NO824179L - SELF-ADDED LABEL AND PROCEDURE FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses the manufacture of self adhesive labels in roll form, without a backing strip: The base web material is non-fibrous and is substantially inextensible, and it is coated on one side with release material such as a polymerisable silicone resin, and on the other side with pressure sensitive adhesive. The web is die cut to define labels therein which can be removed from the remainder of the web and applied directly to products at an application station by a method and means forming part of the invention. The die cutting may be carried out prior to the application of the release coating, or subsequently, including immediately before the application station. The invention also includes a method of making the labels using relatively small dimensioned curing and/or drying ovens for the release coating and adhesive, and also release coaters and adhesive applicators.

Description

The present invention relates to self-adhesive labels, in particular labels which are supplied<1>in roll form. The labels will mainly be for applying, using suitable machines, to individual goods or objects, and the invention also relates to a method and a device for applying labels to goods or objects, or the labels can simply be for individual detachment by hand, as is the case when the labels are delivered e.g. for office use.

The invention also relates to a method for producing the label.

It is actually in the area of product marketing that pressure-sensitive labels find the greatest application, due to the fact that e.g. in supermarkets and other shops, the products sold are typically priced using a small pressure-sensitive label applied to the product, and often these labels have to be changed due to price changes, making the consumption of labels enormous.

Large quantities of labels are also used that are applied to containers, such as bottles and cans, and there are indeed many areas of application for pressure-sensitive labels.

Typically, pressure-sensitive labels are applied to a carrier or backing tape, which is usually a tape of paper coated with a suitable release agent, such as a silicone compound. The adhesive labels are applied to this carrier or backing tape for transport, storage and use, but the labels can easily be peeled off the backing tape because there is a much stronger bond between the adhesive and the material in the label than between the adhesive and the release agent.

Not only is the backing tape redundant after the labels are peeled from it and consumed, but the production of the backing tape is a special process and must be carried out under carefully controlled conditions. The equipment for the production of the underlay tape is expensive and very large, so that only a few companies are able to finance and carry out the production of underlay tape. This is because when the release agent is applied to the substrate material it is absorbed to a high degree by the paper, which is a fibrous, absorbent material, and significant quantities must be applied under carefully controlled conditions to achieve an outer surface layer of the release agent that will perform the necessary function. This release agent is a polymerizable material that must be heated after application to the paper. The heating time to polymerize the material is dependent on the applied quantity, and due to the absorption capacity of the paper tape, a long heating time is necessary for the production of the finished product.

There have been proposals to eliminate the underlay strip

in adhesive labels, but such proposals have had no commercial success. One of these proposals is known from US patent 3,575,788, where a label roll without a substrate is produced by printing one side of a clay-coated paper with a nitrocellulose-based printing ink and covering the printing ink with a release agent of a thermosetting silicone resin, while on the the other side is coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The silicon release agent is cured at a temperature of from 177 to 260°C.

At such temperatures, there will be a significant tendency for the paper to curl, and it is assumed that for this reason the aforementioned solution has not achieved commercial exploitation. In all cases, the extra step of applying the nitrocellulose printing ink increases the size of the plant, production time and production costs. For an unknown reason, other proposals for labels without a backing do not seem to have been brought to the market, as there are no pressure-sensitive labels without a backing on the market.

The present invention relates to new forms of pressure-sensitive labels, and a method for producing pressure-sensitive labels, where machinery is used that is relatively simple and has relatively small dimensions, which makes it possible to produce pressure-sensitive labels by manufacturers of the substrate material in its own factory. Such a manufacturer is typically referred to as a "converter" in that he converts the raw material into sheets and strips. The invention also relates to machinery for producing the labels as well as a method and a device for applying such labels to products.

The labels are available in roll form consisting of a ribbon

of non-porous material which is largely inextensible, and which on

one side has a pressure-sensitive adhesive and on the other side a release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive, so that the tape can be rolled up without the need for a backing tape.

The use of a non-porous tape gives it considerable advantage

that when the release agent is applied to it, the agent can be applied in relatively small quantities, which means that the curing time for the release agent is reduced and that lower curing temperatures than the temperatures according to US patent 3,575,788 can be used. Moreover, it is not necessary to apply a nitrocellulose varnish to the tape before applying the release agent.

It is preferred that the tape is not based on cellulose fibres, as cellulose fiber tapes have the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The tape is preferably made of a relatively inextensible material, so that it becomes possible to cut the individual labels from it.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive can cover the entire surface area or parts of the surface area, which in certain cases minimizes the risk of the pressure-sensitive adhesive being pinched by the roll of labels and affecting the unrolling of the tape and making it easier to apply the tape with labels to the product. Preferably, cutouts have been made in the tape so that individual labels are delimited in it, and the release agent is applied over the cuts so that the labels are better held together or to the rest of the tape.

The perforations or other weakening lines caused by the punching can delimit the labels so that when the labels are removed from the tape, a waste skeleton of tape material remains, but the perforations or other weakening lines can also be arranged so that the entire tape area delimits labels without anything extra.

The tape can be printed and form the labels, whereby the printing is on the side of the tape to which the release agent is applied. Preferably, the tape consists of a synthetic resin material containing an inorganic filler, such as talc or chalk.

The labels can also be in roll form comprising a strip of backing material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side of the strip and a release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the other side, so that the strip can be rolled up without the use of a backing strip, while in the strip by means of punching or the like, individual labels are delineated which can be detached individually from the roll and with the aid of the adhesive attached to goods to be labelled.

In this case, the tape can be fibrous or non-fibrous

and in this are designed individual labels for removal from the tape, each having on one side a pressure sensitive adhesive while on the other side of the tape is a release agent. Preferably, the release agent is applied to the tape after punching or the like, so that the release agent fills the cuts and thereby reduces the tendency for the labels to release from the tape when the tape roll is unrolled.

According to the invention, a method for the production of labels has also been developed, whereby a band of non-fibrous material which is relatively inextensible is printed so that individual labels are formed and a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to one side of the band and a release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the other side of the tape, so that the label tape can be rolled up without the need for backing tape, whereby the adhesive and the release agent are, if necessary, subjected to treatment to dry and harden them before winding the tape into a roll.

Preferably, the release agent is a thermosetting material,

and the strip is passed through a hot air oven at a temperature of 110°C to cure the release agent.

It is preferred that the belt moves in a continuous path through a release agent application station, a release agent curing station, an adhesive application station and an adhesive drying station, but not necessarily in said order.

According to the invention, a method for applying the labels to goods has also been developed, whereby the belt is fed to a unit which works synchronously with the supply of goods to which the labels are to be applied, whereby the unit takes labels one by one from the belt and applies them to the goods which is in motion.

The tape material that forms the labels will have a thickness

which is in accordance with the thickness of the labels commonly used, and may be equipped with perforation feed holes at the edges.

For the application of the labels which are formed in the tape and which can be removed therefrom leaving a skeleton of waste, an application device may be provided which is adapted to punch out part of the label from the tape and cause this part to adhere to it item in question, and the item and the tape are mutually movable from this position, so that the mutual movement causes the rest of the label to be removed from the tape.

When the labels are delimited by perforations, these can

be such that sufficient attachment points are left between the label and the rest of the tape, so that the label will remain in position until the time it is deliberately removed from it. The leading edge of the tape, which is first attached to the item or object,

may be without such attachment points, so that it will easily deflect out of the band and simplify application.

The release agent can be applied to the tape by means of rollers, engraving cylinders or hot melt applicators to achieve a surface having release properties. The coating can e.g. contain non-migratory repellants, in particular polymerizable silicone polymers. The coating can e.g. be a solvent-containing, heat-cured coating, an aqueous system, solvent-free or UV-cured. Examples of these are the following:

Solvent-based, heat-cured

Evaporation of solvent before curing approx. 5 seconds. B) a) "Syloff 7046" Base polymer dispersion.

b) DowCorning 7047 Hardener for Q2-7046.

a) and b) are typically used in a

ratio of 10:1.

c) Q2-7090 (DowCorning) Main release agent. Used in varying amounts to lower

the drop level of Q2-7046.

- d) Q2-7089 (Dow Corning) Release modifier. Can be used in varying amounts to increase the release level of Q2-7046 and provide stable, modified release levels. e) Q2-7127 (Dow Corning) Accelerator for Q2-7046. Used in very small amounts to accelerate the cure rate of Q2-7046. Particularly applicable for low-temperature curing on substrates such as polyethylene films. f) "Syloff 297" Fixing agent. Necessary to achieve wear resistance for marking work (except when using PEK). In the following volume parts:

Bathroom 1 - Standard bathroom for on-line use or marking on

certain substrates, such as PEK.

Bath 2 - Standard bar for marking with "Syloff 297" as fixing agent.

Bath 3 - Special bath with low solids content for coating films,

such as polyethylene. The choice of solvent is important, and

ethyl acetate best. Q2-7127 is used as an accelerator.

Bathroom 4 - Bathroom with controlled release. Q2-7089 is used as a release modifier and "Syloff 297" as a fixing agent.

Bath 5 - Formulation with main release agent Q2-7090, a low viscosity liquid, and also Q2-7127 to restore the catalyst concentration.

These are just typical baths and concentrations of accelerator, release modifier and main release agent can all be varied to suit the customer's needs.

Curing conditionsIcer

Baths 1 and 2 harden in 8-12 seconds at 140°C depending on the type of substrate.

Bath 3 will cure in 15-20 seconds at 70°C.

Bath 4 typically cures in 15 seconds at 140°C.

Bath 5 hardens in 30 seconds at 100°C or 10 seconds at 140°C.

Aqueous systems

A_å_§ "SYL 0FF 1171" (50%) Organopolysiloxane, 14 parts by weight.

Carboxymethyl cellulose, 2 parts by weight.

Catalyst 1171A, organotin acylate, 1.4 parts by weight, or catalyst 164, organotin mercaptoacetate, 3.5 parts by weight.

Water, to obtain 100 parts by weight.

Curing time: 10 seconds at 120°C.

Solvent-free silicone

UV cured

Curing speed 0.6 seconds with UV lamp with mercury vapor under high pressure (160 W/cm).

The amount of release agent applied can be of the order of 0.1-1.5 g/m 2 depending on the tape. The pressure-sensitive adhesive can be applied in the usual way, and can typically be a solvent-based or a water-based emulsion where the solvent or water is removed from the tape after application. The pressure-sensitive adhesive can e.g. be a hot melt in water-based or solvent-based. Examples of these are the following:

Hot melt

Watery

"Indatex SE2229S".

Solvent based

"Vinalak 5150".

The labels can be printed in color by any suitable method, such as letterpress, flexographic, engraving or offset lithography.

As regards the tape material, it is preferred to use polypropylene or HD polyethylene film which contains significant amounts of particulate, inorganic material.

Typically, the inorganic material can be present in the range 20-50% by volume of the tape material, and in a preferred embodiment the tape is a sequence copolymer of polypropylene-ethylene, which is known from British patent document 1,544,143, filled with 40% talc.

Embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, where: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a roll of labels according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged section through the band in fig.

1. Fig. 3 schematically shows an example of how labels are applied to individual boxes.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the method in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a roll of labels according to a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of how a roll of labels according to the invention is used in another way. Fig. 7 shows how the label in fig. 1 is applied to box-shaped goods. Fig. 8 shows a side view of an apparatus for coating the tape of labels with pressure-sensitive adhesive and release agent according to a method. Fig. 9 and 10 show a side view of an apparatus for carrying out said coating according to two other methods.

Fig. 11 shows a side view of a modification of the apparatus

in fig. 10.

Reference is first made to fig. 1-6 where fig. 1 shows a tape 10 which is provided with perforations 12 which define individual labels 14, each of which is provided with an imprint 16. Attachment points 18 serve to hold the labels to the rest of the tape 10, but the attachment points may be cut or cut to allow removal of the labels 14, leaving behind a skeleton of tape waste.

As shown in fig. 2, the tape 10 is formed by a middle backing tape 20 of a non-fibrous and largely inextensible material, on one side of which a pressure-sensitive adhesive 22 is applied, and on the other side a release agent 24 is applied. The tape is in fig. 2 is shown in a greatly enlarged dimension to show the gaps 12 and also to show how the materials 22 and 24 migrate into the gaps 12. The substrate 20, the adhesive 22 and the release agent 24 are of a type described above, and the tape is wound so that the adhesive 22 is located on the inner side of each winding and is in direct contact with the release agent 24 on the inner winding. This arrangement enables easy unrolling of the tape 10. The tape can be wound on a suitable core 26.

In the manufacture of the tape shown in fig. 1, the printing 16 (single or multi-coloured and of any desired pattern and/or content) is applied to the substrate 20 before the application of the agent 24, and furthermore the perforations or slits 12 are produced before the application of the agent 24. The agent 24 actually has the effect that it helps to keep the labels 14 in position in the belt until they are removed for application to goods. The means 24 also serves the purpose of preventing migration of the adhesive 22 through the slits 12 when the tape is wound on the core 26. This tendency to migrate will depend on how tightly the roll is wound on the core 26.

Fig. 3 and 4 show schematically how the individual labels

14 can be removed from the tape 10 and applied to cans, such as the box

28. Fig. 3 shows the band 10 when it moves around a guide drum 30 in the direction of an arrow 32 with the side with pressure-sensitive adhesive on the outside. Each box 28 to be labeled comes into contact with the pressure sensitive side of the tape 10, and a label 14 is removed from the tape 10 and applied to the box 28 as shown in fig. 4. How this is achieved will depend on the design of the equipment, but it is anticipated that the belt 10 will be held by means of suitable sprockets or rollers which engage with holes along each side of the belt, and that the belt will be advanced towards the article which must be labelled. The leading edge of the label, seen in its direction of movement (arrow 32), can be released from the tape with the help of a suitable knife or by suddenly changing the direction of the tape's movement. The contact pressure between the pressure-sensitive surface and the item being labeled can be used to effect or contribute to the complete removal of the label from the tape. If necessary, the removal can be made easier by treating the remaining attachment points 18 with the help of suitable knives, which are placed in an appropriate manner. The skeleton of waste of the belt 10 can be wound up into a suitable roll for removal. In the band in fig. 1, the labels are defined by perforations or slits 12, which are arranged to leave a skeleton of waste material, but in the arrangement of fig. 5, the slits 12 form weakening lines that run across the entire width of the roll, so that the individual labels 14 make up the entire tape without any waste. The feeding and applying apparatus for handling this form of tape may have to be modified as there is no resulting waste skeleton, and if necessary the corners of the labels can be shaped as indicated by reference number 34. The tape 10 in the roll of labels shown in fig. 5 is produced in the same way as the tape described with reference to fig.

1 and 2.

In the arrangement shown in fig. 6, a band 10 carries impressions 16, which are repeated at intervals P, but the band has no perforations or lines of weakness. The tape forms neighboring labels which must be cut from the tape by means of suitable cutting equipment placed in the area of an application head 36, so that individual labels are cut from the tape immediately before or during application of the label to the item 28 to which the label is to be applied. The individuals

labels can form the entire' band as shown in the arrangement in fig.

5 or can become parts that must be cut from the band as shown in fig.

1, but also in this arrangement there is no need for any carrier sheet, as the band 10 will be constructed in the same way as the band 10 in fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows in somewhat more detail how labels in roll form as shown in fig. 1 can be applied to box-shaped goods 40. A label roll 42 is wound from this roll by means of a pulling device 44 which has a suitable tooth feeding device which engages the holes along the edges of the tape (these holes are not shown in the drawings) and is fed through a removal and application station 46. The rest of the tape 10 is wound into a roll shape as shown at 48.

The adhesive side of the tape is the upper side, and all surfaces that come into contact with this adhesive side must be of a type that does not adhere to the adhesive. Such surfaces can be formed from silicone release material.

The removal and application station 46 comprises an upper pressure roller 50 (silicone coated) and a lower vacuum cylinder 52 which the belt 10 partially encloses as shown in fig. 7 and which has a number of openings 54 which are arranged at a distance from each other along the circumference and which are connected by axial channels 55 which can be connected individually with a vacuum source, or at a detachment point 56 with a jet of compressed air. A valve plate at one end of the cylinder regulates the connection between the channel 55 and the vacuum source and the air jet in that the plate 58 has a curved port 60 connected to the vacuum source and a port hole at the place 56 connected to the compressed air. In use, the cylinder 52 is rotated in the direction of an arrow 62, while the plate 58 remains stationary, and each channel 55 located opposite the port 60 is connected to the vacuum source. Each channel 55 leaving the port 60 first arrives at the location 56 where it receives a jet of compressed air, and then the channel is closed until it reaches the port 60 again.

The operation of the device 46 will have been apparent from what has been stated above. The individual labels L are detached by means of vacuum in the nip between the roller 50 and the cylinder 52 and move around with the cylinder 52 until they arrive at the station 56 where they are gradually applied to the item 40 which is moved as shown by an arrow 63 synchronously with the feeding of the labels. For this purpose, the labels and items can be fed on an incremental or continuous basis with intermediate controls ensuring that operation takes place only when the presence of a label and item is detected.

The arrangement shown in fig. 7 will be able to be modified for handling a roll of labels as shown in fig. 6, which must be cut off the tape, and a suitable punching device would be provided in the area of the application station.

It is assumed that the apparatus in fig. 7 will be able to apply labels at a speed of approx. 200/min partly because the label roll has no backing tape.

Reference is now made to fig. 8-11 showing procedures

for producing the label according to the invention.

Reference is made to fig. 8, where a roll 110 of stock material in which labels are to be designed can conveniently have a width of 450 mm and a thickness of 80 µm, whereby the material can be a blown film made from filled plastic material of the type known from British patent document 1,554. 143, but should in all cases be a non-porous and largely inextensible material. The tape runs from the roll 110 through an application device 112 where a release agent in the form of a silicone compound is applied to one side (the first side) of the tape, and then the tape is passed through a heating chamber 116 which is divided into two compartments 118 and 120 by means of a horizontal partition 122. The release agent is hardened by passing the tape back and forth through the space 118 with the first side initially facing downwards and then facing upwards. The tape is fed out of the room 118 after a residence time of 20 seconds in an environment maintained at 120°C, and the tape is fed between a pair of guide rollers 124 and 126.

The tape then passes through an application device

128 with the shape shown, where a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the other side of the tape. The tape is fed by means of a feed conveyor 130 into the upper heating chamber 120, which is kept at 110°C, in order to drive off the solvents in the adhesive for drying it. The tape that comes out is passed over guide rollers 132 and 134 (where 134 is silicone coated so that it will not stick to the adhesive side of the tape with which it comes into contact) and then passes between cutting rollers 136, 138 (138 is silicone coated) which form the individual labels in the tape, and the tape is wound into a roll 140.

Compared to conventional methods for applying silicone coatings to tapes for the production of labels, the equipment described above is very simple and can be operated by "converters" of raw materials on an in-house basis, the entire process having a cycle time of no more than half a minute to one minute and the total length of the device is not more than 8-10 metres. The tape material 110 will usually be pre-printed, and the silicone material is applied over the printed side of the tape. The rollers 124 and 126 may be rotary punch rollers adapted to form the individual labels in the web by cutting through the web to define the labels, but also leave attachment points so that the labels remain connected to the web material until removed from it, instead of the rollers 134 and 136.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 9, the silicone release agent is a UV-curable material, and the tape is therefore passed after the coating has been applied through a UV dryer 140, which is faster and less expensive than hot air drying. The adhesive is applied and dried as indicated above.

In the embodiment in fig. 10 is both the silicone release agent

and the adhesive UV curable, and for that reason there are two UV dryers 140 and 142 for the silicone release agent and the adhesive, through which the tape passes in turn after applying the respective coatings.

Fig. 11 shows a similar design as fig. 10 by using a UV dryer. Only the belt's path of movement is different. The parts of the apparatus in fig. 9, 10 and 11 which have already been indicated in fig. 4 are indicated by the same reference numerals. In each of the embodiments shown in fig. 8-11, the tape runs first through the silicone coating device 112 and then through the adhesive coating device. This order can be changed as desired. An embodiment where a UV dryer is used for the adhesive and a hot air dryer for the release agent can also be selected. Another form of drying that can be used, at least for the adhesive, is a radio frequency drying.

In the production line in each of the devices in fig. 8-11, after the application step for the adhesive, all the rollers that come into contact with the adhesive are equipped with a silicone coating to prevent the rollers from sticking to the adhesive, and it is of course possible according to the invention to wind the tape 110 directly after applying the adhesive and the silicone materials because the silicone side of the tape will not adhere to the adhesive when winding and unwinding the tape.

The speed and simplicity of production is achieved by choosing a tape material which is non-fibrous and therefore will not absorb large amounts of the silicone material, which happens when paper tape is coated, which is the usual method of making adhesive labels.

The tape 110 may be provided with holes along its edges to enable the feeding of the tape into the apparatus which will remove the labels from the tape to apply them to goods before or after coating. The openings may also serve to pass the tape through the equipment shown in fig. 8-11.

When the silicone coating is heat-cured, the temperature at which the silicone coating is cured will be determined by the material in the belt, the belt speed and the coating thickness. It is clear that although the curing time can be reduced by increasing the curing temperature, the temperature cannot be so high as to cause degradation of the tape material itself.

It is preferred that the operation takes place continuously, but it can be arranged so that it takes place in stages with residence times during which the silicone hardens and the adhesive dries.

Any suitable form of pressure sensitive adhesive may be used.

The thickness of the tape may depend on the application, but typically labels are produced with a thickness of from 25 to 250 µm, whereby a tape of filled plastic is typically 80 µm. The amount of silicone coating required for such labels will typically be as low as 2 g/m 2 , while for paper tapes it may be necessary

2

up to 40 g/m .

As regards the method for producing the labels, it is an advantage of the preferred method according to the invention that the polymerizable release agent, which can be a silicone compound, can be polymerized within a relatively short time as a result of the underlying tape material being non-fibrous and for that reason will not absorb the release agent when this is applied. This means that only a small part of the amount of release agent that is usually applied will be used (down to 5% compared to the conventional method), and consequently the curing time is significantly reduced. With a short curing time, simpler and therefore less machinery can be used in the production of the labels.

Experiments using a silicone release agent applied in amounts of o 2 g/m 2 have shown that 10 seconds in a chamber heated to 120°C achieves satisfactory curing of the silicone release agent.

Claims (28)

1. Adhesive labels in roll form, characterized by a band of non-porous material which is largely inextensible and which is equipped on one side with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and which is equipped on the other side with a pressure-sensitive release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive, so that the tape can be rolled up without the need for a backing tape. 2. Adhesive labels in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the tape is designed with perforations that delimit individual labels that can be removed one by one, or that it is not designed with cuts or other lines of weakness. 3. Adhesive labels in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the tape is punched out so that individual labels are demarcated in it, and that the release agent is applied over the cuts to produce extra attachment that holds the labels together or on the rest of the tape. 4. Adhesive labels in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the tape consists of a synthetic resin material containing inorganic filler, such as talc or chalk. 5. Adhesive labels in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the labels are printed on before the release agent is applied. 6. Adhesive labels in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release agent is a silicone-based, polymerizable coating. 7. Adhesive labels in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the release agent is applied in quantities of the order of 2 g/m 2. 8. Adhesive labels, in roll form, characterized by a strip of base material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side of the strip and a release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive on the other side of the strip, so that the strip can be rolled up without the use of a backing strip, as in the band by punching or the like, individual labels are delineated which can be removed individually from the roll and with the help of the adhesive attached to goods to be labelled. 9. Adhesive labels in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the release agent is applied to the tape after punching or similar, so that the release agent fills the cuts and reduces the tendency of the labels to slip from the tape when the tape is unrolled. 10. Adhesive labels in accordance with claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the labels are formed in the tape by punching, whereby they are left with attachment points that hold the labels to the rest of the tape. 11. Method for producing labels, characterized in that a band of non-fibrous material which is relatively inextensible is pressed to form individual labels in the band, that a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to one side of the band and a release agent for the pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the other side of the tape, so that the tape of labels can be rolled up without the need for a backing strip, and that the adhesive and the release agent are, if necessary, subjected to treatment for drying and/or curing these before the tape is wound into a roll. 12. Method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the adhesive is solvent-based, and that the tape is passed through a heating oven after application of the adhesive to evaporate the solvent in the adhesive. 13. Method in accordance with claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the release agent is a UV curable material, and that the tape is passed through a UV oven for curing the release agent. 14. Method in accordance with claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the release agent is a heat-curable material, and that the tape is passed through a hot air oven at a temperature of 110°C for curing the release agent. 15. Method in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that the residence time in the curing oven for the release agent is in the order of 10 seconds. 16. Method according to one of claims 11-15, characterized in that the tape moves in a continuous path through a release agent application station, a release agent hardening station, an adhesive agent application station and an adhesive agent drying station, but not necessarily in the mentioned order. 17. Method in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that said web also includes a punching station for punching out the individual labels in the tape for later removal. 18. Method in accordance with claim 14, characterized in that the punching station is placed before the release agent application station. 19. Method in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the band is a synthetic plastic band that contains an inorganic filler and has a thickness of approx. 80 µm. 20. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to one of claims 11-19 for the production of labels. 21. Method for applying labels to goods using the label according to one of claims 1-10, characterized in that the tape is fed to a device that works synchronously with the feeding of goods to which the labels are to be applied, whereby the device takes labels one by one from the belt and applies them to the moving goods. 22. Method in accordance with claim 21, characterized in that the device removes the individual labels from the tape, whereby the labels are cut in the tape in advance. 23. Method in accordance with claim 21, characterized in that the device removes the individual labels from the tape after the labels have been cut from the tape. 24. Method in accordance with claim 22 or 23, characterized in that the device comprises a drum whose circumference is perforated and whose interior is selectively connected to a vacuum source, so that the labels are removed by vacuum from the tape, held on the drum for part of a revolution of this and then applied to the goods. 25. Method in accordance with claim 24, characterized in that the perforations in the circumference of the drum can be connected separately to the vacuum source. 26. Method in accordance with one of claims 22-25, characterized in that the tape is guided along the path when the labels are applied to the goods. 27. Method in accordance with one of claims 11-19 or 21-26, characterized in that the band along each of its sides is designed with perforation holes which are arranged to engage with a pulling device for controlling and feeding the band when the band is to be moved for the application of the release agent and/or the adhesive or the application of the labels to the goods. 28. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to one of claims 21-26 for applying labels.