HotFix is a method for inserting gemstones into plastics at lower cost and while EcoCoat a thin coating technique designed as a green alternative to varnishing.
Fixing jewels into plastic for less
RPC Beauté partnered with jewellery brand Swarovski to craft HotFix, which is an automated process for fixing precious stones into plastics.
RPC Beauté general manager Gerald Martines said: “Until now, the technique required individual application by hand, which was expensive and limited its use to special editions.”
“HotFix represents the first time the placement of gemstones into plastic has been achieved on an industrial basis.”
RPC Beauté claims HotFix is suitable for mainstream cosmetics packaging and not just the luxury end of the market because it does away with the need for skilled application by hand.
Martines added: “By using HotFix, capacity can match typical production outputs for million-unit ‘blockbuster’ launches as well as limited series.
“And by ensuring a uniformity of cost in affixing stones to the pack, the biggest decision facing brands is how much to spend on the stones themselves.”
RPC Beauté said HotFix can be applied to any classic cosmetic polymer and is suitable for a variety of applications including lipsticks, mascaras, glosses compacts and closures.
Thin polymer coat competes with varnishing
The other new launch from RPC Beauté, EcoCoat is a thin coat of polymer that is overmoulded on top of a plastic component.
Designed as an environmentally-friendly alternative to varnishing, RPC Beauté claims EcoCoat nonetheless offers high gloss and depth of finish.
Martines said: “Whereas traditional overmoulding is intended to achieve high thicknesses, the objective here is to achieve a coating using only an extremely thin skin, of no more than a few tenths of a millimetre.”
“Logistics and handling are significantly simplified and reduced, while EcoCoat avoids the emission of greenhouse gases associated with varnishing,”
The thin coating can come in different styles including clear, tinted, and metallic or pearlescent pigments. It can also be applied over traceability marking or holographic labels to protect them from tampering and defend the product from counterfeiting.