With performance, efficiency and sustainability critical for converters as they face increasing customer demand, Sun Chemical has engineered a tool to assist in this arena. Companies often rely on off-line laboratory testing during the manufacturing process to ensure proper coating application, but this process is time-consuming and inefficient.

SunScreen is a new system designed specifically for real-time monitoring of coatings during the printing operation. SunScreen’s integrated design can be easily installed on various press configurations and allows the operator to monitor whether the coating has been applied appropriately – in real time.

To learn more about this innovation, L&NW sat down with Rick Stokes, vice president, Coatings Group, Sun Chemical.

L&NW: What is SunScreen and how does it work?
RS: In Sun Chemical’s communications with customers across the packaging industry, we recognized that the traditional method of using off-line lab testing to ensure proper coating application on packages was often inaccurate, inefficient and unnecessarily costly. Therefore, an innovative solution called SunScreen was developed which allows in-process (instantaneous) coating thickness monitoring to minimize the amount required while reducing or eliminating the chance of generating out-of-specification product. 

SunScreen’s sensors use fiberoptic positioning on a printing press (or other coating device) to allow consistent monitoring of the coating. Utilizing on-screen, real-time data that provides digital assessment of coating conditions, SunScreen technology allows operators to immediately detect if the correct amount of coating is being applied.

The system is compatible with a variety of press configurations and more sustainable packaging options. The instant assessment of the coating provided by SunScreen increases accuracy, decreases extraneous costs, and enhances sustainability through waste reduction.

L&NW: What do customers need to know before getting started?
RS: The SunScreen device is placed inline with customers’ current coating systems and does not require changes or adjustments to presses or processes. What is required is a meeting with the SunScreen Technical team to review specific needs, followed by a pressroom assessment to provide a customized solution.

L&NW: Have you had any early feedback from customers?
RS: Feedback has been very positive. Several customers have reported that the unit has cut their waste dramatically while also allowing for smoother runs. Multiple systems have been installed over the past several years and all are still in operation with no unit ever returned. Once customers become accustomed to the benefits that SunScreen creates, they have expressed a high degree of satisfaction. 

L&NW: How has Sun Chemical prioritized sustainability?
RS: Sustainability is integral to Sun Chemical’s business model. As a global leader in eco-efficiency, Sun Chemical uses “the five Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, and redesign – to design products, conserve resources, and reduce waste. These approaches are central and guiding to each of our business sectors: packaging and graphics, color materials, and advanced materials.

By 2030, Sun Chemical and DIC Corporation aim to have reduced their CO2 emissions by 50%, with a long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

These initiatives can be attained through Sun Chemical’s continued focus on creating innovative, sustainable product technologies like SunScreen, which maximize customer satisfaction while prioritizing sustainability goals, such as reducing waste.

L&NW: Where do you see the industry’s efforts on recycling/sustainability, and how will this product promote that?
RS: In 2022, Sun Chemical spent $100 million on R&D. A substantial portion of that investment targeted sustainability. That said, an abundance of industry products still lack sustainable functionality, and that is an area where Sun Chemical has focused.

In printing and packaging, Sun Chemical’s innovative solutions provide sustainable options which are otherwise lacking. While most of the industry uses coating technology that requires primers in addition to coatings, we have developed solutions that don’t require the extra step of a primer, thus reducing time and need for materials.

Many companies are beginning the transition to packaging with low plastic content, which, although more sustainable, does require specialized coatings. As more printers transition to mono-web materials, SunScreen’s technology can ensure these more sustainable coatings are used efficiently and effectively, thus further improving the sustainable footprint of packaging.