Videojet ink experts develop solvent ink for TIJ printers, designed to deliver high-resolution text, logos and bar codes on non-porous materials
Chicago, Illinois – 28 September, 2016 – The global flexible packaging market is rapidly growing, and its value is predicted at US$248 billion by 2020 due to rising demands in consumer convenience.i As more consumers lead increasingly busy lifestyles, demand for convenience products in the healthcare, personal care, food & beverage, and pharmaceuticals market is ever increasing.
The growth in flexible packaging popularity is linked to a number of factors, including its resilience to damage and the range of packaging design options available.ii Flexible packaging is also the most economical method to package, preserve and distribute consumer goods, as it can be designed to fit the product and end-user requirements due to its ability to be made into a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Advances in printing technology also mean that different finishes can be applied to the packaging to help enhance the product’s appearance. Glossy substrates and flexible films are common materials used in flexible packaging. These materials are non-porous, and without inks that perform well on these substrates, customers may experience text, logos or barcodes being rubbed or scratched off after printing.
In response to customers’ needs for enhanced ink adhesion on non-porous packaging in the food, consumer and pharmaceutical packaging markets, Videojet Technologies, a leader in coding and marking solutions, has launched the new Flex Solvent ink for their Thermal Ink Jet (TIJ) range of printers.
Heidi Wright, Business Unit Manager, Supplies, at Videojet explains “This ink has been specifically formulated to improve adhesion on several consumer packaging substrates, particularly materials common in glossy packaging or flexible films. The new Flex Solvent ink opens up new opportunities to mark more durable codes on substrates that were previously difficult to mark, such as bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BOPP).”
Dry time on these materials if often between 1 and 2 seconds, and is suitable for printer integration in to web production processes. The ink is also an option for where customers require absence of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), such as in the food and beverage markets.
Wright concludes, “Extensive tests were performed on a number of substrates to verify enhanced adhesion and faster dry times. Videojet continues to invest in Ink Research and Development, and we are very pleased that this new formula has unlocked ways to help our customers print on a wider range of materials.”
The Flex Solvent ink can be used in the current Wolke (www.wolke.com) by Videojet range of TIJ printers, including the 8510, m600 touch, m600 advanced and m600 oem printer models. The inherent simplicity, uptime and print resolution of TIJ, combined with the simple usability of the Videojet and Wolke controllers, make these printers ideal for a range of packaging applications.
About Videojet Technologies:
Videojet Technologies is a world-leader in the product identification market, providing in-line printing, coding, and marking products, application specific fluids, and product life cycle services. Our goal is to partner with our customers in the consumer packaged goods, pharmaceutical, and industrial goods industries to improve their productivity, to protect and grow their brands, and to stay ahead of industry trends and regulations. With our customer application experts and technology leadership in continuous inkjet (CIJ), thermal inkjet (TIJ), laser marking, thermal transfer overprinting (TTO), case coding and labelling, and wide array printing, Videojet has more than 345,000 printers installed worldwide. Our customers rely on Videojet products to print on over ten billion products daily. Customer sales, application, service, and training support is provided by direct operations with over 4,000 team members in 26 countries worldwide. In addition, the Videojet distribution network includes more than 400 distributors and OEMs, serving 135 countries.
