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We bundle our expertise
From concept to market maturity, ACTEGA is transforming the packaging industry with Signite®.
Heidi Munnelly, Head of Research & Development – Signite® , ACTEGA | Grant Schutte, Vice President North America Technologies, ACTEGA
St. Louis, Leeds, Barcelona, São Paulo – Signite® is embarking on a world tour. The decoration technology from packaging specialist ACTEGA is showcased as a trio. In addition to the printing materials, the printing and application technology are on stage at the ALTANA division’s presentations. This is because ACTEGA has taken a new approach in the development of Signite®: The printing and application technology were developed alongside the materials.
“We have chemical and engineering experts working closely together in our team. When we started developing Signite® in 2017, bundling these different skills was quite visionary for us as a specialty chemicals company,” recalls Grant Schutte, Vice President North America Technologies at ACTEGA. And the team proved to be a winning combination, as the transformative decoration technology has successfully entered the market.
Heidi Munnelly and her team develop high-performance printing materials that are tailored to customer needs.
Waste-free printing process
Signite® is a unique decoration technology combining a low-waste printing technique with state-of-the-art application machinery. This creates a distinctive “no-label” look comparable to direct-to-container screen printing, but in a pressure sensitive application. All while improving recyclability and reuse capabilities for glass, plastic, or aluminum containers.
Heidi Munnelly and her team develop high-performance printing materials so that the innovative printing technology can reach its full potential. “All our solutions are UV-curing, which makes the production process both energy- and cost-efficient,” explains the team leader, who has been part of the Signite® journey since its inception. “When I started, the idea of creating a completely new technology to protect the planet captivated me,” she says. “Seeing the growing number of customers adopting this solution fills me with pride.“
60 percent thinner labels: ACTEGA has developed Signite®, a transformative and sustainable technology.
Success factor: cross-team collaboration
For Munnelly, this also means that the demand for customized materials is increasing. “We’re not only focused on creating new decoration options but also on developing materials to provide end products with unique properties,” she explains. These improvements, such as increased abrasion protection and impact resistance, result in exceptionally durable labels.
Chemical and engineering experts also collaborate closely when developing materials. “Working in this way, we ensure that materials and technology complement each other perfectly,” says Grant Schutte. Another result of this pooling of expertise: Labels printed with Signite® are more than 60 percent thinner than conventional labels, significantly reducing material usage.
“When developing Signite®, we benefitted enormously from cross-team and partnership-wide exchange,” says Schutte. Signite® is an impressive example of the ALTANA Group’s Keep Changing Agenda for the future. The decoration technology combines innovation and growth. Thanks to its transformative potential and the team’s tireless efforts, the technology has the momentum to gain a foothold in the growth market for sustainable packaging.