Curing ink migration

Carol Houghton rounds up the latest offerings from ink suppliers at Labelexpo Americas

Following the trend noted at Labelexpo Europe in 2011, ink suppliers in Chicago introduced low migration options for food labeling. Jennifer Joyce, global product director, Flint told L&L: ‘Ink migration is a hot topic in Europe and we want to be the first to educate North American printers to the needs of the narrow web market.’

The company showed Flexocure Ancora, a low migration UV flexo ink range for food packaging, with low migration potential in compliance with the Swiss Ordinance on Materials and Articles (SR 817.023.21) to the North American market. The company also launched an improved combination rotary screen ink system, CombiScreen. The press ready-inks are suitable for combination printing with all narrow web ink technologies formulated for extreme overprintability and can be used on all types of substrates.

Zeller+Gmelin introduced the 36 Series of low odor UV flexo ink which meets the stringent migration levels. The company said the ink has been tested printing at over 1,000 feet per minute with migration levels under 10ppb – making it suitable for indirect food contact, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging applications. ‘The system offer curing speed, run length and strength, good adhesion.’ It can also be used for shrink film so only one ink system is needed for packaging. According the Zeller+Gmelin the US is on the cusp of low migration printing, ‘The driving force has not arrived yet but there has been a lot of interest.’ It expects that within six years it will be the main ink used in the region. The system is suitable for running across all substrates and applications.

SunJet, the global inkjet division of Sun Chemical launched EtiJet LM UV, its low migration UV curing ink range for the digital label market. The development is suitable for all types of piezo print heads and can demonstrate migration levels of <10ppb in inks cured in air with standard mercury lamps. The inks meet the highest industry standards for food packaging. All of the components appear on the European positive lists, Swiss Ordinance and EuPIA and the inks do not use materials specifically excluded in the Nestle list.

‘SunJet's OEM customers are keen to ensure their equipment has the widest appeal to converters in labels and packaging, meaning that they want to offer low migration inkjet technology as an option,’ said Pete Saunders, global business manager digital, SunJet. ‘Utilizing Sun Chemical's extensive knowledge and experience in low migration technology and regulatory compliance, including a certified testing laboratory, we are in a position to support our customers throughout the packaging design and production process. We are excited about the new opportunities this new ink technology can deliver.’

The number of inks suppliers showing UV curable ranges could not be ignored. CGS launched ORIS XG Inks, a new, extended-gamut eco solvent ink set, including orange and green, for the Roland VersaCamm VS series. The inks provide a wider color gamut than the standard ink set, giving label and packaging designers, prepress professionals and brand managers the opportunity to prototype their work in full color.

Flint encouraged North America to embrace sustainability for the future with its LED curing combined to reduce costs as well as being renewable. A series its ink technologies for UV LED curing were shown running on a P5 press on the Mark Andy stand. A sustainable print option, made from bio renewable raw materials, the EkoCure brand is designed for combination print and developed using specially selected photo initiators that match the narrow and targeted wavelength area typical for UV LED lamp output. The technology is claimed to reduce energy consumption by up to 50 percent.

The company claimed converters will achieve the best print quality obtainable with UV screen printing using CombiScreen – great dot sharpness, excellent flow, excellent adhesion, great combination printing and faster cure. These inks are suitable for beverage, health and beauty, and no-label-look applications. Tom Hammer, product manager, added: ‘It is a very innovative product as it is silicone free.’

It also introduced Flex2Screen technology for UV flexo and UV rotary screen printing. Only one inventory is required as the flexo varnish is added to the ink. Printers can create colors as and when needed, giving more flexibility in the press room and allowing them to satisfy just-in-time jobs.

Frimpeks launched Expleo, a UV flexo ink as part of the company’s recently launched range of narrow web inks. It is said to have excellent printability and flow characteristics as well as particular color and gloss intense color strength. Through the use of modern raw materials, the series is also suitable for high-resolution requirements in HD printing, as well as shrink sleeve labels.

GEW launched the ‘energy2cure’ E2C system which uses 42 percent less energy and permits full color, process printing at full production speed. Claimed to provide the highest UV output of any low energy (as little as 90 W/cm) UV system, E2C provides sufficient energy at high production speeds without compromising print quality. The company also claims less substrate is wasted from inadequate curing or heat damage.

‘We are delivering a transformation in UV curing using the latest technology available that will give our customers print run security with increased profitability,’ said marketing manager David Lyus. ‘With continuously increasing energy and consumables costs, more complex ink formulations and thinner substrates, spoilage is expensive. It is vital that we offer UV technology that will bring reductions in waste and production costs and a high level of confidence and security to customers using the product.’

The E2C’s lamp and reflector technology on the E2C optimizes cure on a range of inks including base white, screen, black and food compliant formulations. The system is air cooled to safely handle the full range of label substrates including very thin and heat-sensitive materials without expensive water installations. Downtime is reduced thanks to low maintenance designs to speed up lamp and part changeovers.

The new system uses 52 percent less air extraction which creates a quieter working environment and reduces the running costs of plant heating and air conditioning. The package includes a stacked Power Tower reduces the machine footprint by up to 50 percent.

GSE Dispensing showed enhancements made to its Colorsat Match dispenser for flexo, gravure and screen label printing. The system enables clean, fast and waste-free recipe preparation in batches of one kg (two lbs) to five kg (11 lbs). On average, a five kg (11 lbs) recipe of four colors can be dispensed in less than four minutes.

A new air bubble mixer included in the ink containers keeps consistent viscosity throughout the container and ensures a stable ink flow. Another new feature is an automatic wet/dry cleaning unit, containing a roller for quick change and easy maintenance.

Anne Lourens, managing director at GSE Dispensing, commented: ‘It is vital that label and packaging printers implement a lean management system. Reducing ink waste from the work-flow enables printers to achieve a high level of accuracy at lower costs and ensures quality consistency.’

Honle showcased its UV units for label presses and PureUV LED Powerline for inkjet web to web presses. The company said, ‘The activity at our booth at Labelexpo Americas 2012 far exceeded our expectations, as did interest in our UV/LED equipment.  We will definitely continue to support the Label Expo Show and look forward to exhibiting in 2014.’ 

Differentiation

Actega Wit launched a value-added product that engages multiple senses. Marketing manager, Carmen Wagner, told L&L: ‘Touch-N-Scent coating is a high impact tactile and olfactory experience that captures the consumers’ attention on-shelf.’

She continued: ‘It is an enhancement of the old “scratch and sniff” labels. Now you get the velvety touch with the scent.’

A wide variety of scents are available and customized scents can be built from customer-provided oils. Concept to market takes from one week to 10 days for standard scents. The varnish and scent are mixed together and printed by flexo. ‘It is easily printed like any other water-based ink,’ said Wagner.

The scent concentrate product has a shelf life of up to two years, twice the life of similar products currently on the market, says the company. Depending on the product, the shelf life for the printed Touch-N-Scent product is one year.

Primarily for food and beverage, the product is also expected to become popular for use in packaging of fragrances.

Pictured: Honle showcased its UV units for label presses and PureUV LED Powerline for inkjet web to web presses

This article was published Labels & Labeling issue 6, 2012