Ahead of the European Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) taking effect in August, Herma’s Labels division has expanded its range with Linerless Plus, a linerless labelling solution designed for logistics, dispatch and other industrial applications. The product is offered alongside the silicone-free Herma InNo-Liner, which is used for automated print-and-apply applications. Linerless Plus follows a classic linerless approach and is suitable for both automated labelling and label printing via desktop printers followed by manual application, a method the company said remains widely used in logistics centres. According to the company, Linerless Plus addresses known weaknesses of conventional linerless solutions, offering improved adhesive properties, better cutting performance and reduced build-up in the printer.
“There is no single linerless solution that suits every application,” said Sven Pleier, key account manager in the Labels division at Herma. “The labelling process, the technology used and the requirements placed on the label are all crucial factors. But for almost all labelling applications in logistics and dispatch, we can now offer linerless labelling with InNo-Liner and Linerless Plus.”
Linerless labels do not require the backing material used in conventional self-adhesive labels, which the company said reduces material consumption and avoids waste requiring disposal after labelling. For every 1.5 million labels in the standard 105 x 148.5 millimetre format, the company said around 1.37 tonnes of backing material can be saved while maintaining the same labelling output, along with a reduction of 1.42 tonnes in CO2 emissions.
Classic linerless design, addressing known weaknesses
Linerless Plus builds on the established principle of self-adhesive linerless labels, which feature a silicone release layer on the top side of the label, and can be used in standard printers and print-and-apply systems designed for self-adhesive linerless labels. During development, the company said it resolved a known trade-off in traditional linerless solutions, in which high adhesive strength requires a sufficient amount of adhesive that can contaminate the print-and-apply system when labels are cut, necessitating cleaning and maintenance.
The multi-layer adhesive used in Linerless Plus, developed in-house by Herma, allows adhesive to be applied across the entire surface, in contrast to standard market solutions that typically require adhesive-free zones for cutting. According to the company, these adhesive-free zones reduce adhesive strength and increase the risk of labels lifting and sticking to one another, which can disrupt logistics processes. Linerless Plus, by contrast, is said to combine high initial and final adhesion across the entire surface with improved processing during cutting, resulting in less contamination of cutting mechanisms and reduced cleaning and component replacement.
The company said this reduces downtime and improves process reliability, while the higher adhesive strength allows use on more challenging surfaces, including shipping labels on rough cardboard and plastic wrap around pallets.
Because Linerless Plus has no adhesive-free zones, the company said users also have greater flexibility in label dimensions. “It is now easier to order roll widths that differ from the usual standard dimensions,” Pleier said. “This, too, can lead to both environmental and economic benefits.”
Two approaches to linerless labelling
With Linerless Plus, Herma is expanding its existing range of silicone-free Herma InNo-Liner labels, in which the adhesive layer is activated by water only immediately before application. Linerless Plus follows the classic siliconised linerless principle, making it suitable for compatible print-and-apply systems as well as desktop printers, while also enabling use on other surfaces such as films.
Together with cab, Herma offers system solutions for both concepts: a print-and-apply system for Herma InNo-Liner and Linerless Plus, as well as desktop printers for Linerless Plus labels. Linerless Plus labels can also be used in suitable linerless devices from other manufacturers. “For many companies, the question of how they can reduce material use and waste in labelling without compromising on process reliability and productivity is becoming increasingly important,” Pleier said. “With our expanded range of linerless solutions, we can now provide a suitable answer for almost all logistics and dispatch applications; this even opens up new options for product labelling.”