and adhesives and laminating these components themselves to create finished materials.

LNW: What are some challenges associated with industrial labels, and how are they overcome?
AD: One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that labels maintain performance in extreme conditions. Labels exposed to chemicals, moisture, and mechanical wear must resist degradation while remaining legible. Our PPG Teslin label material addresses this with its ability to absorb inks and toners, locking them into its structure and making labels nearly impervious to damage from abrasion and handling.
While ensuring compliance with BS 5609 standards for seawater immersion is crucial for chemical drum labeling and GHS compliance, it’s also important to address other challenges faced by chemical companies. One such issue is static electricity, which can impact productivity and safety in industrial settings. Teslin substrate offers a proven solution by minimizing static buildup and dissipating charges quickly, ensuring safer and more efficient operations.

LNW: What types of label materials are best suited for industrial labels?
AD: Selecting the right label material for industrial applications requires balancing multiple performance factors. Not all materials can meet every need, so finding the right mix of durability, printability, chemical resistance, and environmental adaptability is key.

Synthetic label materials like PPG Teslin substrate outperform conventional paper by offering exceptional durability, static dissipation, and chemical resistance. Its microporous structure absorbs and locks in inks and coatings, ensuring long-lasting adhesion and legibility even in harsh environments where exposure to moisture, abrasion, or extreme temperatures is common.

The choice of material also depends on the type of ink and printing process used. Water-based and solvent-based inks react differently with various substrates. Some materials struggle with ink adhesion and dry time, particularly when switching between ink types. PPG Teslin label material provides compatibility with both water-based and solvent-based inks, allowing for greater flexibility in production without sacrificing print quality or durability.

Creating strong partnerships with material suppliers ensures that converters and printers can select the right combination of facestock, adhesive, inks, and coatings to meet the specific performance requirements of their industrial labels. Whether the goal is compliance with strict chemical labeling regulations, static control in volatile environments, or resistance to tough handling conditions, choosing the right material is critical to success.

LNW: Are there certain converting processes used more than others for industrial label production?
AD: Industrial labels are produced using a variety of printing and converting methods, depending on durability requirements, volume needs, and customization demands. Digital, flexographic, and thermal transfer printing are among the most common processes, with digital printing continuing to gain traction due to its efficiency and ability to handle variable data printing.

For converters, choosing a versatile label material that works across multiple printing technologies is essential to streamlining operations and reducing inventory complexity. PPG Teslin label material offers broad print compatibility, making it an easier, more convenient choice for converters working with inkjet, laser, thermal transfer, and flexographic printing. Its unique microporous structure allows for strong ink adhesion without requiring special coatings or treatments, ensuring high-quality, long-lasting prints across different technologies.

LNW: How do your industrial label customers benefit from Teslin label material?
AD: Customers using PPG Teslin label material experience a unique set of performance benefits, including exceptional abrasion resistance, broad print compatibility, amazing print reproduction, strong adhesive bonding, and static dissipation for increased safety in static-sensitive environments. Teslin substrate enables long-lasting labels that withstand exposure to chemicals, moisture, and rough handling while also being easy to print and convert.

LNW: Is there anything else the label industry should know about Teslin and PPG’s role in industrial labeling?
AD: At PPG, we are committed to developing high-performance label materials that address the toughest challenges in industrial labeling. PPG Teslin label material offers a unique combination of durability, printability, and static resistance, ensuring long-term reliability in the most demanding environments.
One of the most overlooked but critical issues in industrial labeling is static electricity. Many synthetic label materials tend to generate static, which can cause operational disruptions, print defects, and even safety hazards – especially in environments where flammable materials or sensitive electronics are present. Static buildup can lead to labels sticking together, misalignment during application, or even electrostatic discharge that could ignite volatile substances.

Unlike other synthetics, Teslin dissipates static naturally due to its microporous structure, preventing the buildup that often occurs with materials like PET and vinyl. This reduces waste, improves print quality, and enhances safety, making Teslin a superior choice for industrial applications where static-related issues can slow production and increase risks.

Withstanding Harsh Powder Coating with Schreiner ProTech

Schreiner ProTech is a Germany-based developer and manufacturer of innovative, functional labels for the automotive and engineering-based industries. The company offers several label, paint mask, and protective laminate products designed specifically for the challenging environments and extreme temperatures of powder coating processes. With paint, powder coating is a dry finishing process that applies a powder coating to a substrate, typically metal, using an electrostatic process, followed by curing in a heated oven. This process coats an object electrostatically and then cures it with heat, creating a finish harder and tougher than conventional paint.

Many industrial manufacturing plants have long experienced challenges with tracking parts throughout the entire powder coating finishing process. Doing so requires labeling parts prior to painting, then masking their labels to protect the important printed information. To successfully track and trace a part through a powder coating process, both labels and masking materials must survive exposure to chemicals and curing oven temperatures whose temperatures can exceed 400° F.

Among Schreiner ProTech’s products for powder coating applications is a version of its Color Laser Film (CLF) equipped with a pre-installed paint mask. The solution allows companies to print through the paint mask directly onto the label, eliminating the need for manual application following printing. Exceptionally rugged, the CLF with pre-installed mask series is especially convenient for manufacturers with higher production volumes.

In addition to laser-inscribed CLF products, Schreiner ProTech also offers a wide range of labels compatible with industry standard thermal transfer (TTR) printers. When combined with matching paint masks, these assemblies incorporate durability and high temperature resistance, making them ideal for powder coating. TTR-printable labels and masks are suitable for both low- and high-volume production environments, as they can be applied manually or via an automated printer/mask application system that Schreiner ProTech also provides.

In addition, Schreiner ProTech has a series of permanently-affixed protective laminates, which help provide legibility for the duration of a component’s lifespan. As manufacturing production lines and the components they produce grow increasingly complex, the need for evergreen label legibility protection has risen substantially in recent years. For the most rugged of these environments, Schreiner ProTech can create solutions incorporating both a detachable paint mask and permanent protective laminate.

Doug Stubbs, sales account manager for Schreiner ProTech, says, “With many components manufacturers struggling to identify and incorporate labeling solutions that can thrive through harsh painting and curing processes – and particularly the elevated temperatures they involve – our goal is to provide a wide array of selections that, combined, are suitable for nearly any application where longstanding label legibility and adherence is a must.”

Labels for RFID Chip Protection

Schreiner ProTech is versatile, with products that merge industrial and smart labels. The company recently launched Robust RFID-Labels, a smart label series where integrated RFID capabilities are protected against harsh manufacturing and operation environments. These labels ensure reliable, trackable connectivity for products across a range of sectors, including electronic and automotive components.

The Robust RFID-Label consists of an integrated RFID tag secured by a special construction. This avoids potential damage to the RFID chip due to mechanical impact during the manufacturing and handling processes, or harsh environments during the shipping, warehousing or operation phases. The result is more reliable RFID chip performance from production to final use – even on difficult-to-label containers. Notably, Schreiner ProTech can customize the label design to suit individual applications and manufacturing setups.

The Robust RFID-Labels utilize protective elements designed to systematically absorb mechanical stress. Customizable to the specific mechanical stress conditions encountered by individual customers, the thin, flexible structures are suitable for use with all RFID technologies and antenna geometries. They are easily incorporated into a broad range of production scenarios.

“Equipping high-leverage components and products with RFID labels optimizes processes, enhancing internal organization efficiencies and overall supply chain security,” explains Katharina Totev, product manager, RFID, Schreiner ProTech. “Robust features that safeguard RFID labels throughout a product’s lifespan are valuable tools toward achieving these objectives.”

IDENTCO launches online store for industrial labels

IDENTCO, a Chicago-based converter specializing in high-performance labels for the power equipment, electronics, transportation, and general industrial sector, has launched an online storefront at shop.identco.com. Site visitors can browse and purchase the company’s range of durable, functional labels, including those for printed circuit board (PCB) and electronic components, as well as labels for wire and cable marking. Plus, IDENTCO’s portfolio of complementary ribbons and printers also are available through the online store.

Among the products available through the new site is IDENTCO’s DuraTrack labels for printed circuit board (PCB) applications. The DuraTrack Series provides PCB assemblies with comprehensive traceability – an increasingly attractive internal quality control and supply chain transparency feature for brand owners producing high-leverage electronics. Engineered for use in surface mount technology and throughout the entire assembly process, DuraTrack thermal transfer printable labels can endure harsh fluxes, the latest cleaning chemistries, and high temperatures encountered in today’s circuit board assembly processes.

The online storefront also features IDENTCO labels and marking products for wires and cables, including DuraWrap and DuraFlag. Suitable for a variety of wires and cables, DuraWrap labels are self-laminating cable and harness products combining the functionality of traditional wire label wrapping with the convenience of fully automated self-laminating technology. The durable clear wrap-around area reliably withstands chemicals and scratches, ensuring markers remain both affixed and legible.

DuraFlag labels allow for easy and explicit flagging of wires and wire harnesses. This provides a simple way to identify and organize wires, even in harsh conditions such as high temperatures, moisture, and chemical exposure.

Shahela Ali, director of global marketing for IDENTCO, says, “Our new online store is designed with customers in mind to provide the most convenient way to purchase and resupply IDENTCO’s wide range of mission-critical labels, ribbons, and ancillary solutions. The ability to place orders with just a few clicks helps expedite purchase order generation and overall delivery, and exemplifies our commitment to customer satisfaction.”

Discover the Advantages of PPG Teslin Label Material

PPG Teslin label material provides a comprehensive solution for durable and secure labeling applications. Its unique properties ensure that labels not only withstand environmental challenges but also maintain their appearance and functionality, supporting safety, compliance, and brand integrity.

Exceptional Durability
Teslin label material is engineered to withstand exposure to water, chemicals, abrasion, and extreme temperatures. It’s inherently resistant to tearing and scuffing, ensuring that labels remain intact and legible even in challenging environments. This durability makes Teslin label material suitable for applications such as chemical drum labeling, where compliance with BS 5609 standards for seawater immersion is essential.

Amazing Printability
One of the standout features of Teslin label material is its ability to absorb inks and toners, locking them into its structure. This results in high-definition print quality with vibrant colors and sharp text. Teslin substrate’s compatibility with a wide range of printing technologies, including digital inkjet, laser, and thermal transfer, allows for flexibility in production without the need for special inks or coatings.

Strong Adhesive Bonding
The microporous nature of Teslin label material enables strong bonding with a wide range of adhesives. This ensures that labels adhere securely to different surfaces, including those with challenging contours or textures. The robust adhesive bond reduces the risk of label failure, which is crucial for maintaining safety and compliance in industrial settings.

Inherent Tamper-Evident Security
Teslin label material permanently distorts if alteration is attempted. This feature enhances the security of products by providing clear visual evidence of tampering, making it ideal for applications requiring advanced security performance, such as pharmaceutical labeling and brand protection.

Static Dissipation
Static buildup during label application can lead to operational issues and safety hazards. Teslin label material absorbs and dissipates static electricity, improving print throughput and quality while minimizing the risk of static-related incidents. This property is particularly beneficial in chemical manufacturing environments where static discharge could result in a fire.

Versatility Across Applications
From industrial product identification and hazardous material warnings to food and pharmaceutical traceability, Teslin label material’s combination of durability, printability, and security features makes it suitable for a wide range of labeling needs. Its adaptability ensures critical information remains protected and legible throughout the product’s lifecycle.
Learn more at www.ppg.com

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