AWA Conference Washington D.C. April 2005

2. From the 1970’s until now
BOPP Release Liners
Novelprint’s R&D division at our plant in Brazil
Import Restrictions = We had to think outside the box
We will tell you all about it

3. History - Novelprint
Novelprint was established in 1958
as a cloth label manufacturer.
In 1967 Novelprint entered PS label
manufacturing

4. Brazilian Macro Economic Factors
In 1973 the first oil shock hit,
creating an import substitution
policy:
• domestic production incentives
• importation prohibitve
Novelprint sought out
alternative solutions.
Brazil – 1960’s.
Open door economy and
importation was permitted.
Novelprint imported raw
materials and machinery

5. From the early 1960
´s to the mid 1970´s,
Novelprint imported
the highest grade
label stock and label
applicators
Supply Chain 1960´s

6. Product Quality Equation
Novelprint + high quality raw materials and technologies - Import no longer available
= What do you do?
Settle for what was available OR Develop
The Best
Not very good
Available Supply Chain 1970´s

7. – Dictionary Definition: de·vel·op·ment
Pronunciation Key (d-vlp-mnt) n. [syn: growth, growing,
maturation,
• The act of developing.
• A significant event, occurrence, or change.
DEVELOPMENT
Novelprint’s Solution to the Scenario
Determination of the best techniques for applying a new
device or process to production of goods or services.

8. If you can’t import the products,
then import the know how.
The “PEOPLE FACTOR”
Novelprint’s Solution to the Scenario

9. Cycle of Innovation - Who we are today

10. Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

11. 1st Machine in South America.
Top of the line Flexo at the time.
Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line
1968

12. Development did
not start with nor
was restricted to
BOPP
Novelprint began making rotary dies in 1972
Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

13. Label applicator development
began.
Initially the machines were
semi automatic.
Gradually more automatic
versions were developed,
including a dot matrix
inprinter which was one of
the first in the world.
Step motors were introduced
in the 1980’s
BOPP Liner Automated Application

14. Faustel Coater
Start up of silicone
coating production
1975
Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line

15. Novelprint BOPP Liner R&D Time Line
o 30 years ago we purchased our first hot
melt coater.
o 2 years later, we began formulating &
producing our own adhesives.
o Over the last 3 decades we have
developed innumerous special
formulations.
1975

16. Novelprint was the 2nd
company worldwide outside Japan to
purchase and install a Ko - Pack press. Nowadays we have
5 in operation.
1976
Rotary Letter Press Revolution

17. The rotary
Letterpress process
required UV Inks
which were not
available in Brazil at
the time.
1977
Solution:
Develop UV Inks “In House”
Continued R&D Developments

18. In 1976 there was 1 unreliable Brazilian Super Calandered
Kraft/Glassine supplier for release liners.
At the time, NP developed a liner from brown Kraft packaging
paper with a primer before silicone coating.
These labels did not require automatic application.
The How of BOPP Development

19. The only available BOPP on the Brazilian market was for the
cigarette industry. The only available thickness was 30 microns.
Polyester was not cost effective for mass production.
$$$$$$$
Automatic application became more and more of a demand.
That is how we got to BOPP.
The CATCH
The Catch

20. The synergy of all of these technologies under one roof
lead to a continuous cycle of development.

21. The arguments presented were:
BOPP will not resist to the silicone heat curing
It didn’t
BOPP liner will not permit die cutting
It didn’t
BOPP will stretch on the press
It did,
BOPP will be affected by the press drying process
It was
BOPP will not be an adequate liner for applicators
It wasn´t
THE BOPP CHALLENGE
When the concept was pitched inside our company, to our
clients and to colleagues throughout the world, we became
at times less encouraged to go forth with the idea.

22. It became clear to us at Novelprint, that
siliconized BOPP liners were a manufacturing
improvement within the label business.
In November of 1979 at the TAPPI
conference the subject matter revolved around
paper liners. At the Q&A session, I inquired about
the absence of discussion of BOPP liners. The
question was brushed off and the subject matter
diverted.
At the end of the seminar, both Mr. Chris
Watson, the event Co-Chairman and a gentleman
from MOBIL approached me and told me that they
were working on the same development and we
had a fascinating conversation at the time.
The Anecdote – 1979
25 years ago: TAPPI Silicone Coating Course, Chicago
How funny: 25 years later and BOPP is still a novelty

23. The “whys” and “hows”of BOPP release liner development has been the
result of an evolutionary process.
The following slides will show you how we went from the cave to where
we are today.
Evolutionary Results
Developing products before the market is ready to use them is not always
an easy task to overcome commercially.

24. Hard to believe?
The initial constructions in the 1980’s, utilized various paper
face materials with the 30 micron liner.
Evolutionary Results

25. Later that decade 40 micron BOPP
became available on the market.
The thicker BOPP material lead us
back into the development
process where we began
developing BOPP face material.
Over the next few years,
Novelprint began to substitute
paper for BOPP face material in
label production until it became a
preferred construction for
standardized products.
40 Micron
Evolutionary Results
The 30 micron BOPP available in the early
1980’s was just too thin to use as a plastic
face materials due to die cutting

26. Evolutionary Results
From Paper to BOPP
In the mid 1980´s, customers began
migrating from Paper/BOPP constructions to
BOPP face 40 micron/ BOPP Liner 40 micron.

27. From White -to Metalized BOPP
Evolutionary Results

28. Evolutionary Results

29. Evolutionary Results

30. 25 years of experience has proven to us BOPP´s various
advantages
• Quality Benefits
• Lower Cost Benefits
• Environmental Benefits
BOPP BENEFITS

31. • Quality Benefits
– Improved release performance
– No paper dust particles on labeling machines
– Cleaner products for hygienic or sterile plants
– More transparent “No Label look” labels
• Lower Cost Benefits
– Less costly per MSI than glassine paper
– Higher speed labeling and less web breakage
– Thinner face materials may be used
– Fewer roll changes due to thinner BOPP liner
• (more labels per roll )
• Environmental Benefits
– BOPP silicone release Liner is recyclable
• Buy back price in Brazil US$ .25/lb
BOPP BENEFITS
25 years of experience has proven to us BOPP´s
various advantages

32. THE END
• To end this presentation – we
offer the following video
demonstrating the conversion
and printing process on one of
our presses.
• Both liner and face materials
are BOPP
• Thank you for your attention.

33. TLMI FINAT