Cryogenic labels for vaccines, clinical trials, and cold chain logistics

At Label Craft not only are we Covid compliant but as a health care supplier we are constantly developing to meet the needs of an ever-changing landscape in the manufacturing of labels here at our factory in Ireland. The low temperatures required for delivery of the breakthrough COVID-19 vaccines have put a spotlight on the pharmaceutical cold chain, but the need for ultra-low temperature solutions has been steadily rising alongside the development of advanced biologic and genetic therapeutics. At Label Craft we offer a full scope of products for our Health Care customers. 

Reliable in every sense from development to delivery, Label Craft Ireland are able to offer customers low temperature labels supporting breakthroughs in vaccines and therapeutics.

Highly durable, cold resistant labels are essential to the process of bringing these advanced therapeutics to the market. Labelling materials need to withstand the low temperatures of dry ice and liquid nitrogen as samples and compounds are shipped between laboratories and research centres. Labels must reliably adhere to the many small, curved vials used throughout clinical trials, and they need to provide a print quality that ensures readability of critical information from development to distribution.

Label Craft offer a range of labels for cryogenic and dry ice applications providing durable solutions for the pharmaceutical industry. The portfolio includes labelling solutions for application temperatures as low as -50°C, as well as solutions for high-speed production lines that are currently being used to label Covid-19 vaccines.

Designed specifically to meet challenges in the industry, Label Craft’s cryogenic range provides solutions that have an ultra-low service temperature, adhere strongly to curved vials, and reliably display variable information throughout the value chain.

Labels that continue to work under ultra-low temperatures. 

Increasingly, areas of pharmaceutical discovery require ultra-low temperatures for storage and shipping, often using dry ice (-80°C) or liquid nitrogen (-196°C). 

Reliable labelling is critical for accuracy and safety in the research, development and even delivery of these breakthrough therapeutics. All solutions from Label Craft cryogenic range have a service temperature range of -196°C to +120°C, providing a secure bond in ultra-low temperatures.

Clear and reliable variable information display

Everyone needs clear access to vital medicines at this time. The main purpose of a label is to reliably share information along the value chain. It should be convenient and easy to print or write information on a label, the print quality should be robust so that information is clearly legible, and the label should withstand any frost or condensation that can occur if the container is taken out of the freezer.

Materials in Label Craft’s cryogenic range are compatible with multiple variable information printing techniques including thermal transfer, UV Inkjet, dry toner, and even manually writing information with a pen. The portfolio offers solutions for applications that need to withstand multiple freeze-thaw cycles, autoclave sterilisation, and harsh chemicals to ensure clear identification of samples throughout the value chain.

Secure adhesion to small, curved vials capable of withstanding extreme low temperatures, vital for 

Vials, test tubes, and other pharmaceutical containers often have a small diameter and a high curvature. Even in room temperatures, general adhesives have difficulty providing a strong enough mandrel hold, or the ability to adhere to curved surfaces without “winging up” at the sides, for these vessels. In ultra-low temperatures, if the label starts to shear away the edges freeze, become rigid, and are prone to snapping.

The face stocks available in Label Craft’s cryogenic range are highly conformable. In combination with a cryogenic adhesive, they provide a strong mandrel hold that makes them ideal for ultra-low temperature applications with plastics, glass, steel, and aluminium.

For large scale applications, a label’s mandrel hold must be reliable across industrial production processes. Label Craft use an S2196 adhesive that has been rigorously tested to ensure a strong hold when applied in high-speed production lines and stored at ultra-low temperatures. Labelling solutions made with S2196 are currently qualified and in use in select Covid-19 vaccine distribution efforts.

Label Craft Ireland have been servicing Health Care providers with quality labels since 1984.

If you would like to discuss our cryogenic range or other products, please consult a member of our customer service team by contacting sales@label-craft.com 

Thank you sincerely to all our customers for your support during these restricted times, we are so appreciative of your business and are here to support you in getting your product labels and cartons manufactured and delivered it the same high standard we have had in practice over the last 35 years in business.