Food Packaging Printing
Energy curable inks and varnishes –
A current update.
Ron McDonald
Zeller+Gmelin Printing Inks
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IST BPiF Seminar 2015
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Company profile
The printer´s choice
UV Basics – The UV curing spectrum
Market development
Inks and Varnishes
Outlook
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Company profile
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German based Printing Ink Manufacturer
Specialist in energy curing technologies
100% privately owned
150 years in business (2016)
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UK plant based in West Thurrock, Essex
Until 2010 known as Intercolor Ltd
Part of Zeller+Gmelin Group since 1986
Re-branded as Zeller+Gmelin UK Ltd
January 1st, 2010
UK, Ireland, Exports
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The printer´s choice
Low
Migration
Energy
consumption
Curing
Technologies
Consumables
Investments
Brand owner
requirements
Printing
Technologies
Legal impacts
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UV – „Basics“
UV-Basics
The UV spectrum
400 nm
760 nm
IR: 3-10 µm
cosmic X-ray
radiation
UV
visible
infra-red
l
radio waves
200 nm
280 nm
UVC
320 nm
UVB
400 nm
UVA
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Market development
Energy curable inks and varnishes
General trends
• Standard UV inks → Low Migration
• LED-UV big hype pushed by stakeholders for last 4 – 5 years
• Reduction of energy consumption
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Inks and Varnishes
Standard UV Inks and Varnishes
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Well known standard
Low Migration inks / varnishes available
Continuous development of UV-units to reduce energy consumption
Continuous development of inks and varnishes
Focus of the ink industry in the past years:
 improvement of Low Migration inks (performance, odour, cost)
• Focus of Zeller+Gmelin:
 Development of the next generation standard LM inks
 New concepts of formulation with outstanding sensory properties,
high gloss and further reduced migration potential
 New development based on patented UV-Bulb Technologies (UV-C
Technology)
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Inks and Varnishes
Standard UV Inks and varnishes
New concept of formulation
UV-C Technology
• No or very limited PI´s needed
• No or very limited PI´s needed
• Very high gloss
• Very high gloss
• Almost no specific odour
• Almost no specific odour
• Under development
 UV-letterpress
 UV-Flexo max. 100 m/min
• Under development
 UV-Flexo up to 250 m/min
• Preferred application:
 Food packaging
• Preferred application:
 Food packaging
• First printed sample labels
available on Label Expo
• Patented bulb technology
• Retrofitting needed
• Nitrogen inerting needed
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Inks and Varnishes
Printing Sample
New concept of formulation
prototype inks
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Inks and Varnishes
LE-UV
Iron doped mercury bulbs
→ used for commercial printing applications
→ sheet fed presses
→ max. 2 UV-units perfecting unit and delivery
→ limited suitability in terms of substrates
→ limited availability of inks and varnishes
No practical application * in narrow web but
widely spread in commercial printing
applications on sheet fed presses
* Iron or Gallium doped lamps have been used in narrow web for special application (curing of thick layers opaque white)
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Inks and Varnishes
LED-UV
 Biggest hype since at least 4 – 5 years
 Very good market development on sheet fed offset presses for
commercial print applications
 Max. 2 units, perfecting unit and delivery
 Flexo still a limited number of presses
 First offset inks developed together with IST for IPEX 2010 press
speed Müller-Martini 170 m/min. max.
 Limited substrates (synthetics still difficult)
 Limited availability of Inks
 Limited availability of varnishes (tend to yellowing)
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Inks and Varnishes
LED Printing Sample
(Offset)
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Inks and Varnishes
Spectrum UVH lamp, type Hg vs. UV LED
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Inks and Varnishes
Electron beam curing
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Special application
Only suitable for web offset presses with straight web path
No interdeck curing possible (space/investment)
Nitrogen inerting necessary
Preferred application: Food packaging
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Inks and Varnishes
Overview of Technologies
Cost of Inks
and Varnishes
Standard UV
H-UV (LE-UV)
UV-C
LED-UV
Electron beam
100%
120-125 %
85-90 %
120-125 %
85-90 %
Availability
of inks and
varnishes
Food
packaging
Inerting
Offset
technology
Flexo
technology
full
yes, Low
Migration inks
no
yes
yes
limited
no
no
yes
no
full
yes, preferred
application
yes
yes
yes
limited
no
no
yes
yes
full
yes, preferred
application
yes
yes
no **
** Except patented wet flex technology
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Outlook
→ Development of standard UV curing equipment will continue
Focus: Less energy consumption,
equal (better) peak output
Standard UV
 New Low Migration inks under development to cover legal
requirements
 New concept of formulation under development to go beyond
standard Low Migration products, odour, gloss,
→ UV-LED will take it´s share
Sheet fed offset for commercial applications breakthrough has
already been achieved. Max. 2 curing units, perfecting unit and
delivery. Narrow web question of investment as a trade off
against potential energy savings
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Outlook
→ UV-LED will take it´s share
 Inks and varnishes significantly more expensive
 Limited product range due to monochromatic light source
 UV-varnishes tend to yellowing
 Low Migration rather difficult to achieve
→ LE-UV
Transition technology; well used in sheet fed offset, commercial
applications not used in narrow web
→ UV-C
Standard UV technology with special UV-Bulb (patented
Suprasil Glass Technology)
Advantage very little PI-content
UV-lamps need to be retro fitted with UV-C Bulbs and nitrogen
inerting
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Outlook
→ Electron beam curing
 Preferable for food packaging materials
 In theory less migration potential
 Nitrogen inerting necessary
 No interdeck curing possible → limited application
 Preferable for UV-web offset presses with straight web path
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For detailed information visit us on
Hall 11 / Stand 11A47
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