When the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association) hosts FORUM INFOFLEX between May 4-7 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, INX International Ink Co. will showcase an expanded lineup of smart and sustainable products and offer demonstrations of its Genesis Washable inks in booth 627.

Together with the popular INXhrc natural-based, INXFlex Contour, and GelFlex EB line of inks, the new Innova Plus NCF nitrocellulose-free flexographic inks provide another option to answer new regulatory measures and enable recycling. This next generation solution delivers the same trusted performance across all flexible packaging structures as Innova Plus does without the nitrocellulose, says Renee Schouten, Vice President of Marketing for INX.

“New packaging regulations in Europe and recycling initiatives in the United States have raised recycling standards so converters and brand owners must ensure that all packaging components, including ink, supports these goals,” notes Schouten. “Innova Plus NCF was specifically developed for mono-material packaging to help meet recyclability targets. It is a proven, universal solution that gives you reliable performance without sacrificing quality.”

As the demand for sustainable packaging continues to grow, washable inks are enabling PET recycling. Schouten says with interest levels also rising, it factored into INX’s decision to offer product demonstrations of the Genesis Washable inks each day.

“Traditional inks can contaminate PET and reduce its reuse value, but our Genesis washable inks are de-inkable from cPET films and floatable with roll-fed OPP labels in the recycling process. There is minimal bleed in the caustic wash solution and a reduced impact on recycled PET discoloration,” she explains. “During the demonstrations in our booth, you will see how this process preserves clarity and resin quality, which allows the plastic to be used again for high-value applications such as bottles. It not only minimizes waste but enhances bottle-to-bottle recycling, and meets the Association of Plastic Recyclers Critical Guidance Protocols for clear PET articles.”

As the flexographic industry continues to evolve, Schouten points out that INX has several other powerful solutions to consider.

More and more brand owners and food packaging providers are choosing INXhrc natural-based inks every year. With its formula of clean and safe, bio-renewable ingredients, INXhrc uses fewer chemicals compared to traditional inks and does not contain allergens, nanomaterials, fluorochemicals, fanal pigments, heavy metals, latex or PTFE. Other benefits include significantly lower CO₂ emissions and the ability to produce outstanding results without sacrificing machine, processing, or end-use performance.

INXFlex Contour flexographic inks cure both UV and LED while providing high performance for shrink sleeve applications. These fast drying inks are known for their printability at high speeds, maximizing shrink contouring and eliminating post-shrink adhesion loss and ink flaking. With the Dual Cure version, you can switch from UV or LED unit by unit. Therefore, it provides the option to cure two ways with one ink system to increase efficiencies and lower applied costs.

GelFlex EB is a gel-based lightweight surface print ink system for CI flexographic printing. Offering enhanced print quality similar to gravure, it produces excellent print package designs for consumer applications ranging from food, household, and industrial products to outdoor, pet food, and pet care. The crosslinked durable ink film eliminates the need for a lamination layer, creating a double bonus situation with a 30% weight reduction that reduces the cost and package weight, and improves recyclability.