Q. So, static & labels: what’s the link?
You’d be surprised how much dust a statically charged labelling line can attract, which will leave you with poor print quality labels, not to mention a dirty web that needs frequent cleaning! There’s also the small issue of static charges generated by filmic materials, which can cause harmful shocks to operators if left unchecked.
Q. Sounds rather inconvenient! Are there specific examples of the problems static can cause?
Ok, let’s think of a digital label printing line. This is where a massive static charge can be generated both during printing and as the film or paper is unwound from a roll, to the point where the charge will attract dust to the web from several feet away. And trust us, no labelling company wants to keep stopping their machines to deal with the contamination attracted by static charges, especially if the labels are then rejected because of their poor quality!
Q. Are there any other issues with static and labelling?
We were just getting started. Static and ink adhesion are not a good mix either, as the former can actually repel the latter from the material surface during the digital printing process. The end result? Increased production costs, reduced production speeds. Not the best business plan. The other operations further down the line like die cutting and punching also have their fair share of problems, as high static charges cause materials to cling together and doesn’t make stacking and sorting of labels the easiest of tasks.
Q. Do labelling companies know about all this or are they blissfully unaware?
A lot of them are aware, especially the ones that deal with filmic applications, where static control is becoming a requirement. They may not fully understand the implications, but that’s where we come in with our knowledge of the different applications and products available to help neutralise the charges. After all, we want our customers to keep their labelling lines up and running as smoothly as possible.
Did this Q&A help you understand more about static control? If you have any more questions, please get in touch with our team here at Meech!