Ashland has announced a strategic collaboration with HP Inc. to develop laminating adhesives and coatings that are compatible with HP Indigo ElectroInk, reinforcing the viability of digitally printed labels and flexible packaging. The announcement is being made at the Pack Expo International show in Chicago, IL, USA, where Ashland is exhibiting in booth #5260.

“Ashland’s relationship with HP will benefit our customers, helping us to solve their challenges with the efficacy, usability and integrity of their packaging, particularly in the food segment,” says David Hatgas, global business director, adhesives and coatings, Ashland.

Building on a collaboration spanning four years, the structured working relationship will expedite the development of laminating adhesives and coatings that improve the usability of digital printing for a wide variety of packaging applications.

“HP is constantly innovating to reinvent our customers’ application possibilities,” says Nurit Raccah, labels and packaging media and materials business manager, Indigo division, HP Inc. “This strategic collaboration with Ashland, a world-class adhesive supplier, demonstrates our continued commitment to providing HP Indigo customers full end-to-end solutions to grow their businesses.”

Ashland’s ongoing relationship with HP has yielded a significant number of Ashland products that meet HP’s standards for use with HP Indigo digital presses. Purelam 9500/9240 solvent-free laminating adhesive and Purethane A-1090/CCAT 104 water-based laminating adhesive crosslinker both satisfy the HP criteria for flexible packaging. Ashland’s PureRad and PureKote overprint varnishes are certified by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) under the HP Indigo Overprint Varnish Performance program. These radiation-curable and water-based products are available in a range of finishes from high gloss to matte. They provide improved adhesion to HP Indigo ink and deliver excellent scratch and chemical resistance for labels. Some products in these lines also provide outstanding heat and UV resistance.

The ongoing collaboration between the two companies will ensure that more products quickly become available to improve customer productivity, flexibility and performance.