中文Evonik, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has announced a significant upgrade to its UV-curable coating equipment at the Evonik Shanghai Innovation Park, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation in the labels and release liner sector. The upgrade, which involves replacing a three-roll coater with a five-roll coating platform, enhances Evonik’s ability to simulate industrial production conditions and support customers in the development of advanced coating formulations for label and release liner applications.
The new five-roll coating system represents a substantial technical advancement over the previous three-roll configuration. Five-roll coaters offer superior control over coating thickness, better homogeneity, and the ability to handle a wider range of viscosities and coating formulations. For Evonik’s customers, this means more accurate simulation of their own production conditions, reducing the risk of scale-up issues when moving from laboratory development to commercial production.
A particularly important feature of the new system is its versatility in curing technology. The equipment is equipped with both UV and LED inert curing units, allowing operators to switch between conventional UV and LED curing modes. This flexibility is increasingly important as the labelling and packaging industries adopt LED curing technology, which offers several advantages over conventional UV systems, including lower energy consumption, reduced heat generation, and lower emissions. LED curing is also compatible with a broader range of heat-sensitive substrates, opening up new application possibilities.
The upgrade reflects the growing importance of the Chinese market in the global labels and release liner industry. China is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for labels, driven by expanding consumer goods, e-commerce, and pharmaceutical sectors. By enhancing its capabilities at the Shanghai Innovation Park, Evonik is positioning itself to better serve customers in the Asia-Pacific region and globally, supporting the development of formulations that meet regional requirements and preferences.
Jared Bender, head of product line agriculture and specialties at Evonik Interface and Polyurethane Additives, emphasised the customer-centric nature of the investment: “This investment reflects our commitment to customer-centric innovation. This advancement allows us to better support customer-specific projects, from early-stage feasibility studies to full production validation.”
The labels and release liner industry is undergoing significant technological change, driven by evolving end-use requirements, sustainability considerations, and regulatory developments. Release liners—the siliconised backing papers or films that protect adhesive labels until application—require precise coating formulations to ensure consistent release performance. Evonik’s upgraded testing capabilities will enable more accurate formulation development and process optimisation, helping customers achieve better performance and reliability.
The investment also highlights the importance of technical service and support in the specialty chemicals industry. For formulators and converters, having access to advanced testing and development facilities can be a significant competitive advantage. Evonik’s ability to simulate customer production conditions means that customers can reduce development time, minimise scale-up risks, and bring new products to market faster.
Beyond the immediate technical benefits, the upgrade underscores Evonik’s broader strategy of investing in regional innovation capabilities. The Shanghai Innovation Park is part of Evonik’s global network of research and development facilities, and investments such as this five-roll coater upgrade demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting regional innovation while maintaining global standards of excellence.
As the label and packaging industries continue to evolve—driven by sustainability requirements, changing consumer preferences, and technological innovation—the role of specialty chemical suppliers like Evonik becomes increasingly important. Advanced coating formulations, release agents, and additives play a critical role in enabling the performance, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of modern label and packaging solutions. Evonik’s investment in Shanghai positions the company to be a key partner in these industry developments.
Source: Labels & Labeling
