UV Flexo

Narrow Web Label Inks

Inks for Narrow web printing

Solvent
Inks

Waterbased

UV Free
radical

UV
Cationic

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Nitro

Acrylic

Acrylated
prepolymers

Cycloaliphatic
Epoxides

Reducers

Solvents

Water amine

Acrylated
monomers

Vinyl ethers

Solvents

> 30%

< 5%

Zero

Zero

Ingredient
Pigments
Resins

Wax

Additives

Antifoam
Silicones
Plasticizers

Wax
Antifoam

Wax
Photo
initiator
Stabilizers

Wax
Dif Photo Init
Stabilizers

UV Flexo
Constantly improving printing technology
Reliable and constant printing process
Fastest growing printing process in Narrow
Web industry
High offset quality for label printing
Fast and cost effective printing technology
Is often used as the main printing method
in combination printing presses

UV inks/varnishes
Components
Prepolymers

Adhesion, properties, pigment wetting

Monomers

Viscosity, Cure rate, adhesion

Photo initiators

Curing properties

Pigments

Shade, strength, lightfastness

Additives

Flow agents, silicons, stabiliser,

Wax

Slip, scratch resistance

Curing
UV-ink cure when
exposed to UV-light
Binder reacts with
photo-initiator and
crosslinks

Curing
If not sufficient UVlight or wrong ink
formulation, only
surface curing occurs
This results in bad
adhesion

Curing

Full cured, through cured

A UV-ink can maximum
cure 100%
Over cure is ink that
is to brittle & shrinks
when cured 100%

Pigment UV absorption
100
90
80

Absorbance (%)

70
60
50
40
30

Competes with photoinitiator

for UV light

20
10
0
200

250

300

350

Wave length (nm)

400

450

Factors effecting UV-curing

mechanism
Power output of UV-lamp (W/cm)
Peak energy
Reflector geometry
Spectral output
Cold-UV-lamps & Ozon Free
Pigment UV-light absorption
Photo-initiator reactivity / amount
Film weight
Demands on low odour

UV flexo

Flexographic unit

Plate

Anilox roller

Doctor
roller

UV flexo

FLEXO printing Chambered Doctor blade unit

Ink pumped out

Ink pumped in

Requirement of UV inks for

Unsupported Materials and processes

Where are the opportunities?

What are the challenges?

Narrow web market segments

Converter

Supported
Labels

Un-supported
films

Packaging

PS paper Labels

Wrap around Labels

Sachets & Pouches

PS film Labels

Shrink Sleeves

Folding Cartons

Cut & Stack Labels

Flexible Packaging

In mould Labels

Narrow web printing

Suitable to run on Narrow web presses
General push in industry for short run and short lead time
Smaller production runs
Shorter time of delivery
Reduced stock
Price pressure from consolidation & overcapacity
Concentration & globalization
Brand owners demanding innovation & change
Label / package need to sell in supermarket (grab effect)

Narrow web printing

Why print Packaging in Narrow web
What is the typical run length / job?

Printers
using
wide web
presses

Best for jobs

> 100 000 sqm

To expensive

Mid web ideal for jobs

between 5-50 000 sqm
And here more & more
packaging jobs end up

Printers
using
Narrow web
presses

Best for jobs

< 5 000 sqm

Inks for all types of applications

WB Flexo

UV Flexo

UV LP

UV Offset

PS Paper label

PS Film Labels

Wrap around film label

In Mould Label

Sleeves

Folding Carton

Sachets & Pouches

Flexible Packaging

Highly recommended

Limited use

- Not recommended

(based on 1 ink for all applications)

Inks for Narrow Web printing

Flexo - Solvent & Water based
UV Flexo - Free radical & Cationic
Letterpress - Oil based & UV curable
UV Offset - wet & waterless
UV Screen - Flatbed & Rotary
Gravure - Solvent based & UV (?)
Ink Jet - solvent, water, Oil & UV

Inks for Narrow web Printing

Solvent
Inks

Waterbased

UV Free
radical

UV
Cationic

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Nitro

Acrylic

Acrylated
prepolymers

Cycloaliphatic
Epoxides

Reducers

Solvents

Water amine

Acrylated
monomers

Vinyl ethers

Solvents

> 30%

< 5%

Zero

Zero

Ingredient
Pigments
Resins

Wax

Additives

Antifoam
Silicones
Plasticizers

Wax
Antifoam

Wax
Photo
initiator
Stabilizers

Wax
Dif Photo Init
Stabilizers

Inks for Narrow Web printing

Good to know inks are available but what should
they do?
What demands exist for various applications? Can
we use same ink for PS labels & Packaging?
Demands do vary based on market conditions.
Inks tailored for clear Lamination or surface
printing are available (and different).

Wrap around labelling

1000 M sqm
900 M sqm

lamination

800 M sqm

monoweb

700 M sqm
600 M sqm
500 M sqm
400 M sqm
300 M sqm
200 M sqm
100 M sqm
0 M sqm
North
America

Latin
America

Europe

Oceania

Middle East

others

Laminated Wrap-Around Labels are

mainly used in North & Latin America.
Mono web labels dominate in all other
parts of the world.

Demands on inks
for wrap around labels

Fast curing speeds (150 m/min)

Very good adhesion and scratch
resistance to corona treated PE, OPP, PS
A good opaque white, non yellowing inks

Demands on inks for In-mould labels

Very good adhesion & scratch resistance
No curling effect

(non corona PE, PP, PS)

(no shrinkage)

Very good through cure

(partly cured ink can cause blocking problems)

High melting point

Should not crack after being heated
Have an antistatic effect

(IML-labels are picked one by one)

Resistant to grease, butter, oil, solvent, acid solution, shampoo,

body lotion, water, detergents, petroleum products, cheese (!?) etc.
Pass steam sterilisation for 20 minutes without fading
Possible to use in deep freeze environment

Narrow web market segments

Sleeves

Shrink Sleeves

Stretched
Sleeves

Roll on
Shrink On

Demands on inks for Sleeves

Excellent flexibility
Stretch & shrink
Fast curing speeds (150 m/min)
Very good adhesion and scratch resistance to corona
treated PVC, PET, OPP )
A good opaque white, non yellowing inks

UV inks for packaging

Is it possible to use UV inks for packaging products
There is no regulation concerning printing inks and
direct food contact, so no ink can be approved or
not approved for direct contact
Most packaging users & ink makers
work towards industry guidelines such as:
FDA guidelines
In Europe
Council Directive 89/109/EEC-LMBG
Plastic Directive 90/128/EEC
BGA recommendations

What about odour in UV inks?

Surface printing
Odour
Odour both perceived odour of product during printing,
but more commonly odour of printed article.
Measured via Odour panel testing, comparing samples to
each other or to unprinted, but corona treated material.
No industry standard available (pass or fail) but individual
end users have their own requirement

Migratables and Extractables

Inks and coatings are designed NOT be transferred to the
food stuff, or migrate into the food stuff, but we need to
test if there is any doubt or concern..
Test for extraction or migration of materials into the food
stuff through the packaging material, or transfer migration
caused by set to the reverse side of the web, then into the
food stuff.
Migration levels are determined by a quantitative analytical
method such as GC_MS.

Narrow web printing segments

What can generate odour?
Raw materials
Bi-products generated by
the curing process
Not fully crosslinked (cured) ink
Contamination
(press and production)
Coating of the paper i.e. Casein
Coating or additives
on/in the film substrate
UV lamps and corona treater

UV Flexo Low odour

Substrate B
Substrate A
Flexo UV Ink

Without ink

1.5

2.5

Odour value: 1-2 Low odour, 2-3 medium odour, 3-5 high odour

Odour assesment test

Printed at 100 m/min on a Arsoma EM410

PE

Cationic UV flexo

OPP
Free rad 2

Free rad 1

Without ink

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5

Odour value: 1-2 Low odour, 2-3 medium odour, 3-5 high odour

Inks for Narrow Web packaging

There are solutions available
Important to know end user requirements
Liaise with suppliers before you start