UL Approved Label Materials

The UL® approval process can be risky business for converters in the durables market. Obtaining UL recognized labels can be seen as an expensive, time consuming investment — buying master rolls of facestock to run only a small percentage of material through the printing press, adding certain inks and other components to construct a series of sample labels for UL evaluation.

Then, they must pay $2,000 or more for testing and wait 12 weeks or longer for the results — all without a guarantee the label construction will pass inspection. If it doesn’t, they repeat the entire process, pay the price again and wait even longer, adding time and costs to each project.

But there’s an easier, more cost-effective solution for UL labeling. By using a UL-recognized system of constructions, converters can simply adopt a file of UL preapproved label materials and printing processes, drastically reducing the risks and resources required to gain UL recognition while driving profits in a high-margin sector. 

Streamlined process

 The Avery Dennison Customer-Ready™ Durables Portfolio is a focused selection of preapproved label solutions that simplifies the approval process. The portfolio consists of six high performance UL approved label materials combined with commonly used inks, thermal ribbons, overlaminates and adhesives. Because the label constructions have already been tested and approved by UL, converters can simply adopt Avery Dennison’s file (Category PGJI / File Number MH 17205) when requesting UL approval.

File adoption lowers the testing cost as much as 75 percent and allows converters to add to their file in as quick as two weeks. Because the materials and printing systems are already UL recognized, file adoption eliminates the risk of wondering whether final labels will meet specifications.     

The expenses saved from file approval add to the converter’s bottom line and accelerate time to market, allowing them to capture more business in the durables market. 

Simple options

While some suppliers offer huge catalogs that can overwhelm converters, the Customer-Ready Durables Portfolio is a simplified offering of six UL approved label materials that are easy to memorize and manage. The portfolio is constantly changing and adding new materials to meet shifting demands in the marketplace.

In addition, when converters require additional materials beyond the scope of the portfolio, Avery Dennison walks them through the process, even pre-certifying materials in the Global Client Services Laboratory.

Extensive application

Although small in number, the options in the Customer-Ready Durables Portfolio are mighty in application. The materials were designed and selected to cover nearly 80 percent of all applications in the durables market, allowing converters to consolidate inventories.

Rather than building up expansive collections of SKUs that only work for certain projects, the portfolio allows converters to streamline their inventories with dynamic materials that offer cost-effective, fit-for-use options.

Preapproved construction

All of the materials in the Customer-Ready Durables Portfolio are prequalified with UL not only as raw materials but also in combination with a selection of the most common inks, thermal ribbons and printing systems utilized across the industry.

Most end-users require UL-approved constructions, meaning that both the raw materials (such as facestocks, adhesives and overlaminates) and the printing systems (including inks and thermal ribbons) used to construct labels have been approved by UL. Using an approved system of construction ensures all components on the final label can withstand the applications of durable goods. 

By using a UL-recognized system of constructions, converters can simply adopt a file of preapproved label materials and printing processes.

Reduced waste

All of the materials in the Customer-Ready Durables Portfolio are offered through Avery Dennison EXACT™ service program, which allows converters to buy low minimum order quantities. Instead of purchasing a full master roll of 60 inches by 5,000 feet, for example, converters can buy only the volume of material they need, with lengths ranging from 1,700 to 2,500 feet in any width requested.

An ideal solution for low-volume, high-mix projects, the EXACT program eliminates scrap by allowing converters to order as much as they need, and no more.

Best-in-class service

More than a material supplier, Avery Dennison is a supply chain partner that works closely with converters to deliver best-fit label solutions. Sales representatives provide training to converters about the UL process and specifications, even assisting on calls to end-user customers to answer questions and provide sales process coaching. At workshops offered to converters, Avery Dennison not only discusses products in the CustomerReady Durables Portfolio but explores trends and applications throughout the durables market sector, as well, to make converters more successful. >