Have you ever had to have a need for tamper evident labels? Well we have had a few customers call and some of the applications are quite interesting. 
First of all, lets talk about the kinds of tamper evident labels there are.
Tamper evident labels can come as void labels, labels that show a checkered pattern or destructible vinyl labels. A void label will show the word “Void” when the label is tampered with or removed. Void pattern labels are not recommended for small sizes. The lettering is 1/2″ tall, so to read the void, you must have a label at least that big.
A Chrome Polyester checkered pattern label will show just that, a checkered pattern, when the label is tempered with or removed.
Destructible vinyl labels will flack off as you try to remove them. Leaving evidence that the package was tampered with by showing a flaky labels that cannot be restored. This highly destructible White Polyethylene shreds when removed leaving the decal not usable. The service temperature range is between -40F to +300F.
Tamper proof labels are ideal for electronic equipment, pharmaceutical products, airplane and auto replacement parts, and any security-related application. These labels are also used as warranty labels to insure a product has not been tampered with by a customer removing a cover. We recently had a customer looking for the self destructible label for camera lenses. The application was to make sure visitors did not take photos in a highly secure plant that had highly confidential products being manufactured. The label prevented people from taking photos with camera phones or other camera devises.
For more questions on tamper evident labels, call Adazon at 847-235-2700.
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Decals, are manufactured with many different materials, each material group is used for specific uses. Materials like white vinyl are used for decals that mount onto outside windows, doors, lockers, notebooks, vehicles. Clear polyester or clear Mylar is utilized to manufacture decals to be mounted on the inside of windows so the graphic message is seen from the outside. Other materials such as, static cling, Lexan, VTP, white Mylar’s, premium vinyl’s, each used to answer a specific need.
Materials are not the only choice, but there are many different types of adhesives, which are used to fill a particular need. The material set known as destructible vinyls also invented to meet a certain need in the market place.
Destructible vinyl is a vinyl that has low shear strength, meaning the tensile strength of the material is fragile. The amount of shear force e.g. the force exerted on the material when a person tries to remove a decal or label that is affixed to a surface. The shear force to remove the affixed decal or label is greater than the tensile strength of the substrate therefore the substrate breaks.
Many new materials used to manufacture decals and labels are substrates that had peculiar problems such as a vinyl with a fragile surface tension. When combined with a very strong adhesive when the decal or label is adhered to a surface, after a 24-hour curing time, the adhesive shear strength is higher than the tensile strength of the vinyl substrate.
Who would want a decal or label that destructed when a person tried to remove it? There are a number of industries that wanted a product that could not be removed off a product.
Manufactures that produce electronic components that need to affix a label to the rear of the component informing consumers and repair personal of the products specifications. This asset label must not be removed, because regulations imposed by governments, or inspection companies like U.L. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. These labels are in place for consumer safety, and product compliance with basic industry standards.
Many manufacturers utilize the destructible decals or labels to keep warranties in force know as tamper evident decals or labels. If the consumer or unauthorized repairperson breaks the destructible label seal then it is evident that someone tampered with the component then the warranty of the product is void.
This product is the high tech application, of the piece of clear tape place on an entrance of a door if the tape was broken it was evident that there was an unauthorized entry. In centuries past letters of government officials were sealed with wax, impressed in the wax was the signet ring or seal of the official. If the seal was broken it was evident to the recipient of the letter the communication was compromised.
The destructible vinyl decals and labels can be use in many different applications. Case history of the use of destructible decals was chosen because a regular decal did not suffice.
We were contacted by a company that had about a problem. The situation this company along with many other concerns were hired by FEMA for waste cleanup and disposal after a natural disasters. Each company hired was paid by the tonnage of cleanup debris collected and each company had their own containers identified with a decal affixed to the container with the company name.
The dilemma other companies would remove the decal of our client and replace it with their decal stealing their container. Therefore, when FEMA counted the tonnage collected by our client the tonnage was short, according to their records. To solve the problem we came up with the solution of utilizing a destructible decal so the competing companies could not remove the decals.
The epilogue of this story is once the destructible decals where put into service no more containers were lost.
Decals and labels are not a captivating topic and lets be truthful the subject is a little boring. However, when you need a particular decal or label to fix a problem or a need it is important that you have a resource that can assist you in your search.
Doug Bryant