Datalase™ masterbatch is selected as solution to help overcome product tampering

Citation

(2005), "Datalase™ masterbatch is selected as solution to help overcome product tampering", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 34 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2005.12934cad.003

Datalase™ masterbatch is selected as solution to help overcome product tampering

Datalase™ masterbatch is selected as solution to help overcome product tampering

Keywords: Plastics, Ink jet printers

Sherwood Plastic Products Ltd, the Yorkshire-based, precision and high- volume moulding specialist, has selected Sherwood Technology's DataLasee Masterbatch, to code tamper-evident polypropylene plug seals for containers used in the distribution industry (Plate 2). DataLasee Masterbatch is a new generation coding, marking and printing additive that enables plastics to be successfully marked using low power CO₂ lasers.

Plate 2 Sherwood plastic products: tamper-evident polypropylene plug seals

Prior to adopting Sherwood Technology's DataLasee Masterbatch, Sherwood Plastic (no business relation), used YAG lasers and ink-jet printers to mark sequential numbering and/or logos onto tamper-evident plug seals, to enable customers to track and log containers of products. Whilst the numbers printed by ink-jet were found to rub off, by ablating the numbers using YAG lasers, a permanent mark was established, albeit at a high cost.

Low power CO₂ lasers are considerably cheaper than YAG lasers, although an extremely high power is needed to mark plastics (normally at least a 100 watt power). However, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene have been notoriously difficult to mark with CO₂ lasers even with existing additives which mark well with YAG lasers. To address this, Sherwood Technology, the Widnes-based colour- change specialist, developed the patent- pending DataLasee Masterbatch, which can be added directly to the polymer to be extruded or injection moulded. The additive is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and is capable of producing an image when marked by a low power CO₂ laser (around 10 watt power). The additive undergoes a simple colour-change and creates an image that is stable and high contrast. By combining DataLasee Masterbatch with low power CO₂ lasers, Sherwood Plastic were able to cut the costs associated with marking plastics by approximately one-third.

Brian Hood, Managing Director of Sherwood Plastic, comments: “It was essential that we found a tamper-proof method of applying sequential numbers to our security plug seals, at a low cost. By using DataLasee Masterbatch, we are able to mark plastic with a permanent image whilst ensuring that costs are kept down”.

“DataLasee Masterbatch has redefined the process of marking on plastics”, says Steve Kelly, Managing Director of Sherwood Technology. “The additive has an infinite range of applications, including product security and packaging for the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. We aim to make DataLasee Masterbatch available globally via lasting and strategic cross- industry partnerships”.

More information about Sherwood Technology and DataLasee Masterbatch is available at: www.sherwoodtech.com or by E-mail info@sherwoodtech.com