Ink and Ink Dispensers
Can ink and dispenser system choices create a more sustainable off set printing future?
Roy van der Pijl, Senior Commercial Director, Off set Packaging Solutions at Flint Group
emissions and better sustainability performance. Furthermore, ink consistency is critical, and manually mixing inks to achieve the same spot colour time after time can prove challenging and ineffi cient. Many ink specialists rely on labour- intensive processes, such as weighing scale methods to get the balance right. This process is slow, increases production time, and can result in signifi cant levels of ink waste, especially if the quality requires corrections.
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n a competitive off set print market, effi ciency is more important than ever. Increasingly, printers fi nd themselves looking for more from their inks: brighter colours, better environmental performance, and better coverage. However, in this quest for performance, fl exibility can sometimes be overlooked, and total throughput may suff er.
A range of factors can limit an ink’s overall impact on press effi ciency. From compatibility with certain board grades and substrates to tacking and misting, which increases waste, getting ink selection right can make all the diff erence between effi cient and wasteful printing.
Print consumables that support sustainability objectives throughout the entire packaging supply chain are a priority. As such, there is a keen focus on how ink technology can support printers’ sustainability objectives and the circularity of packaging. Consumers expect eco-conscious thinking behind the products they use, including the packaging of those products. In turn, this environmentalism aff ects how brands and their print supply chains conduct business. Advances in ink technology have led to an
infl ux of solutions that can deliver on both these fronts. Inks that provide high colour strength and brilliance should be a priority for converters looking to simplify spot colour mixing. These characteristics also contribute to lower ink consumption, leading to direct material cost savings on consumables. With more effi cient consumption, these inks help cut costs and result in reduced start up waste with shorter make ready times. As a result, the companies using them benefi t from lower
36 May 2024
www.convertermag.com
Ink dispensers enable converters to overcome this issue. These systems provide the right amount of required colours, relying on digital databanks to record precise formulations and dispense exact quantities of each colour to produce accurate spot colours. Gravimetric ink dispensers take this capability one step further by using weighing scales to self-correct in the case of overdosing on one colour, meaning they can readjust formulations as needed to ensure accuracy every time.
On-press performance is equally important to improving an ink’s environmental impact. Problems like tack and misting can cause errors that lead to a print being rejected. Not only do rejected prints with all the associated environmental consequences waste inks, energy, and materials, they also waste a business’s time, reducing throughput. Failure to manage these issues can signifi cantly increase press downtime and harm throughput, limiting a printer’s ability to operate competitively in the market.
De-inking is another area where ink choice can make a real diff erence to environmental effi ciency. Removing contaminants from paper, including ink, is essential if the recycled paper is to maintain a high degree of whiteness. To achieve this, waste paper is shredded and immersed in water before being subjected to a chemical wash. This wash removes ink from the paper fi bres and ensures it collects on the surface of the water, where it can be skimmed off , leaving the paper pulp free from contamination. Converters that want to maximise recyclability benefi t from considering whether their ink choices comply with INGEDE de-inking requirements.
Although many inks off er these features in isolation, the real effi ciency benefi ts emerge when all of them can be found in a single ink system designed to work with ink dispenser technology. Switching to a single system reduces portfolio complexity, simplifi es stock management, and leads to increased effi ciencies and cost savings. Modern sheetfed inks such as Flint Group’s Novasens P670 PRIME represent one such solution. Designed to balance quality and consistency with regulatory conformance and multiple sustainability benefi ts, this low odour, low migration ink series brings total versatility across all sheetfed packaging applications. Designed to meet FDA and INGEDE sustainability standards and with a base system suitable for use alongside dispensers, Novasens P670 PRIME increases production fl exibility without compromising on other issues.
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