UPM’s new label adhesives target pharma vials, wine ice buckets, industrial chemical drums

GLOBAL – UPM has launched three adhesives for demanding label applications: PharmaSure for pharmaceuticals, Vetro for wine and spirits, and Endurance for oil and industrial chemicals, each engineered for conditions where general-purpose adhesives fail.

The new solutions are part of UPM Raflatac’s label material offering. 

Christian Szameit, senior VP of Global Markets at UPM Adhesive Materials, stated that adhesive selection is a critical decision for demanding label applications, and that the company’s purpose-built solutions help customers choose the right performance for their end-use. 

The adhesives are supported by pre-assessed performance data to support qualification and regulatory processes.

PharmaSure: Small Vials, Big Stakes

Pharmaceutical labels face sterilization cycles, cold-chain storage, and application onto small-diameter vials. 

A label that detaches from a vaccine vial is not a printing failure, it is a patient safety risk. PharmaSure maintains adhesion across these conditions while remaining removable when required for repackaging. 

The adhesive also must perform on glass surfaces with varied energy levels, including coated or siliconized vials.

Vetro: Sticking Through the Ice

Wine and spirit labels confront humidity in refrigerated cases, condensation, and prolonged ice bucket immersion. 

A label that slides off a wine bottle in an ice bucket damages brand presentation. 

Vetro maintains adhesion and print integrity despite moisture exposure, while allowing clean removal when bottles are returned for refilling. 

The adhesive performs on textured, frosted, or UV-coated glass substrates.

Endurance: Chemical and Mechanical Stress

Industrial labels for oil, chemicals, and heavy equipment adhere to oily metal, powder-coated surfaces, and low-energy plastics under chemical exposure, mechanical strain, and hot-fill conditions. 

A label that peels off a chemical drum is a safety hazard if contents cannot be identified.

Endurance maintains adhesion despite oil contamination, temperature cycling, and abrasion during transport.

Why General-Purpose Adhesives Cost More

Many label converters use general-purpose adhesives across applications to simplify inventory. 

A general-purpose adhesive that works for dry food labels may fail on an ice-cold beer bottle or a chemical drum. 

The cost of a label failure, product recall, customer complaint, regulatory non-compliance, far exceeds the cost of a specialised adhesive. UPM’s launch provides converters with documented, pre-tested options that reduce field failure risk.

When the Adhesive Holds the Brand Together

A label is only as good as the adhesive that holds it. UPM’s three new adhesives turn label stock from a commodity into an engineered solution. 

For converters serving pharma, wine, and industrial customers, that engineering is not incremental; it is a liability reduction.

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