The newest press technology has impacted the development of inks in a major way. Faster speeds require UV inks to cure with less total energy. This applies to both conventional UV and dual cure LED products, as well. Ink manufacturers consistently strive to formulate inks that are stronger and more press stable, allow thinner printed ink films and reduce waste for label converters.

“Accomplishing this with large variations in substrate quality has been a challenge for ink makers and converters,” explains Dennis Sweet, VP, narrow web, tag and label (NWTL), commercial, Rycoline and distributors, Sun Chemical. “Sun Chemical has developed a series of high speed, high adhesion inks called SolarFlex High Adhesion Technology to accomplish this, without the use of primers.

Zeller+Gmelin has formulated its ink chemistries to accommodate these faster speeds. “More reactive vehicle components, increased levels of photoinitiators, and stronger inks to run on thinner ink films have all worked together to allow press speeds approaching 1,000 fpm on a narrow web press,” comments Ed Dedman, product manager, narrow web technical support, Zeller+Gmelin. “With the increasingly fast pace of adoption of LED curing technology, we have moved to make all of our new ink formulations dual cure, curing under both light sources.”

Manufacturers have also needed to design new ink sets to accommodate the latest developments in digital printing. These presses have seen speeds surge in recent years, too. Sun Chemical, for example, has launched its SunJet product range to handle the latest demands of digital label converters. “Sun Chemical has been working to optimize both surface cure and through cure to ensure output performance that can cope with a wide range of labelstocks,” adds Sweet. “Inks are responsive to both LED and mercury lamps. Sun Chemical is also developing digital removable digital UV inks to improve recycling similar to our SolarFlex CRCL.”

“For us, the main benefit of digital is the changeover speed from job to job,” states Gary Seward, managing director, Pulse Roll Label Products. “This is where we have focused with PureTone as we have customers doing complete changeovers in less than 20 minutes. Yet this is only possible with our unique solution of anilox consistency, where all spot colors are printed with a single anilox.”

A host of ink products have been tailored to the booming food and beverage labeling markets. ACTEGA has launched a new line of ACTExact SafeShield UV LED inks for use in low migration applications such as indirect food contact, cosmetics and nutraceutical packaging. These inks have been formulated with stringent protocols to meet a broad range of global and regional regulatory requirements. “ACTEGA’s talented staff of chemists develop inks and coatings with performance metrics designed to meet or exceed the advancements of printing press speeds in the marketplace,” remarks Jim Harris, director of sales, flexible Packaging, North America.

Inks have not been spared from the industry’s notable supply chain challenges. The obstacles have included, but are not limited to, delayed shipments of orders waiting on raw materials, the use of alternate formulas until the original formulas can be made, and price increases.

“Based on my 45 years of experience, I can honestly say we are in a business climate within this industry – at least from our perspective as a supplier – which I’ve never experienced before,” says Dedman. “We, like other ink companies supplying the industry, have had to raise prices on most of our products, and while our customers don’t like it and occasionally push back, they have been accepting and understanding like I have never seen before. There has been a level of camaraderie and acceptance. It’s as though the entire industry accepts the fact that we’re all in this together and have to find a way through it together.

“I do want to specifically state that we have not changed any of our formulas during this challenging time,” adds Dedman. “If we had to reformulate a formula it was given a new product code and was communicated to the customer as an alternate product.”

ACTEGA maintains multiple sources for its top raw materials, which has been a boon during these challenging times. “We continue to work closely with our suppliers to confirm future availability and resources and manage our inventory through the continued allocations and force majeures that are still in place throughout the marketplace,” says Harris. “While we are not able to resolve every global short supply concern, we continue to work diligently to identify alternate options and supply channels.”

Communication between converters and suppliers is key when dealing with supply chain issues. “There’s been volatile demand over the past two years, and we are now seeing a fierce cycle of both shortages and surges in the industry,” says Seward. “With price increases of raw materials – from pulp and starch to polymers and special varnishes – across the sector, understanding the who, what and where of the current climate is incredibly important for converters. They need to understand where the costs are being absorbed in the supply chain, who is taking control of it and what, if any, is being passed onto the consumer. They need information on any delays that may impact their orders and know instantly if there is not enough stock to take immediate action.”

To accomplish this, Pulse Roll Label Products has launched a digital portal to deliver instant communication and full supply chain visibility for its customers. This LINK portal enables printers to manage their order to delivery process with complete transparency of information and real time communication with us; vitally important in today’s fast paced industry.

Sustainability

Sustainability is also paramount in the ink space. Siegwerk, for example, has designed its inks and coatings with environmental friendliness in mind. The company offers de-inking washable solutions for flexo and solvent-based inks that are APR approved. Therefore, the inks experience fast wash-off results, and they do not bleed in wash water and can be safely filtered out. Plus, Siegwerk has tailored its inks to enable greater PET recycling while ensuring clean rPET.

ACTEGA has reinvested 10% of its annual sales into research and development. Through these endeavors, the company strives to influence the sustainability of consumer packaging. “We support the protection of food, help our industry simplify the recycling process and invest in new solutions to further packaging waste reduction,” says ACTEGA’s Harris. “To us, sustainability is more than a market fad: it is the key driver for innovation and new product development and a fundamental concept incorporated into our everyday actions. We understand that the most impactful solutions need to deliver value to our customers while being responsible stewards of our natural resources.”

“Sustainability is certainly the word of the day in recent years, and we have, of course, taken steps in our Richmond headquarters and manufacturing facility to become a more sustainable company,” says Zeller+Gmelin’s Dedman. “All of the usual activities, like reduced energy consumption, recycling in both the office areas and manufacturing, as well as investments in more efficient manufacturing equipment to increase throughput and reduce the amount of waste in the process, have all been successful steps so far.”

Sun Chemical has taken a plethora of strides to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chain. The company publishes an annual sustainability report, which details the work done by its facilities in meeting sustainability goals, and the company has appointed Nikola Juhasz as global director of sustainability to lead Sun Chemical’s product development efforts.
“We have developed several new products and programs to enhance our sustainability offerings,” states Sun Chemical’s Sweet. “Our SolarFlex CRCL products for UV inks and our SolvaWash for solvent-based inks improve recycling without the need of a primer to facilitate release or retention of the ink from the label substrate, depending on label type. A similarly performing recycle-friendly water-based ink is in late-stage development.”

Sun Chemical’s SunCure mono-web coatings have also been optimized to reduce cost and eliminate laminate structures, and the company’s dispenser program reduces ink consumption by 30%, adds Sweet. The SunVisto AquaGreen Renewable Ink series offers “the highest bio-renewable content in the industry” and its SolarFlex High Adhesion Technology also eliminates the need for primers, reducing consumption and improving sustainability.

Not only must the inks be safe for the environment, they must also display traits that are not hazardous to human consumption. “Inks and coatings have a lot of uses in packaging,” states Zack Meister, global business development manager, shrink sleeves, Siegwerk. “Safety in ink is incredibly important and quite regulated, so it’s imperative there are no health concerns when they come into contact with the customer. Additionally, brands are always looking for cleaner ingredients that are more beneficial from consumer and the environment.”

When examining an ink’s performance in wash water, Sun Chemical has designed the SolarFlex CRCL UV ink series to wash off a label or be retained on the label, depending on the material slated for recycling. Either way there is no discoloration of the wash water or recyclate, according to the company.

Sun Chemical’s sustainable initiatives, such as those with SunCure Mono-web coatings, are intended to replace the laminate structures, which reduces both cost and carbon footprint. These new low migration UV coatings are fast curing at low dose without odor and exhibit enhanced water and chemical resistance with minimum shrinkage or label curlings.

One of the many benefits of joining industry associations is the collaboration on sustainable initatives. This has been the case for Pulse Roll Label Products, especially as it designs its new products with the environment in mind.

“As BCF, BPIF and FINAT members, we are equally responsible to ensuring the preservation of our planet for future generations,” says Pulse Roll’s Seward. “By working with sustainable waste management solutions and operating to a Lean Manufacturing philosophy, we minimize environmental impact and waste wherever possible. As a result, our latest innovation, PureFX Soft Touch Varnish, is an example of a needs-first sustainable alternative to soft touch film lamination.”

Seeking a cure

As Zeller+Gmelin’s Dedman noted, the latest ink technologies have been engineered for UV LED curing. In many cases, this has led to dual cure ink formulations.

Flint Group Narrow Web has developed an expanded range of Dual Cure UV-flexo inks that are curable under LED lamps, as well as 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. Free of benzophenone, Dual Cure Ultra Clear offers assurance of long-term brand integrity and product safety.

Another addition to the Dual Cure program is EkoCure ANCORA FCM PSL, a 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%, compared with using mercury lamps on press, as the lamp produces less heat, the company says.

According to Julian Cass, vice president for North America at Flint Group, Dual Cure inks are fully compatible inline with conventional inks on the printing press and 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 waste of existing ink inventories.

“In recent years the adoption of low migration LED systems continues to grow with sustainability and recyclability being a key driver of our product development efforts,” states ACTEGA’s Harris. “The emergence of digital has provided ACTEGA the opportunity to offer our extensive portfolio of specialty embellishment and haptic coatings in addition to primers for digital assets in the marketplace.

“Energy curing is already a very sustainable process because the inks are virtually zero VOC content, and by nature these inks have a significantly longer shelf-life as long as they are protected from light and stored properly,” adds Dedman. “This allows for reuse of press returned inks, again minimizing waste in the pressroom.”

Fujifilm offers solutions to the market for both curing and inks. The company’s 300 Series inks, a two-part system consisting of an LED curing unit and specially formulated LED inks, easily convert existing water-based or UV flexo presses to boost productivity and reduce energy costs by 86 to 95%. Plus, the company has optimized its Illumina LED curing system to handle the inks.

“A lot of our success has to do with the improved register on the film liner due to the reduction of heat made possible by Illumina – it was sharp,” explains VJ Melapioni, president, Beau Label. “Fujifilm’s 300 Series UV LED flexo inks provide brighter, clearer, crisper and cleaner results.”

At Labelexpo Americas, Zeller+Gmelin debuted a new UV LED dual cure prime label opaque white, which exhibits an increased level of opacity through higher pigment loading and better lay down on the substrate.

Ink for Shrink

As label converters look for additional growth areas, the shrink sleeve market has emerged as a viable outlet. According to AWA Alexander Watson Associates, the sleeve label market, which accounted for 13.2 billion square meters in 2021, is seeing 3.6% growth in North America. Heat shrink TD sleeves are experiencing the largest growth at 4.3%. Inks play a critical role in the success of a shrink sleeve.

During the recent AWA & TLMI Sleeve Label Seminar, Siegwerk’s Meister explained how Siegwerk has developed a full portfolio of shrink inks and coatings to service this growing segment.

“Our inks and coatings are used by many leading brands across the globe,” said Meister. “As a global provider, we are also a tremendous resource for shrink sleeve technologies. Inks and coatings allow brands to capture consumer attention with vibrant graphics, high color imagery and intriguing messaging that helps products stand out on store shelves.”

Meister noted that the company’s inks have been designed to achieve high levels of shrink percentage without fracturing or cracking. Plus, these inks must display excellent flexibility. Inks engineered for shrink sleeve printing must adhere to films without coming off, which means ink adhesion is of critical importance. These ink sets require subsurface printing and must boast abrasion resistance and no scratching.

In order to promote brand identity on the shelf, the inks need to have the proper CoF and level of slip, which are typically controlled by white inks printed on the inside of a shrink sleeve. Therefore, high opacity whites are developed with tailor-made slip properties, making chemical resistance all the more important.

For Flint Group, the Evolution Deinking Primer is applied to shrink sleeves to allow the ink to be released during the recycling process. The ink is removed from the sleeve material without contaminating the valuable 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.

Cyngient, Imageworx enhance labels with HD inks
Cyngient and Imageworx have joined forces to unveil security labeling and brand protection products the companies have developed in tandem. Cyngient and Imageworx have debuted Micro Security Guilloche labels. Showcasing the advancements of high-speed microscopic flexo security printing – utilizing high definition inks from Cyngient and enhanced resolution printing plates from Imageworx – label converters can take advantage of ultra-fine lines printed in decorative, intricate, and precise patterns. These security labels hold line weights below 5 microns in thickness, plus positive type printing as low as 0.3 pt and reverse type at 0.4 pt on a 1200x microscope.

The companies have also made advancements with Micro Optical Array printing for brand protection labeling. “Together with Cyngient, we offer an arrangement of 12 customized labels featuring high-definition inks, all printed below 1 BCM and printed using Imageworx micro-optical engineered algorithmic technology utilizing 400 LPI Micro Optical and Liquid Silver arrays,” explains Jeff Toepfer, president at Imageworx.

Toepfer adds, “Micro Optical Array labeling is the new premier method in brand protection, featuring printed line widths as small as 2 microns, magnified by Micro Optical Arrays that transform the print into magnificent assemblage of deep 3D imagery, fast moving animation, and brilliant color-shifting effects. Visit Booth 1415 to witness the future of brand security labeling.”

Andrew Wasserman, managing partner for Cyngient, comments, “We’re absolutely thrilled to partner with Imageworx, which is such an innovative, forward-thinking company. Our customers are blown away by not only our new security solutions, but also the amazing things we’re bringing to conventional 4-color process flexo printing.”

L&NW sits down with Flint Group’s Niklas Olsson
To learn more about Flint Group’s latest offerings for the industry, as well as the newest trends in the company’s eyes, L&NW chatted with Niklas Olsson, global brand manager, Flint Group Narrow Web.

L&NW: What are the newest products from Flint Group to meet customer demand for inks? 
NO: There is a new ink series, plus two new that Flint Group Narrow Web is highlighting right now. First is the Evolution Series. Products in this range provide converters with a fast and smooth solution for improving the sustainability of their packaging offering as a whole to their customers. 

The first products in the Evolution series focus on boosting the recyclability of bottles and shrink sleeves made of crystallizable PET, in particular, preventing their contamination in the recycling stream. 

The Evolution Deinking Primer is applied to shrink sleeves to allow the ink to be released during the recycling process. The ink is removed from the sleeve material without contaminating the valuable bottle flake. The materials are then rinsed and pelletized into recycled polyester (rPET) for reuse. This won the Sustainability Award at the Global Label Awards during the opening night of Labelexpo Americas 2022.

Secondly, 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.

Meanwhile, Dual Cure Ultra Clear is a UV-flexo clear over-printed coating, curable under LED-UV lamps and mercury lamps, that does not yellow over time. Free of benzophenone, Dual Cure Ultra Clear offers assurance of long-term brand integrity and product safety. 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 brings energy cost reductions of up to 50%, compared with using mercury lamps on press, as the lamp produces less heat.  

Plus, EkoCure ANCORA “x” (new grade, LED / DualCure) is a safe ink for narrow web 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.

L&NW: How have you navigated the supply chain difficulties? 
NO: Throughout the pandemic, we have worked diligently with all our suppliers to be transparent with increasing demands, working strategically to mitigate for disruption as much as possible. We prioritized safety stocks of critical raw materials. We have also invested heavily in increasing our safety stock, and in building up sufficient buffer stock to manage disruptions all over the world.

With over 40,000 SKU’s (inks and coatings we sell, and about 1,500 we stock in a central warehouse), our focus has been maintaining “anytime” availability of all items. This is a considerable challenge: our clients may order multiple items at once – and it just takes that one item not being available for problems to arise.  
 
L&NW: How have communication and collaboration with converters been pivotal throughout the numerous difficulties of the past two years? 
NO: Clear, transparent communication internally and with supply chain partners has been vital for overcoming the severe challenges of the past two years. At Flint Group headquarters, we held daily inter-departmental meetings, bringing together purchasing, R&D, production and sales.

Weekly phone conferences were also held with global sales and distribution teams. That enables everyone to get a full appreciation of the situation, and to develop the best approach to meeting demand in a dynamic, crisis situation. Our versatility was tested too, as R&D colleagues were tasked with finding alternative ink formulations to mitigate for a temporary shortfall of certain ingredients at the height of the crisis.

L&NW: How have inks evolved in recent years, especially with faster press speeds and the emergence of digital? 

NO: The Introduction of our Dual Cure LED-UV curable inks makes an important contribution to reducing cost-to-print, through lower energy costs. But, in addition, our focus is on how to help converters improve productivity, press uptime with for example our color management service, VIVO Colour Solutions – a vast database of ink formulations adapted to ink set, anilox cell count, and substrate type.

We know that maintaining optimum machine uptime is a challenge for converters dealing with shorter run lengths and thus more jobs to prepare for, per shift. Ink management systems are a paramount aid for converters.  On average clients mix three to four new color shades per day, and our investigation showed that they spend, on average, two-and-a-half hours per day on color matching and preparing next job. So, using a database such as VIVO to get the ink recipe “right first time,” it’s possible to cut this downtime considerably. 

L&NW: How does sustainability factor into your operations/inks? 
NO: Sustainability is a very significant topic, and at Flint Group, a special task force has been assigned to work on sustainable solutions, in accordance with the 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals, with set targets for 2030.

We perform a lot of improvements and modifications in our operations, but we also identify how we can further help converters’ operations with waste reduction. Also, the development of the Evolution Series to enable better de-inkability and recyclability of plastic are just the first step we see in order to improve sustainability of our industry.