Industrial printing opportunities

In virtually every case, they will all be required to carry some kind of identification, marking, coding, safety warning, usage instruction, hazard or other information on them. They are all part of the fast-growing and specialized world of industrial and functional label and direct-to-product printing.

The field of industrial print is of course something of an encompassing term that covers a number of different printing, label, coding, marking and decoration technologies required by original equipment and component manufacturers (OEMs), machine partners, specialized label and industrial printers, electronics companies and end-users. It can be found in market applications as diverse as aerospace, automotive, ceramics, electrical and electronics, printed circuits, food and beverages, laminates, stepladders, oil heaters, medical and pharmaceutical products, and wire and cable.

Indeed, much of today’s industrial, electrical, mechanical, medical, etc, equipment and machinery is required to carry or conform to some kind of international or national standard marking, safety warning, hazard details, handling or other information directly on the products or goods. This information, depending on products, will relate to such things as EU, CE, BSI, ISO, Kite or other regulatory requirements, and materials and printing must meet specified performance, durability, aging, chemical, UV-resistance, oil or grease, etc, standards.

In many cases, the information and its printed performance may additionally have to meet some kind of specified international product test requirements. The materials, inks, printing techniques and testing procedures for industrial printing and label applications are therefore often very critical or physically or chemically demanding.

The label industry has, of course, long been at the forefront of many of these industrial printing requirements. Many special high performance or durable label materials and adhesives have been developed over the years – high temperature, low temperature, underwater, long life, rub and scuff resistant, etc – as well as durable and high performance inks, coatings varnishes and laminates – and all this is a little-known and niche label printing and converting sector.