What sleeving materials are available?
What heat shrink sleeve print processes can I chose from?
How can I use heat shrink sleeves to further differentiate my product?
What type of Shrink Method do you recommend - Hot air or Steam?
Which application machine do you recommend for Shrink Sleeves?
What sleeving materials are available?
CCL Auto-Sleeve offers PVC Shrink Labels, PET Shrink Labels and OPS Shrink Labels. The three material have different shrink characteristics and are therefore suited to different applications.
PVC Shrink Labels- This material is easiest to control in the shrink process, it is also generally the most cost effective. PVC is available in pasteurisable and steam grades and offers good scuff resistance.
PETG Shrink Labels- This material offers the best scuff resistance and also the highest percentage of shrink. It is pasturisable and is also easily recycled.
OPS Shrink Labels- This substrate is more cost effective than PET and offers the lowest vertical shrink and therefore the most consistent finish. It is often used for "squeezy" containers.
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What heat shrink sleeve print processes can I chose from?
CCL Auto-Sleeve offer three print processes; gravure, CI flexo and UV flexo in order to best meet the needs of all our customers.
Gravure printing is a proven technology and high quality printing method using solvent based inks. The graphics for each color is etched onto individual metal cylinders.
The benefits of gravure printing include:
- High quality photographic reproduction
- Reduced size text for extra information and special offers
- High quality origination gives consistency of reproduction over a long time period.
CI Flexo is also a solvent based process, based on a raised areas, i.e. dots/lines or blocks on a photopolymer plate, which transfer ink rotated around the drum, each color unit being laid down in sequence with inter unit heat and airflow for drying prior to the next color printing. Ink is transferred onto the plate and then the film, each color unit prints in sequence.
UV Flexo utilizes the same printing plates as C.I. flexo, but is a solvent free ink process. Each color is printed onto the film on a separate station and is cured by the use of UV lamps. This gives greater depth of color and reproduction than C.I. flexo
The benefits of Flexo and UV Flexo include:
- Low cost, high quality reproduction
- Rapid response due to shorter origination process
- Suited to promotional and labeling requirements
- Multi variant possibility
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How can I use heat shrink sleeves to further differentiate my product?
CCL Auto-Sleeve offer a wide range of special effects using special inks and combinations of surface and under-surface printing.
- Matt and gloss effects
- Thermochromic
- Holographic
- Tactile
- Product visibility
- Metallics
- Pearlescents
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- Fluorescents
- High luster finishes
- Scratch off
- UV optical brightener
- Flip Inks (duo tone)
- Metallic finish
- Matt finish
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CCL Auto-Sleeve's sales team will be happy to talk to you about the various innovative finishes available to enhance your products.
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What type of Shrink Method do you recommend - Hot air or Steam?
A quick rule of thumb is that hot air tunnels are predominantly used with empty containers while steam is becoming the industry standard method of shrinking sleeves onto filled containers. However for many applications it is quite normal to use both application methods to optimize the effectiveness of the shrinking process.
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Which application machine do you recommend for Shrink Sleeves?
CCL Auto-Sleeve works closely with all shrink sleeve machine manufacturers and have a good knowledge of their product range. Our sales team, supported by a highly experienced technical team, will be happy to recommend machines suitable for your needs.
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