Foil protection for food packaging
combine multiple security elements to protect products against
counterfeiting, according to French foil manufacturer Kurz.
The company claims that when different manufacturing techniques are required to copy security features that have been used, this increases the difficulty of counterfeiting enormously. For this reason, the firm has launched a comprehensive brand protection product range with many component combination possibilities, including a wide range of difficult-to-copy OVDs (optical variable devices) such as holograms and the high-tech Trustseal security option.
Kurz has also developed security features based on a complex, hard-to-imitate foil technology. Diffractive effects such as customised-design foils with continuous, ultra-fine geometric patterns, plain foils with multi-angle rainbow colour effects or single-image holograms are available from Kurz on transparent foil.
Transparent diffractive foils are difficult to imitate because specialist foil-related know-how is required to manufacture them. Secondly, they serve as an additional security feature for protecting important readable information against counterfeiting, like personal data, photos, of manufacture or use-by-dates and warranty codes. The information remains clearly readable at all times but it is protected: any tampering of the foil to falsify the stored data and information will be readily recognisable.
Transparent diffractive foils can also be used to enhance packaging and provide brand protection without modifying the product design. The recognition effect of the original design is fully retained so no new brand building is necessary.
The transparent foils used can emphasise new features or even accentuate or enhance the original design. For example, certain design elements associated with the brand, like original lettering or a logo, can be incorporated into the foil as holographic wallpaper patterns.
During the manufacturing process, single images, for example a Trustseal, can be positioned precisely in the x and y directions relative to the demetallised design. This combination of OVD and demetallisation - which Kurtz refers to as 'dual security features' - is then transferred with high edge definition onto the product to be protected.
This technology can produce type with letters approx. 0.5 mm in height, which would not be possible to simulate with a stamping die. Both positive and negative designs can be implemented using demetallisation, and according to Kurtz, the range of possibilities is virtually unlimited.
In contrast to fully metallised hot stamping foils, demetallised hot stamping foils are only partially covered with an aluminium layer. Geometric patterns as well as digits, letters and type with a filigree structure can also be realised.
The market for transparent foils has increased rapidly in the last few years. Partly this is due to growing awareness from manufacturers that they must do their utmost to ensure the security of their product. More and more are looking to foil as a means of achieving this aim.
