Industry:
Mechanical Engineering, Cases and Container Construction
Application:
CE marking and hazardous goods marking
The user
is a leading worldwide manufacturer of seamless high-pressure steel cylinders and pressure vessels. It is the only company throughout the world which itself manufacturers full steel, steel composites, full composites as well as tube trailers.
Initial situation
The customer needed a system for marking its respiratory cylinders in line with the guideline 97/23/EG.
Moreover, the production and procurement costs should be reduced since the technical data were attached in a costly embossing process. Additionally, multicoloured silk-screen labels were attached individually to serve as hazardous goods stickers as per ADR. To protect the marking against impact and external influences, a stretch foil was subsequently wrapped around the cylinder several times.
Solution form ELTEX
ELTEX was commissioned with the task of developing a permanent and economic marking that would satisfy not only the statutory requirements but also the product-specific ones.
The high demands set made comprehensive material tests necessary: the multicoloured imprint had to have impact protection as well as be UV-resistant and waterproof. At the same time it was necessary that the material bonded for many years with the curved plastic material. The adhesive should not be penetrated by aggressive media that would lead to a detaching of the label, thus resulting in legal consequences.
ELTEX presented the perfect solution with a label from the TOP PROTECT 2 in 1 range. The self-adhesive label consists of a flexible material structure. This is imprinted (multicoloured) in a thermal transfer print process with technical data, CE and hazardous goods marking. Subsequently, the laminate section that is designed to protect the print image is simply folded on to the imprinted foil label and the label is then attached to the cylinder.
The main benefits:
- Clearly legible and inextinguishable CE marking as per 97/23/EG
- Permanently UV-resistant and identifiable hazardous goods marking
- ‘All in One’: technical data, CE marking and hazardous goods sticker
- Optimal adhesion on plastic cylinders thanks to flexible foil design
- Time-consuming embossing unnecessary
- Reduction in production costs
- Reduction in procurement process costs due to fewer parts and suppliers
- A responsible system supplier for labels and software as well as for maintenance and service of the printing system
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Additional advantage
Given the hard production environment in which the products were to be used, the thermal transfer printing system as well as the label had to be protected against dust since no other rooms could be made available.
ELTEX produced a housing with external operator panel in its own engineering department. Two ventilators with filters generate overpressure inside the housing. TOP PROTECT label and print system are thus reliably protected against external influences. | 
