The label making process is often broken down into the sandwich analogy: different layers of chemicals and materials are combined to form a single label. A key ingredient in this process is silicone, which is essential to get ultra-sticky adhesive to release from the liner material when labels are being applied. For this to properly work, the silicone must be cured.
Most laminators in the label industry use a thermal method to cure their silicone. However, there is another option that can provide a better cure and, ultimately, a better label. That’s through UV curing, which is able to produce high-quality labels through the use of nitrogen gas. What is it about nitrogen-based UV curing that gives it an advantage over thermal curing? This article will review the curing methods used in label making and explain why using UV and nitrogen together produces a better cure for pressure sensitive labels.