For several years, Stoelzle Glass has been interested in the durability of decorations as much as that of glass packaging. A concern that led in 2018 to the launch of “Quali Glass Coat 2.0”, a glue-free and solvent-free powder coating.
An ink made from old tyres
The group’s development teams have been working with external experts on new eco-friendly inks. As a result, the group has introduced an environmentally-friendly black printing ink made from end-of-life tyres. Developed from rubber waste, exclusively for Stoelzle, in partnership with a service provider who supplies the carbon powder 100% made from end-of-life tyres, the ink provides a deep black silk-screen effect. According to Stoelzle, the bottles decorated with this ink are unlikely to be distinguished from those decorated with traditional black inks. “The recycled ink saves carbon and contributes to reduce rubber waste at the same time,” explains the glassmaker.
The recycled ink decor is available in dark black colour as well as in shades of grey and is available in all three decoration sites of the Stoelzle Group, in France, Poland and the UK.
Embossed lettering
Usually, embossing is done directly via the mould during the production of the bottles. Stoelzle has developed a cold end embossing solution, which can be applied to the bottles like a label and remains invisible. “The secret of this outstanding decoration technique is the perfect cutting of the embossed features,” says the company.
The embossing can be done on flint bottles as well as on already coated ones. There’s almost no limitation in terms of colours: gold, silver, multicolour, gradient, whatever suits best. In addition, embossed bottles can still be recycled.
Next generation of screen-printing
As far as screen-printing techniques are concerned, the Stoelzle decoration teams have set themselves the goal to further develop them in order to allow utmost fine, distinctive, detailed, and almost photo-realistic artworks.
The screen-printing is still based on classic inks, but on a much higher level of quality and broad choice of colours.
Ecofriendly powdercoating
This latest edition of the Luxe Pack Monaco trade show also provided an opportunity to review technologies that were presented previously.
For instance, the Quali Glass coat 2.0 technique, Stoelzle’s special powder coating process, has won the “coup de coeur“ at the Formes de Luxe Awards for being both ecofriendly and appealing. The innovative, eco-friendly powder coating is completely solvent free and helps save up to 77% of CO2 emissions compared to standard lacquering and was used for decorating the Perfume Gun collection of home fragrances by Parfums Frédéric Malle (The Estée Lauder Compagnies).
Applied to amber bottles, commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry, the 40-micron powder coating gives a perfectly smooth surface with a beautiful high-end matt finish.
Stoelzle Glass also provides another type of powder-based decoration named Tigital. The new technology allows to achieve photo-realistic artworks whilst saving 85% of C02 emission compared to classic screen printing. According to this technique suits well for very small lots and allows a high level of flexibility.
