Labels for Difficult Surfaces

This is the first post in our series looking at labels for difficult surfaces.

Today UK construction contributes over £100bn and accounts for 6.5% of the global construction sector. Despite a recent contraction of 0.7% in Q2, the UK construction sector is still regarded as robust.

With so much concrete being used in construction projects throughout the world product traceability is paramount. Transparency and traceability in the supply chain increases the confidence of stakeholders by providing information on the origin of aggregates and concrete to their source in individual projects.

Since 1^st July 2013 manufacturers of construction products are required to provide a declaration of performance and CE mark for products marketed and used within the EU. Achieving the necessary compliance requires production sites to be audited on an annual basis, by an independent body. This audit ensures the site and operations meet the required standards. Upon completion of a successful audit the site is awarded a unique reference number to support product traceability. This leads us to the topic of our blog – how to label cast concrete and stone?

The surface of a cast product differs greatly according to the product and the stage in the production process when labelling occurs. More and more we receive requests for labels which can be applied early in the production process, onto damp concrete in order to achieve full traceability. We recommend self-adhesive Mattrans Extreme labels to overcome the common problems associated with labelling concrete products:

• Wet Products – Any moisture or additives in a porous product will act as a barrier against the label.  Fortunately our Mattrans Extreme labels have been developed specifically for this purpose.   
• Dry Products – If the surface of your product is dusty, the area will need to be brushed, as an adhesive bond cannot be achieved to loose particles. Our Mattrans Extreme labels have a high coat weight of adhesive which not only guarantees fantastic initial grab but also continues to fuse with the surface over time creating a secure bond.     
• Uneven Surface – The qualities of the adhesive on Mattrans Extreme allows it to seep into the crevices and undulations of the surface after application to guarantee a long-lasting seal.

Does your product undergo an accelerated curing process? We also supply labels and tags which withstand high temperature and steam pressure processing.

In addition to labels we also supply, install and support full barcode printing systems incorporating printer, label formatting software and high performance ribbons.  Our labels can be supplied blank or pre-printed with your branding.

Contact our team today to find out more about any of our label products. We’ll be happy to recommend a solution for your labelling needs. Call us on +44 (0)114 242 2111 or email info@dura-id.com