Hapa reports strong response to customized ink business

On-demand print specialist Hapa has reported rapidly increasing demand and sales for inks developed individually, a demand for which it launched a special operation last year to develop, produce and deliver inks customized to clients’ applications, substrates and volume needs.

Hapa Ink, launched late last year, develops, produces and delivers inks customized to clients’ applications, substrates and volume needs, no matter how small

Hapa is a global specialist in late-stage customization and on-demand packaging printing in the pharmaceutical industry, with dynamic growth within the FMCG and medical industries also. Its printing systems are developed and produced at the company's headquarters near Zurich, Switzerland.

Hapa said an increasing number of companies are looking for an ink supplier ready to design or tailor inks to their specifications and volume needs, particularly when the quantity ordered is low.

Hapa Ink, launched late last year, develops, produces and delivers inks customized to clients’ applications, substrates and volume needs, no matter how small.

Hapa Ink offers both a standard range and tailored inks, which feature ‘exceptional adhesion, bleed control, fastness against light, jetting quality and stability’, Hapa said.

The Hapa Ink development team employs a range of sophisticated analytical methods and tools to optimize viscosity, rheology, jetability and surface tension. They conduct precise UV Vis-analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy analysis, develop specialized UV dispersions, as well as quantify color vibrancy and opacity. Hapa Ink has also developed a range of cleaning agents specifically designed for UV inks.

Mathias Theiler (pictured, third image on carousel), head of Hapa Ink, said: ‘Our inks are developed for optimal printing on plastic, aluminum, glass, and labeling materials of all types. We are particularly proud of the opacity of our white inks, which we believe is unsurpassed in the industry.’

He added: ‘Evident trends towards just-in-time production, lean batch processes and ever more specialized and complex packaging are all relevant to the demand for our inks. The bottom line is that quality needs to be 100 percent correct on each and every production run to extract maximum cost effectiveness.

‘Specialized inks specifically developed for the process and materials involved guarantee best results every time and reduce the risks of packaging error. Quite simply, it’s more efficient to tailor ink to process than the other way round.’