Siegwerks New EB Offset Inks
Siegwerk's New Electron Beam Offset Inks
Siegwerk, an international printing ink leader, recently announced their latest generation of electron beam (EB) offset inks. The inks are an innovative solution for the offset printing and EB curing process. This new technology allows for exceptional print quality and reduces operational costs.
The new ink range is a cutting edge electron beam curing offset ink solution. The inks work particularly well for the flexible packaging application. Flexible packaging printers now have access to the same benefits offset printers have for short print jobs. These benefits include low print form cost, minimal set-up time, and fast changeovers.
Proven Technology
Siegwerk's new EB technology was tested countless times on Comexi's award winning CI8 machine. These tests showed the many benefits the new technology offers. Benefits include:
- Excellent print performance
- Low dot gain
- Low water dosing
- Less emulsification and scumming
- Fast recovery after stops
The flexible packaging market uses a wide range of plastic substrates, and the EB inks perform well with these as well. This includes coex OPP and acrylic coated PET.
The demand for shorter print job lengths has been vastly increasing the past few years. The rise of digital print for packaging has given way to more flexibility and shorter print jobs. Digital printing allows one to optimize their prints with shorter runs and customized labels. According to Dr. Stefan Busse of Siegwerk, “more and more jobs are printed on wide web machines with only a few thousand squaremeters. In order to stay cost-competitive in these markets all cost drivers have to be minimized. That’s why some of our customers are attracted by the low cost of print forms for offset printing plates.”
History of Siegwerk
Siegwerk traces its roots back to the early 1900s when they first started exporting inks. Since then, they have become the third largest manufacturer in the world within the printing ink industry. As of 2015, Siegwerk employs almost 5,000 people, has 14 locations in 13 countries, and is headquartered in Siegburg, Germany.
Siegwerk was recently invited to supply inks at Comexi's December Open House event. They supplied the EB offset inks that were used to demonstrate the capabilities of Comexi's new CI8 press. When discussing the benefits of offset printing, Dr. Busse went on to say that “during the last month our technical teams in Europe have made any effort in finding ways to help our customers accessing the benefits of offset printing in flexible packaging.”
How EB Works With the Inks
Electron beam curing systems allow converters to meet the quality standards demanded while avoiding the use of photo initiators that are used in UV systems. Avoiding photo initiators significantly reduces the risk of migration problems. That, paired with EB's lower operational costs and eco-friendly process, makes EB an extremely attractive curing option.
In the past few years, EB technology has developed into a leader for food packaging. Food packaging requirements that ensure the safety of the consumer has the industry looking to EB as the safety standard. The food segment represents about 75% of the flexible industry, making consumer-safe packaging a high priority.
If you would like to learn more about electron beam technology, please do not hesitate to contact us to speak with an expert. Our team is prepared to answer any ebeam questions you have as well as show you how EB can add value to your printing and curing operation.