Sun's New Printing Process For Flexible Packaging

Wetflex is a new printing process designed to improve print quality and efficiency for flexible packaging using a new generation energy curable ink technology.

Wetflex is a new printing process designed to improve print quality and efficiency for flexible packaging using a new generation energy curable ink technology.

The ink has been developed and patented by Sun Chemical, and it will had its worldwide commercial launch in Girona (Spain).

More than 500 customers from around the world flew to the headquarters of press-manufacturer Comexi for a demonstration of the technology that involves the inks being wet-trapped through a common impression (CI) cylinder press and cured instantly by an in-line electron beam at the end of the press, said Sun.

BPI is the largest producer of polyethylene packaging in Europe and is the market leader in sacks for the horticultural and aggregate industries.

The company's production development director Paul Cooke, who attended, confirmed that he would be interested in a trial of the Wetflex process, adding: "Obviously this is extremely interesting technology.

As a company, we have spent a lot of time trying to use water-based inks in the past as an alternative to solvents.

The customers who we serve have a particular need for weatherability in many products used outside, given that we work in the industrial sector.

This technology potentially offers a breakthrough in the physical characteristics of inks durability." Sun Chemical and print partner Comexi, the Girona-based packaging print and machinery specialist, have joined forces with USA-based Energy Sciences Inc (ESI), the provider of electron beam (EB) systems, in the technological breakthrough that involves printing wet on wet.

Michelle Hearn, director of marketing at Sun Chemical Packaging North American Inks, said: "We are really happy with the response to our worldwide commercial launch at Comexi and will now be working with our customers to take it to the next level.

With Wetflex, the possibilities of flexographic printing are now realities, providing product-safe, high quality package printing that can be executed in less time and with less waste, saving companies valuable time and money." The Wetflex flexographic printing process uses Sun Chemical's Uniqure inks, which are wet-trapped and cured using a single EB unit at the end of the press, eliminating the need for inter-station drying.

This results in higher quality products at a lower cost, claimed Sun.

The Wetflex dot structures demonstrate minimal dot gain for high quality print graphics.

For food applications, the claimed low odour of the Uniqure ink system virtual eliminates any concern for food taint and odour.

High colour strength offers better mileage than conventional flexo inks and the cured print has inherent resistance properties that allow it to be used in the home and garden products market, added the company.

The combination of the Wetflex process and Uniqure inks does not require heat for drying, making the process suitable for shrink-sleeve applications, in which heat is needed to shrink the sleeve around a product.

The inks also do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), said Sun.

Converters can also use them on retrofitted presses, adding capacity to existing press lines.

Felipe Mellado, corporate vice-president of marketing and technology at Sun Chemical Europe, said: "Sun Chemical has been working with Comexi and ESI to bring the Wetflex product on to a commercial footing, which has now been achieved through partnership.

Trials are going ahead and the move towards European manufacture is well under way and will soon be available in many other locations.".

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