Materials
- Published: December 01, 2000, By PFFC Editorial Staff
Defoamers Meet Needs of Inks, Varnishes
Cognis Coatings & Inks, Ambler, PA; 800/445-2207
Organo-modified polysiloxane copolymer defoamers are designed to meet the specific needs of water-borne printing inks and overprint varnishes. Defoamers are said to prevent foam during the manufacture of inks and varnishes and under the demands of high-speed presses. Mfr. adds that defoamers offer high efficiency.
Quick-Dry Overcoat Speeds Up Productivity
ADMTronics Unlimited Inc., Northvale, NJ; 201/767-6040; admtronics.com
Wassar-Stat 730 aqueous overcoat's quick-drying feature reportedly enhances production speed with convection air oven dryers. The high-gloss, water-resistive overcoat is designed for paper packaging, folding box, and general converting applications. Mfr. says overcoat may be applied with conventional coating apparatus and is suitable for freezer board. Formulated with ingredients found on FDA lists cleared for food packaging.
Mounting Material Solves Problems
Rogers Corp., Rogers CT; 860/774-9605
R/bak mounting material, made of an advanced microcellular urethane, is called an excellent pressure reducer and shock absorber for flexo plates. Co. says composition and open-cell construction allow a printer to improve registration, reduce dot gain, decrease plate deformation, improve ink transfer, and use finer screens.
Ink System Allows UV with Low Investment
Flint Ink, Ann Arbor, MI; 734/622-6000; flintink.com
The Gemini ink system marries the benefits of sheet-fed offset and UV ink, reports mfr. This "two-in-one" technology is said to enable printers that normally outsource UV work to produce UV-quality print with minimal investment. Co. adds that printers achieve sharp, wet traps between printing stations, thereby needing only one UV light bank for curing at the end of the run. Available in four-color and Hexachrome process sets as well as Pantone formulations.
Inspect Adhesive Patterns without Additives
Nordson Corp., Duluth, GA; 770/497-3715; nordson.com
The VeriTec G-Net verification system provides real-time monitoring and on-line adhesive pattern detection, product inspection, and production measurement. Patent-pending glue sensors detect the presence and placement of adhesive beads, dots, and films without using adhesive additives or tracers. Reportedly, sensors operate at greater tolerance levels with a higher resolution than laser- or microwave-based sensors, producing more accurate readings with less false errors. A response time of 100 microseconds with a total resolution of 1 mm handles complex patterns at line speeds to 2,300 fpm (700 mpm), says mfr.
Flexo Ink Offers Resistance Properties
Sun Chemical Ink (GPI), Northlake, IL; 708/562-0550; sunchemical.com
Polypro water-based flexo ink system reportedly offers vibrant, high-fidelity color printing. Designed for polycoated board liquid packaging and PE film applications, ink is said to provide excellent chemical resistance properties, making it ideal for use on containers that are filled in high- or low-pH processing line environments. Compatible with both traditional flexo presses using two-roll applications as well as chamber-bladed metering systems.
Ink Jet Media Suited for Outdoor Applications
Rayven Inc., St. Paul, MN; 651/642-1112
Outdoor ink jet media features topcoating said to provide superior color density and vibrancy while maintaining resistance to water and fading. Recommended for outdoor sign, banner, and graphic applications. Compatible with both pigment- and dye-based inks. Initially, six substrates are available with the topcoating.
UV-Curable Adhesive Allows Dieless Process
Akzo Nobel Inks Ltd., Langhorne, PA; 215/750-9191; 800/989-4657; aninks.com
Foilbond UV-curable adhesive was developed for a wide variety of substrates and optimized for cold dieless foil technology. Process involves the printing of this adhesive onto the substrate using flexographic technique. Substrate is then passed through a laminating nip on printing press where the foil transfers from carrier and adheres to adhesive. The process is said to eliminate the need for costly heated rotary engraved dies and to allow a wider range of running speeds compared to those of traditional hot stamping.
Resin Is Designed for High-Speed Extrusion Laminations
Equistar Chemicals LP, Houston, TX; 713/652-4518; equistar.com
Petrothene NA214 LDPE resin offers high-speed, lightweight extrusion lamination and coating of flexible packaging, mfr. says. Reportedly can be drawn down to coating weights of less than 7 lb/ream at line speeds exceeding 1,500 fpm without edge tear. Said to run well on lines with edge-bead-reduction dies and to provide minimum neck-in with excellent edge stability. Recommended for use in paper/foil/LDPE structures and film-to-film laminations (treated or chemically primed) on tandem laminating and coating production equipment.
