Trends Feature
that eliminate melamine and formaldehyde entirely. Sun Chemical has developed a series of melamine- and formaldehyde-free inks which has been possible due to an almost unique feature of Sun Chemical within the industry – the vertical integration of the supply chain. We’ve pigment and resin technology and manufacturing, which assist us in our developments. Advances in colour communication tools are another significant driver of change in metal decorating. The traditional process of creating new designs has often been slow and inefficient, with timelines measured in weeks. The integration of digital tools can reduce these times to days or even hours. Innovations such as digital colour libraries, colour catalogues on transparent films, and software enabling instant colour proofs are enhancing collaboration and communication across the supply chain. This allows designers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to streamline the new packaging design approval process. Sun Chemical has a global vision of the metal packaging business. Beyond supplying inks and materials for printing on packaging, Sun Chemical is also a service provider to the metal decorating industry. With our comprehensive portfolio of products and services, we aim to lead the metal packaging market towards modernisation and sustainability. Sun Chemical has several colour communication tools, such as PantoneLIVE, SunDigiGuide, and SunDigiProof, which have revolutionised colour communication. PantoneLIVE provides a digital library of colours as they appear on aluminium packaging, ensuring consistency and accuracy across the supply chain. Complementing this are physical and digital tools like SunDigiGuide, which visually represents these colours on packaging materials, and SunDigiProof, which enables instant inkjet-printed proofs, dramatically reducing design approval times.
Overall, the trends of 2025 in metal decorating reflect innovation and responsibility. Sun Chemical is not only responding to these changes but actively shaping the future of metal packaging with products, tools, and processes designed to meet the demands of the market.
DONALD LE Global Marketing Director, Household Products, Sherwin-Williams
Whether your goal is to create a new package design for food, beverage, or household product to meet ever- changing regulatory challenges, or to enhance the sustainability attributes of a package, count on Sherwin- Williams to develop and deliver innovative custom coating solutions and technical expertise you need. The following are industry trends where we’re developing coatings to support the industry.
trend focused on reducing the number of coating passes and the
overall film thickness required to achieve
appearance.
the desired protection and
applications is a critical
Efficiency in coating
More efficient solutions: Reducing the number of coats and film thickness Efficiency in coating applications is a critical trend focused on reducing the number of coating passes and the overall film thickness required to achieve the desired protection and appearance. Reducing the number of coats and film thickness offers several benefits, including the reduction of stock keeping units (SKUs) and/ or reduced inventory management and storage space requirements. It can also reduce operating costs (including labour) and increase available capacity as less coater time is needed to process the same amount of metal. Additionally, it leads to less waste disposal as fewer coating passes are needed. All these benefits can contribute to more efficient and cost- effective operations.
●Beverage: valPure V70 non-BPA and non-PFAS solutions support the transition to non-BPA products for the beverage industry. These solutions can be used across most beverage categories at lower film weights compared to other non-BPA technologies. The V70 products are approved globally and currently manufactured in North America and Europe and include V70Q11 and V70Q38 for inside spray-applied beverage cans and V70Q05 and V71Q02 for coil-applied beverage ends.
Energy reducing solutions: Alternate curing externals like ultraviolet or electron beam Our customers continue to seek ways for more sustainable manufacturing processes and for alternate curing technologies such as ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) curing, leading them to investments in these areas. These methods offer substantial energy savings compared to traditional thermal curing processes. UV curing uses ultraviolet light to initiate a photochemical reaction that hardens the coatings. This method is highly efficient, reducing energy consumption and eliminating the need for solvents. Similarly, EB curing uses high-
energy electrons to cure materials. This technique penetrates deeper into the substrate, providing a uniform cure without the need for photo-initiators. EB curing offers advantages for applications requiring thick or opaque coatings, as it ensures thorough curing throughout the material.
Both UV and EB curing technologies enhance energy efficiency versus traditional thermal processes while improving production speed and product quality, making them ideal for various industrial applications.
A two-coat closure
internal system for hard-to-hold packs
Sherwin-Williams has several product solutions that reduce the overall film weight or eliminate a coating layer. A few examples include:
●Household Products: Our latest development will deliver a two-coat closure internal system for hard-to- hold packs like gherkins or jalapenos.
●Food: Our developments in three- piece and Draw Redraw can coatings in Europe offer the ability to reduce passes through higher solids.
9
metalpackager.com
Sherwin-Williams has several alternative curing solutions. A few examples include:
●Household Product: Our three- piece aerosol external UV varnish offers the high gloss and scratch resistance that customers value.
●Beverage:Our UV and UV LED rim coat portfolio offer solutions such as UV: NPFAS 51U30, NBPA NPFAS 59U76 and UV LED: 59U20.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
