W017 warning labels for applications that get too hot to handle

Written by Oliver Stockton, Managing Director, CILS

 

 

There are many types of ISO 7010 W017 (Hot Surface Warning) labels to choose from but if the surface they are stuck to gets hot, they won’t survive… unless they are made from the correct material.   

What temperatures can label materials withstand?

• Polyethylene labels are the cheapest and have a low maximum temperature of ~60°C
• Vinyl labels resist ~110°C
• Polypropylene labels have a maximum temperature of ~120°C
• Polyester labels have a peak temperature of ~155°C
• Temperature modified polyester labels can resist higher peak temperatures for short periods ~300°C (60 secs)
• Higher heat resistance is achieved with a Polyimide label ~ 300°C (15 minutes)

What if the labels are exposed to constant high-temperatures?

There are many different end-use applications where these labels are used, it is not possible to simulate long term performance in high-temperatures specific to your application.

You can be guided by the peak temperatures mentioned above but may need to conduct your own end use test to satisfy yourself that the materials will perform. You will quickly see if the material is inappropriate, as it will shrink if the temperature is too high.

Why is the type of adhesive important?

If the surface gets hot, a water or rubber-based adhesive will dry out and deteriorate. Your label must have a solvent acrylic adhesive to remain permanently stuck to your product/item.

If the adhesive stated on your preferred labels says ‘acrylic’, this is too vague and is probably a water-based acrylic adhesive. It must say ‘solvent acrylic’ to be certain of permanent adhesion.

End-use example:

Heated platens found on hydraulic presses that are used to manufacturing synthetic film, are just one example of where W017 – Hot Surface labels are used.

One of our customers uses heated platens that operate at a constant 220°C and because the platens are removable, they need to be individually identified with the hot warning.

The labels are stuck to a flat or curved surface that is either aluminium, steel or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plastic.

Which label provides the best heat resistance?

In this example, our customer had already used CILS-8100ET temperature modified polyester labels printed with their company logo and product information elsewhere on the product.

The labels had always performed well on aluminium and steel but had never been used on PTFE before, so with our guidance, the customer tested their existing labels on the platens and concluded that they were perfect. The only difference was that the new labels needed to be printed with the ISO 7010 W017 symbol.

What hot surface do you need to label that gets hot?

Make use of the experience we have gained from over 10,000 customers around the world for over 30 years. Contact us and let us know what you would like to identify and we will provide you with the best label for your end-use.

Read more about our hazard warning and safety labels.