Hot and cold foil fresnel lens packaging technology from China will be available for the first time to European manufacturers and converters as part of a new move from Fresnels Inc. China’s Fresnels Inc has launched an international growth program that will see its advanced hot and cold foil fresnel lens technology available for the first time to Western print firms. The Shenzhen-based sole distributor is looking at international markets so as to enable the print sector outside of China to have access to proven technology that provides ‘significant efficiency and cost savings benefits’, the company said.
Fresnel effects for consumer products are achieved using PET laminates, which cover the whole packaging before being overprinted to leave only the lens showing through. Fresnel Inc’s technology coming onto the Western packaging convertor market uses fully metallized or clear fresnel stamping foils that are approved for high-speed machine application and VOC certification. This means that the lens is selectively applied only where required, reducing costs and producing an effect that provides an eye-catching display, which also significantly enhances resistance to counterfeiting because it cannot be removed or re-engineered.
The product, which can be quickly and easily recycled, will also be supplemented by improved brand protection and anti-piracy capabilities. The global market for food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceuticals is expected to be worth almost 100 billion USD by 2018 but the firm will also be targeting tobacco, confectionery, sports and entertainment goods’ producers looking for packaging options with added value appeal.
Fresnels Inc is planning to draw on the experience it has gained in China supplying large alcohol and tobacco industries as it develops its presence globally. This will see it utilize its expertise to service the broader Asian market in addition to the opportunities for the technology in America and Europe. The firm believes that global brands need regional supply to secure lower prices and reliance on single sources, as Dr Glenn Wood, who is heading-up Fresnel Inc’s new international push, explained: ‘This is a really exciting development that will for the first time, see genuinely innovative, recyclable low cost added-value foil technology becoming available to global firms.
‘Leading brands and the printing industries that service them, want striking and intriguing effects, with security features, to tackle the impact of the grey market, counterfeiters and brand pirates. The effects of fresnel lens, whether radial or free form, provide a unique ability to address these demands. ‘Furthermore, the foil is light weight so can easily be shipped around the world for local converting, making it an attractive proposition to markets in the Americas, Europe and wider Asia.’ Fresnels Inc is to soon collaborate with manufacturers of foil application equipment to further its international growth plans.
