Ref. 81020 · PET for Paint and Curing Ovens
Self-adhesive white heat-stabilised polyester label for identifying metal parts that are subsequently painted and go through a curing oven: powder coating, cataphoresis or liquid paint. The film is heat-stabilised to minimise shrinkage under heat, the acrylic adhesive is super-permanent, and thermal transfer printing with resin ribbon keeps the code legible coming out of the process.
Ref. 81020 — White heat-stabilised polyester
Powder Coating · Cataphoresis · Curing Oven
−40 to +150 °C in service
Withstands +180 °C for one hour and +220 °C under brief exposure. Covers many powder coating cures; between +180 and +220 °C, oven time decides.
Minimal shrinkage
Heat-stabilised polyester: no shrinkage observed in the machine direction on an aluminium panel at 70 °C for 24 hours. This is what keeps the edge from lifting in the oven.
Super-permanent acrylic adhesive
17 N/25 mm on stainless steel, glass and acrylic, and 12 N/25 mm on polypropylene, after 72 hours of contact. Minimum application temperature: +10 °C.
Removable protective laminate
A transparent laminate covers the label during the process and is removed after painting: the paint stays on the laminate and the label comes out clean. If the line prints and applies the label in a single step, it is adapted without the laminate.
The +180 °C and +220 °C figures are time-limited exposures, not continuous service temperature. Always validate with a sample in your real paint line before starting series production.
Why this material
Why a heat-stabilised polyester for parts that are painted after labelling
The label enters the process together with the part
In stamping, boilermaking or metal fabrication, identification is usually applied to the part before finishing: it is formed, welded, labelled, and only then goes through pre-treatment, painting and the curing oven. The label is exposed at the same time to chemical baths, sustained heat and an oily or freshly welded surface. If it fails, the part comes out of the oven unidentified.
The problem is not solved with more adhesive
A standard polyester can withstand the oven temperature and still shrink a few millimetres: the edge lifts, adhesive is left exposed and paint gets underneath. What decides the outcome is the dimensional stability of the film and the print, not the amount of adhesive. That is why the Ref. 81020 starts from a heat-stabilised film.
The values given are typical values, not intended for specification. Verify with a sample before starting production.
Key advantage
Minimal shrinkage in the oven
Heat-stabilised polyester film, super-permanent adhesive and top-coat for resin ribbon in a single construction. Resists good to excellent against high temperatures, chemical products, oils, ultraviolet radiation, cleaning products and changes in weather conditions.
For ovens above +220 °C, or that hold more than +180 °C for longer than one hour, we work with polyimide: see the high-temperature range.
Technical properties
Material data
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Standard / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film caliper (face) | 50 | µm | ASTM D 3652 · white heat-stabilised polyester (PET), gloss top-coat |
| Adhesive caliper | 22 | µm | ASTM D 3652 · super-permanent acrylic, pressure-sensitive |
| Backing caliper | 56 | µm | ASTM D 3652 · liner |
| Shear | 100 | hours | FTM 8 · one hour dwell time on stainless steel with a 2 kg weight |
| Probe tack | 530 | g/cm² | ASTM D 2979 |
| Dimensional stability | No shrinkage | — | Machine direction, on an aluminium panel at 70 °C for 24 hours |
| Printing | TTR | — | Thermal transfer with resin ribbon |
Continuous service
−40 / +150 °C
With peaks of +180 °C for one hour and +220 °C under brief exposure. Cure duration matters as much as temperature.
Adhesion to stainless steel
17 N/25 mm
FTM 1, 72 hours of contact. The same value on glass and acrylic; 12 N/25 mm on polypropylene.
Dimensional stability
No shrinkage
Heat-stabilised film: no shrinkage observed in the machine direction at 70 °C for 24 hours on an aluminium panel.
Adhesion by surface — FTM 1, 72 hours of contact
| Surface | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | 17 | N/25 mm |
| Glass | 17 | N/25 mm |
| Acrylic | 17 | N/25 mm |
| Polypropylene | 12 | N/25 mm |
Adhesion and tack values carry a tolerance of 15%. On steel with powder coating, or on an oily or freshly welded part, actual adhesion depends on the cleanliness of the surface: it is validated with a sample.
Temperatures and storage
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Service temperature | −40 to +150 °C | Continuous exposure |
| One-hour exposure | +180 °C | For example, a long powder coating cure |
| Brief exposure | +220 °C | Short-duration peaks |
| Minimum application temperature | +10 °C | Clean, dry surface, free of grease |
| Storage | Max. 21 °C / 50% RH | Avoid damp, excessive heat and frost |
| Shelf life | 2 years | Under the storage conditions indicated |
Performance by usage criterion
Suitable
Powder coating and curing oven
Powder-coated surfaces and parts that pass through the oven within −40 / +150 °C, with peaks of +180 °C for one hour and brief +220 °C. Heat-stabilised film.
Good to excellent
Oils, chemicals and cleaning
Good to excellent resistance against chemical products, oils, cleaning products, ultraviolet radiation and changes in weather conditions.
To be validated
Cataphoresis and pre-treatments
Degreasing and phosphating baths and paint immersion followed by an oven: every line is different. Tell us the chemistry, temperatures and times, and we will validate it with a sample in your line.
Not recommended
Shot blasting with the label already applied
The shot erodes any adhesive label exposed to the blast. Apply it after shot blasting, protect it with impact-protection tape, or use a hang tag instead.
On the finishing line
Where the label sits and what it has to withstand
| Stage | What happens to the label | Ref. 81020 |
|---|---|---|
| Shot blasting | Impact from steel shot that erodes the exposed surface | Apply afterwards, or protect with tape |
| Degreasing and phosphating | Alkaline and acid baths, often heated | To be validated with your chemistry |
| Powder coating | Sprayed paint that also falls on the label | Laminate removed after painting |
| Cataphoresis | Immersion in the bath; paint is deposited onto the metal | To be validated in your line |
| Curing oven | Sustained heat: shrinks a film that is not stabilised | −40 / +150 °C; +180 °C 1 h; +220 °C brief |
Every line combines these stages differently. Choosing correctly needs three pieces of information: at what point the label is applied, what baths and temperatures come afterwards, and how long the part spends in the oven. We explain this in more detail in the guide labels for powder coating, cataphoresis and shot blasting.
Removable laminate
The paint falls on the laminate, not on the label
After printing, the label is covered with a transparent protective laminate. The part goes through painting and the oven with the laminate in place, and it is then removed: the paint goes with it and the label comes out clean, with the code legible.
If your line prints and applies the label in a single step, it can be produced without the laminate. This is validated in your process.
Printability
Thermal transfer with resin ribbon
Ribbon type
Resin
The gloss top-coat is designed for resin ribbon. Wax and wax-resin are not intended for chemical baths or for the oven. If you need it, we also supply the ribbon.
What is printed
Barcodes and DataMatrix
Variable data on the line: part number, batch, manufacturing order or 2D code. Printed on industrial thermal transfer printers and on print-and-apply equipment.
To check in your line
Code readability coming out of the oven
The combination of ribbon, bath and oven is what decides whether the code remains readable. That is why validation is done with a run through the real process, reading the codes on exit.
Usage recommendations
- —Always apply to a clean, dry surface, free of grease or oil. On stamped or recently welded parts, remove residues beforehand.
- —Apply the label with firm pressure, to increase contact between the adhesive and the surface.
- —The adhesive adheres better to a warm surface than to a cold one: it flows more easily and increases the contact area. Minimum +10 °C.
- —Format, core and roll length, matched to the applicator and printer already installed on your line.
The data is informative in nature and should not be taken as a basis for specification or as a guarantee of a given performance. Carry out your own trials under the real conditions of application.
Multi-layer composition
How it's built
On the printed face, when the process requires it, a transparent protective laminate is applied and removed after painting.
With laminate or without?
The transparent laminate protects the label during painting and is removed afterwards, but it adds a step after printing. If your line prints and applies the label in a single step, we adapt it without the laminate and validate it in your process. Tell us how your line works and we will propose the right construction.
Quick comparison
Technical documentation
For more technical detail, the full technical data sheet is available as a PDF.
Download PDF specificationSupply details
Free technical sample
We send it before production, so you can run it through your real paint line.
With or without laminate
Depending on whether you print and apply the label in one step or two.
Custom format
Size, core and roll length for your printer or applicator.
Shipping across Europe
We supply across the whole European Union.
Frequently asked questions
Does it withstand the curing oven for powder coating or cataphoresis?
The Ref. 81020 works from −40 to +150 °C in continuous service, withstands +180 °C for one hour and +220 °C under brief exposure. A powder coating cure at around 180 °C falls within that range; between +180 and +220 °C, oven time is what decides it. For cataphoresis, with ovens at around 200 °C or higher, it is always validated with a sample. Tell us the temperature and time of your oven and we will test it in your line.
Why does it shrink less than a standard polyester?
Because the polyester film is heat-stabilised: it has been heat-treated to minimise shrinkage at elevated temperatures. In testing on an aluminium panel at 70 °C for 24 hours, no shrinkage is observed in the machine direction. A polyester that is not heat-stabilised can shrink a few millimetres in the oven and leave the adhesive edge exposed.
Does it withstand shot blasting with the label already applied?
We do not guarantee it. The shot impacts at high speed and erodes any adhesive label exposed to the blast. The reliable approach is to apply the label after shot blasting. If the part has to be identified beforehand, the label can be protected with a 0.91 mm impact-protection tape, in one or two layers, which is removed afterwards, or a mechanically fixed hang tag can be used instead. In both cases, it is validated with a real trial in your blasting cabinet.
Does it carry a protective laminate?
Yes. The label we propose for paint and oven applications is normally set up with a transparent protective laminate that is removed after painting: the paint stays on the laminate and the label comes out clean. When the line prints and applies the label in a single step, we adapt it without the laminate so it works the way that line operates.
Which ribbon should I use?
A resin ribbon. The gloss top-coat is designed for thermal transfer printing with resin; wax and wax-resin are not intended for a process with an oven and chemical baths. If you need it, we also supply the ribbon.
At what temperature can it be applied?
The minimum application temperature is +10 °C. The surface must be clean, dry and free of grease or oil: on recently stamped or welded parts, it is advisable to remove residues before applying the label.
What is the shelf life of the material?
Two years when stored at a maximum of 21 °C and 50% relative humidity, avoiding damp environments, excessive heat and frost.
Need to validate this material?
Tell us at what point on the line the label is applied, what baths and temperatures come afterwards, and how long the part spends in the oven. We'll confirm whether the Ref. 81020 is suitable, with or without laminate, and send you a sample to test in your process.
- Technical advice with no obligation.
- Response within 24 hours.
- Material samples when the project requires them.