10 | Regulars / NewsNewsKurz and Labels & Labeling collaborated on this front cover ePac Flexible Packaging adds Vancouver and Montreal locationsKurz and L&L collaborate ePac Flexible Packaging expands on front cover design in CanadaA special-edition L&L cover features silver foil techniques Flex pack converter details plans to add Vancouver and as explained by Kurz. Andy Thomas-Emans reports Montreal locationsThe front cover of this edition of Labels & Labeling was produced in ePac Flexible Packaging, a short and medium run-length fexible conjunction with hot stamping specialist Kurz. packaging specialist, has confrmed plans for a third sales and The label and packaging world is changing, markets are evolving manufacturing location in Canada. faster, but one constant remains: hot stamping is the leading Adding to operations in Vancouver and Toronto, ePac Montreal solution for high-class surface decoration in the graphic industry. will serve customers throughout Quebec province.No other transfer fnishing method meets requirements for ePac is one of the frst and largest fexible packaging companies handling rough surfaces and for tactile designs with outstanding globally based on digital printing technology, offering a full brilliance and durability. complement of printing, laminating, and pouch-making services. It The benefts of hot stamping include: designs with high-gloss, helps small, and medium-size brands grow and compete with large diffractive and tactile effects; high-speed processing; appropriate for manufacturers.a large variety of substrates; strong adhesion and durability; suitable ‘Since opening ePac Vancouver in 2019 and Toronto in 2021, for overprinting; and no priming or curing needed. demand for our services has grown rapidly,’ commented George The Kurz foils used on this L&L cover were Light Line Laser Boustani, managing director of ePac’s Canadian operations. ‘Seamless / AL (for the ’22’) and Alufn 152 Matt Silver (for all other ‘To keep pace, we’ve decided to add a new sales and production silver parts). facility - ePac Montreal. In fact, we are now accepting orders in ‘We are really happy that two very special silver qualities have Quebec and fulflling them from our other Canadian operations been chosen for the cover design, which in combination provide until the Montreal site offcially opens.’an exciting contrast and become a real eye-catcher,’ says Elke Andersch, marketing manager packaging and print at Kurz. ‘With UPM Raflatac to turn label waste into the Alufn 152 Matt Silver, a cool, distinct accent is set - and quite the opposite, the exciting Light Line Laser Seamless / AL brings a building insulationshimmering diffractive and shiny effect into play that could hardly UPM Rafatac, Inosence Polyol Oy and Finnfoam have built a make the contrast more exciting!’collaboration model that will turn PET plastic label liner waste Continues Andersch, ‘It also shows that “silver” is not just “silver” collected through UPM Rafatac RafCycle recycling service forms a - and even if you focus on the Kurz silver product line Alufn, you waste stream, which is diffcult to recycle. will quickly realize that with the most diverse degrees of gloss, Now this label liner waste can be processed into a raw material you can also achieve quite different grace and effects. Be it with in a process developed by Inosence Polyol, which Finnfoam then matt-gloss combinations, or with matt - and at the same time uses as a raw material for polyisocyanurate or FF-PIR insulation.glossy diffractive effects - the creative scope is almost limitless.About 80 percent of the backing materials for self-adhesive labels ‘If you play with the substrate, you can also create further are paper and there are established processes for recycling them. exciting creative solutions with the material and the versatile and The remaining 20 percent are PET-based flms with an extremely almost countless effects. That’s “just” silver, but Kurz’s playground thin layer of silicone applied to the plastic. extends almost to infnity: from a multitude of gold and colored These fractions are diffcult to separate, and therefore this possibilities to surprising single images and glittering endless PET plastic backing flms have in the past ended up being mainly diffractive effects to pigmented and even semi-transparent incinerated.transfer products.’UPM Rafatac collects PET-based flm waste from its customers The hot stamping dies were provided by Hinderer + Mühlich and end users. Inosence Polyol Oy utilizes the waste collected for (H&M), whose latest development is nano-embossing that enables the production of polyol. the design of new patterns, fows, satin fnish, photographic effects UPM Rafatac’s material fow guarantees a steady supply of raw and more.materials for the production of polyol.labelsandlabeling.com