Flexo printing ink application (2)

Solvent ink vs. Water ink
In terms of growth rate, solvent-based inks still dominate the flexographic market compared to water-based inks.

Mr. Freid said, “We have discovered that both products have their own specific market environment. The growth of solvent inks mainly comes from the development of the flexible packaging market. At present, water-based inks are not yet fully capable of meeting the requirements of all high-end flexible packaging printing products. , but it is very suitable for the label and folding carton printing market."

Braden Sutphin is focusing on waterborne flexographic inks. Mr. Nowak said, “We have chosen to abandon solvent-based inks. Many of our potential customers are considering converting from solvent-based inks to other types for environmental reasons.”

Another growth point of flexo comes from UV inks.

Mr. Impastato said: "Because of the unique properties of UV flexo, it has found a new application area, which has maintained a steady growth. In some market areas such as narrow-band labels, UV flexo occupy a strong market position, and has Is considered a standard product. In other areas, such as film printing, UV flexo is still a viable process."

Mr. Chwierut said, “In the United States, flexo printing has become the market leader among many types of packaging and printing methods. Therefore, it is not necessary to grab more market share from offset, gravure, or letterpress printing. The edition is increasingly favored by the label market, which is a growth point for flexographic inks."

So far, digital technology has not caused a significant impact on flexographic.

Mr. Freid said: “We admit that digital printing is replacing offset printing and flexo printing in some areas, but in the markets we are involved in, its impact is minimal.”

Mr. Chwierut said, "In this regard, digital technology has the greatest impact in the prepress area. It is used for color separations and computer graphics. Some label printers use small digital presses to produce small batches of labels. In the field of packaging and printing, digital printing has little impact. This is mainly because it cannot be applied to the structure of many packages. In mass production, it cannot achieve the high-speed printing that other printing processes such as flexo can provide. And low cost. Inkjet printers are used to mark information on packages, but they are not part of the true cost of the package."

Flexo provides customers with many improved features. Mr. Impastato said, “The advantages of high-speed printing and short replacement time will enable flexo to gain greater competitive advantage in the price-sensitive market. In the extremely fiercely competitive market, this advanced technology will bring high Productivity will change the market landscape."

Mr. Freid said, “With the continuous development of anilox rollers, plate-making technology, and gearless flexo printing presses, flexo printing is increasingly closer to offset and gravure processes in terms of print quality and cost control. We also see some economic types. By using a seven-color system such as the Opaltone color system, production cost can be reduced while ensuring the final image quality.”

Mr. Chwierut said, “More and more printers are using finer anilox rollers to get a more perfect ink layer and ultimately improve the quality of prints. In addition, some printers are trying to use five-color or six-color systems. Simplifying the original multi-color system, so that they can easily achieve multiple production, without the need to use spot color inks.Using the latest prepress technology, printers can already enter these colors into the palette system.

Added value
Flexographic ink manufacturers are working to increase the added value of their products by providing higher quality of customer service and the latest technologies. The challenges they face all the time come from the various needs of customers.

Mr. Chwierut said: "Sun Chemical has always been committed to product innovation so as to provide customers with new product effects and increase production efficiency."

Mr. Freid said, “Our three product development labs can handle more and more technical requirements and requirements from customers. These labs include chemists, ink engineers, and technicians with actual printing experience. And technical representatives, we will also carry out intensified internal training, so as to meet the customer's demand for services in a timely manner.Our goal is to help customers improve their printing efficiency, reduce production costs and increase profits.We have to do is Helping customers make money."

Product added value is one of the elements in the business war.

Mr. Impastato said, “Printers want the right ink, at the right press, at the right time for the right price, which is the right combination of ink, press, time and price. Value-added means that we not only need to reduce their cost of use, but also need to help their business grow.On these near-fanatic days, no one wants to waste time and resources on services and actions other than the above two points. Added value is the focus of our constant attention."

Flexo Market New Products
Sunchem has introduced the new Duratort series of cooking-resistant inks, which can be applied to both flexographic and gravure printing. According to the introduction of Sun Chemicals, this ink has effectively improved the resistance to cooking, and the resistance to cooking products has become a growth point in the flexible packaging market. Before the main printing method was gravure printing. Chillierut, manager of flexible packaging products at Brian Sun Chemical's North American packaging ink company, said: “For retort-proof packaging, the composite bag and the food or other substances in the bag need to be cooked at a maximum temperature of 250°. Duratort can use flexographic printing. And it shows excellent production reproducibility and bonding strength on various film materials.

For example, Duratort inks make it possible for printers to print retort packaged products using existing equipment. For example, printers interested in developing retort-resistant packaging products can use Duratort ink to print on existing flexographic presses. In addition, Sun Chemical supports this product by providing the best technical services and a vast service network throughout the country. ”

Braden Sutphin is promoting its pH-neutral ink. This ink has the advantages of excellent stability, less pollution in the production environment, short cleaning time, and fast transfer of ink, and is designed for high-end processing products.

This year, Flint Ink will launch a series of high-intensity solvent-based inks. Mike Impastato, VP Marketing Manager of Flint Group North American Packaging, said: "These new products will make the use of finer anilox rolls possible. And provide better image quality, operational efficiency and end product performance.”

Jim Freid, product manager for the Wikoff Color Liquid Ink Group, said: “Wikoff has successfully launched a series of high-performance, high-color density, high-speed printing inks that are suitable for many product lines that require fine anilox printing. These inks are designed for high gloss. Designed for composite applications with light, heat, and versatility, this product provides printers with exceptional color fidelity for high-end image quality.

In addition, new products introduced to meet specific needs are mostly upgraded on the basis of existing products. ”

Source: Coatings and Inks - China Version