Flint Group shows sustainable inks and coatings

According to the company, the Evolution series of UV-flexo coatings allow the substrates and containers they are used on to be recycled without contamination and therefore be reused more easily.

The Evolution Deinking Primer is applied to shrink sleeves to allow the ink to be released during the recycling process without contaminating the bottle flake. The materials are then rinsed and pelletized into recycled polyester (rPET) for reuse.

The Evolution Caustic Resistant Over Print Varnish facilitates the recycling of PET bottles utilizing pressure-sensitive labels. The varnish prevents contamination of the wash water and bottle flake in the initial recycling process by keeping the ink secured to the label substrate. When immersed in the float-sink bath, the intact label floats to the surface, where it is separated from the bottle recycling stream.

Flint Group Narrow Web will also present its expanded range of Dual Cure UV-flexo inks that are curable under LED and mercury lamps. Flint’s new Dual Cure products focus on ultra-clear non-yellowing performance and food contact materials (FCM) applications.

Dual Cure Ultra Clear is a UV-flexo clear overprinted coating that does not yellow over time. Dual Cure Ultra Clear is free of benzophenone and guarantees long-term brand integrity and product safety.

Another addition to the Dual Cure program is EkoCure Ancora FCM PSL, safe UV-flexo ink for pressure-sensitive label food contact materials. It contains no bisphenol-A and is fully compliant with the latest versions of the Swiss Ordinance on Materials and Articles (SR.817.023.21) and the Nestlé Guidance on Packaging Inks.

Dual Cure inks and coatings allow label converters to embrace the environmental, low-energy and productivity advantages of LED-UV curing while managing the financial risk associated with curing lamp conversions. ‘Switching to LED-UV curing technology with Flint Dual Cure inks bring energy cost reductions of up to 50 percent, compared with using mercury lamps on the press, as the lamp produces less heat,’ said the company.

Fully compatible in line with conventional inks on the printing press, Dual Cure inks allow a gradual switch to LED at a pace that suits the converter, with minimal disruption to operations. This enables the freedom to upgrade the press one curing unit at a time, lowering the financial risk and reducing the waste of existing ink inventories.

 ‘At Labelexpo Americas, Flint is focusing on the current hot topics of the industry: recycling, reducing energy consumption, increasingly stringent food safety legislation, and building a more sustainable future,’ said Julian Cass, vice president for North America at Flint Group. ‘Our products and services provide answers to these challenges and make good business sense too, for converters and brand owners alike. Whether large or small, converters are invited to make an appointment to explore what we have that can benefit them and their customers.’

The Flint Group Narrow Web is shared with Flint’s Digital division Xeikon.