New HERMA adhesive: Migration below detection threshold

New HERMA adhesive for pharmaceutical labels undergoes testing:

Migration below detection threshold

• Tests of the new pharmaceutical adhesive pharmaceutical 63Mps, performed by ISEGA in compliance with European standard EN 1186, verify practically zero migration through critical PE films.
• Results are especially significant, given that pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly replacing glass pill bottles with HDPE and LDPE variants, which do not have effective barrier properties.

The new pharmaceutical label adhesive HERMAperfectStick (63Mps) practically rules out migration through ubiquitous PE plastics. In standardised tests conforming to European standard EN 1186 the adhesive performed exceptionally well. Having concluded its examination, the test institute ISEGA announced that the migration values were below the detection limit. "The polyethylene (PE) film used in these tests is extremely thin and therefore especially prone to migration. Although the 63Mps grade was expected to post low migration values, its outstanding performance in these conditions and the absence of measurable migration represent a minor sensation even for us," insists Dr. Ulli Nägele, HERMA's head of development.

Assured safety even without a barrier layer
Exceptional migration values are very important for labelling solutions in the pharmaceutical sector as more and more manufacturers are rejecting glass in favour of plastic containers. "By a large margin, PE is the standard plastic most widely used for this application worldwide," explains Dr. Nägele. Compared to glass, both HDPE and LDPE plastics offer numerous benefits as regards cost, transport and safety. Switching to PE, however, also entails a sharp rise in the risk of migration. Unlike glass, many PE plastics do not offer any effective barrier properties. The pharmaceutical adhesive 63Mps gives label printers and users the security they need. "Most pharmaceutical packages made of plastic are a lot thicker than the thin PE films that were used in the tests. In practice, therefore, product safety is actually that much greater," remarks Dr. Nägele. This migration-safe adhesive is among the latest to be based on the multi-layer technology pioneered in the industry by HERMA.

Reliable performance with very small diameters and in cool conditions
Pharmaceutical adhesive grade 63Mps offers additional benefits, moreover, that are thought to be unique alongside its resistance to migration. It performs reliably, for example, even when applied to containers with very small circumferences. With test tubes, small bottles and vials it significantly reduces the risk of the label lifting off because of the large elastic forces that come into play. Thanks to its excellent initial tack, it is also the perfect choice when labelling in cool environments and at high speed. The new adhesive 63Mps is available in combination with a broad array of white paper and film products, including especially supple materials that are ideal for reliable wrap-around labelling applications.