Developed alongside LasX Industries, Procter & Gamble is using a direct-to-package laser marking technology to replace conventional label application methods with label-free packaging.
LaserSharp Marking was developed by LasX in a development and engineering partnership with P&G. It synchronizes laser motion and pulses ‘several million times per second’ in an effort to unlock high speed, resolution, and print quality.
The solution does not utilize the PSA and shrink label materials, PSA release liners, inks, adhesives, or other conventional materials used for label application. As such, it is believed to reduce waste, unlock mono-material packaging, and help brands meet their sustainability goals without compromising on visual appeal.
Furthermore, it claims to enable access to the entire surface of a pack, reaching areas that cannot be accessed with pressure-sensitive labels, shrink film, or direct ink printing.
When it comes to serialization, language variation, or variable data such as sell-by dates, LaserSharp Marking reportedly negates the need for digital printing. It is digitally reconfigurable and can integrate information directly onto the surface of a pack, rather than requiring manufacturers to save space on a pack.
LasX continues to suggest that LaserSharp Marking unlocks on-demand, cost-effective production processes, as opposed to the conventional, ‘complex and disjointed’ processes currently utilized by the industry. As products are updated and new regulation comes into force, the solution is set to help users make changes to their labels in fewer steps, thus achieving agility and cutting down on both waste and overall costs.
It adds that LaserSharp Marking helps P&G ‘rapidly drive innovation through LasX’s unique digital ecosystem and ability to independently control the laser and motion system’.
P&G is currently working to achieve both APR and RecyClass certifications for LaserSharp-marked packaging made of HDPE, PE, PET, and more.
“LaserSharp Marking is the package labelling of the future, marking high-resolution text and graphics directly on packaging materials at rapid production rates,” adds Tom Weigman, vice president of Technology at LasX.
“LaserSharp Marking uses LasX’s unique control technology to mark high-resolution graphics directly on bottles and other packaging materials at much faster rates than conventional laser marking.”
“We selected LasX as our partner for their laser marking expertise to bring to scale our vision of high-resolution, high-speed labeling to create packaging that delights consumers and is consistent with our sustainability goals,” continued Lee Ellen Drechsler, senior vice president, Research & Development, Sustainable Technologies, Procter & Gamble. “We brought together our expertise in FMCG manufacturing with LasX’s laser marking capabilities to create LaserSharp Marking – and now we are excited for the possibilities LaserSharp technology brings to our portfolio of trusted brands.”
Another laser marking technology comes in the form of Cajo Technologies’ Cajo MakeBright laser marking technology, which seeks to lower carbon emissions in industrial labelling by replacing ink and labels in cardboard packaging applications. It has been nominated as a finalist in this year’s Sustainability Awards under the Commercialized Machinery category.
Markem-Imaje also aspires to unlock portable, flexible, and direct coding and marking for difficult-to-reach or unusually shaped products with its Marking Trigger Device. This can be used by hand, or is described as ‘easy and quick to install’ onto a printhead.
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