Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a list of most commonly asked questions:
If you need further information please contact your Sales Representative or Business Team.
- What is UL recognition?
- How do I know if a label is UL recognized?
- Is UL the only standard?
- What does CSA Acceptance mean?
- What do you need for UL94?
- What makes a good bond?
- What is Electrostatic Transfer Imaging Printing?
- What is the BS 5609 Marine Test?
- What are zone-coated products?
- Does FLEXcon offer zone-coating?
UL recognition means that a device, system or material has been tested and certified to meet specific safety standards. Safety and warning labels are required on many electrical products including computers, televisions, household appliances, power cords and power tools. UL testing assures that the labels are made from safe and durable materials that will remain intact on the product under regular use.
UL is a private organization founded in 1894 by the insurance industry to develop and maintain guidelines for underwriters; hence, the name Underwriters Laboratories. FLEXcon's products are recognized under the Standard for Marking and Labeling Systems, UL 969.
HOW DO I KNOW IF A LABEL IS UL RECOGNIZED?
UL-recognized labels will display a UL mark, as specified by Underwriters Laboratories.
No. However, UL has a world-wide presence. There are many other safety organizations in individual countries that test to the specific country's national standards. FLEXcon has established a strong relationship with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), another major testing organization.
WHAT DOES CSA ACCEPTANCE MEAN?
CSA or Canadian Standard Association is like UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a private organization, situated in Canada to develop and maintain guidelines for underwriters. CSA acceptance means that a device, system or material has been tested and certified to meet specific safety standards. Safety and warning labels are required on many electrical products including computers, televisions, household appliances, power cords and power tools. CSA testing assures that the labels are made from safe and durable materials that will remain intact on the product under regular use.
Many of FLEXcon's products have Canadian Standards Association acceptance. FLEXcon is the first supplier to offer products with CSA recognition for Electronic Printing Technology. The recognition includes a pressure-sensitive label stock, and thermal transfer ribbon and printer. This is good news, since you no longer must test the label imaged with variable information if the label is printed with recognized electronic printing technology. The recognition specifies indoor and outdoor, and normal and heavy duty use. CSA defines a heavy duty label or nameplate as "one intended for use in locations other than offices or dwelling units, where the label or nameplate may be subjected to more severe abrasion, exposure to oil, or harsher solvents. Typically, heavy duty labels or nameplates are required on portable tools, and on equipment used in industrial environments."
CSA, unlike UL, grants acceptance by printing technology regardless of the specific printer/ink system submitted by the raw material supplier. Due to this, you will still be required to submit printed samples with your specific printer and ink system in order to obtain CSA acceptance on your finished labels. Labels that are printed conventionally before being thermal transfer printed still must be submitted to CSA for recognition of the conventional printing.
A UL flammability rating is nowadays highly regarded as evidence for the suitability of a polymer or compound for a proposed application. US compounder RTP has published a guide to the tests and procedures involved in obtaining UL listings. UL94 V-0, V-1 and V-2, probably the most widely cited ratings as evidence of the behavior of a plastics material in fire conditions, require the examination of the material in the form of 5 x 12.5 mm. strips in three thickness. A total of ten samples are tested in two sets at each thickness, one set after conditioning for 48 hours at 73°F(23°C); and 50 percent RH, and the other after similar conditioning for 7 days at 158°F(70°C). In the test, a specimen is mounted with its bottom end above a Bunsen burner tube, and a blue high flame is applied to the centre of the lower edge for 10 seconds. If burning ceases within 30 seconds, the flame is reapplied for a further 10 seconds. If the specimen drips particles, these are allowed to fall onto a layer of untreated surgical cotton placed 12 in.(30 cm.) below the specimen.
Have you come across a pressure-sensitive product that for no apparent reason refused to stick to the application surface ? The problem could be low surface energy. The application surface is a critical consideration when applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive. It must be dry, free of contaminants and have a surface energy compatible with the adhesive. The surface energy along with temperature and pressure, affects the "wet-out" of the adhesive onto the surface. The affinity of a particular surface depends on the intramolecular attraction force between the two. The greater the force, the higher the surface energy. The higher the surface energy, the better wet-out flow of adhesive. The application surface energy must be equal to or higher than the adhesive's surface energy for a good bond.
By discussing your application with us, we can recommend the best adhesive for a successful application. But it is important to test it on the application surface before you buy it. We will provide samples for field testing or we will test in our applications lab.
WHAT IS ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING?
As the name implies, electrostatic technology uses electrical charges in conjunction with toners to print a four-color image digitally, on dielectric paper. Though the images printed on paper can be overlaminated and mounted for posters and other display applications (direct imaging method), most images printed by electrostatic technology are transferred to another substrate (electrostatic image transfer method). In the sign, banner, and graphic arts industries, the substrate most commonly used are banner vinyls, pressure-sensitive adhesive vinyls and mounting boards. The images transferred to any of these substrates usually are overlaminated by either a heat seal or pressure-sensitive overlaminate to protect the graphics. The overlaminated piece can be mounted, if desired. Currently, pressure-sensitive films are used only in the transfer method. However there are many developmental efforts underway throughout the industry to release a direct print vinyl product. Electrostatic printing is a 4-color process that requires the dielectric paper to pass through the printer four times for each of the four process colors (CMYK). If the image is going to be transferred, usually it is printed first in a wrong-read (mirror-image) format on the dielectric paper so that it will transfer to a readable image. Electrostatic printing has been well received in the signage, mural, transit advertising, P-O-P display arenas, as well as for exhibit graphics, floor graphics, and almost any job requiring sizes 20" x 30" (508mm x 762 mm) or larger.
WHAT IS THE BS 5609 MARINE TEST?
Products submitted for the BS 5609 Marine Test are applied to an aluminium panel. After a 14 week exposure in salt water the material has to widthstand a 180° peel adhesion test at 300 mm/minute. When the peel test gives an average adhesion and percentage of readings above the recorded specification, the material meets the requirements of BS 5609 Section Two Part 4.1 : 'Marine Exposure'.
Several FLEXcon products have been tested to BS 5609 Section Two Marine Exposure. One of these products is a 95 micron matte white polyethylene THERMLfilm® construction, which is topcoated for thermal transfer printing with resin based ribbons and is coated with a high tack modified permanent acrylic adhesive. Recently our new DRUMcal™ products have received BS 5609 compliance.
WHAT ARE ZONE COATED PRODUCTS?
Zone coating is applying adhesive in predetermined widths across a wide web roll to produce specific coated and free areas, or zones. Typical zone coating applications include labels that serve the dual purpose of products identification and closure seal and direct mailers with "peel and stick" offers. Zone coating could be used to create pocket carriers for documents such as those used in new cars on the showroom floor. Jewelry ring tags could be zone coated, applying adhesive on the tags that fasten together while creating an adhesive free area for the thin area that fold around the ring band. Security applications are another possibility. Traditionally a free edge is created by applying varnish over the adhesive during the printing process. One of the ink stations is filled with varnish. As the material runs on press, the facestock is separated from the liner with a turnbar attachment on the web. The varnish is applied over the adhesive to create the free zone, then the facestock is remarried to the liner. This system slows the printing process, adds to material waste, and lowers the release value of the film/liner construction. Zone coating the material during production can be a faster, simpler, more cost-effective method of achieving the same result.
DOES FLEXcon OFFER ZONE COATING?
FLEXcon offers zone coating capabilities for a number of products and applications. Blades specially tooled for the required adhesive zones are fitted on the coater to prevent adhesive lay-down in the free zones. FLEXcon offers tremendous flexibility in material options. We can zone coat with a wide range of adhesive systems, and can accommodate wide rolls and both large and small volume applications.
Other capabilities include adding color additives to the adhesives for a different look, or adding security features, materials and additives in the adhesive and or the topcoat. Like all our manufacturing processes, zone coating applications are strictly controlled according to FLEXcon's ISO 9001 certified procedures.
FLEXcon evaluates exact product constructions, pricing, minimum order quantities and lead times on an application basis. If you have a need for pattern coating, non-registered topcoating, or a specific heat seal, we will work with you to determine if our current capabilities can meet your application requirements.
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