New Requirements for Inks Applied to Flexible Packaging

Soft packaging inks have some special requirements for the ink used due to the different characteristics of the flexible packaging materials and the use requirements of the manufactured products (such as boiling, cooking, etc.), and with the environmental protection trend of packaging, the inks for flexible packaging are also required to be environmentally friendly. Change.

Main requirements for ink for flexible packaging industry

First, universal

Now the packaging factory has many production batches, and the production volume is small, with a small number of times, and the film is frequently changed. The main inks are:

1. OPP common compound ink (CLPP type) polyphenols;
2, PET / NYLON light packaging type (CLPP improved), boiled (PU type), cooking type (PU type);
3. A film: G A special type of ink is complex to use and the ink inventory increases.
4, all substrates: a variety of models of general-purpose ink;
5. In Japan and Southeast Asia, PET/NYLON/OPP is being printed using universal ink (PU type).

Two environmental protection ink solvent changes: toluene / ketones / esters / alcohols - no toluene, no ketones.

The development direction of flexible packaging ink

Trend 1: Generalization

Nowadays, the status of a printing factory is basically that a type of special ink is applied to a film. It is not only complicated to use, but also needs to be formulated with a corresponding thinner, and the ink inventory is multiplied. Due to the fierce competition in modern commerce, the speed of product development and packaging changes has accelerated, and many packaging and printing plants are producing lots of lots and producing less. Thin film exchanges are frequent. If one type of general-purpose ink is used for all the substrate parts, inventory can be greatly reduced and the operation can be simplified. In Japan and Southeast Asia, PU-based general-purpose inks are now being used to print PET/NYLON/OPP, and the PU-based ink has increased its share of the entire composite ink sales by 50% to 90%.

Flexible packaging based on plastic films plays an important role in packaging and printing. According to statistics, in some advanced countries in the world, plastic packaging accounts for 32.5%-44% of the entire printing industry. In general, a single flexible package material has poor protection for the contents, so composite materials are used more. Its production process is plastic film → gravure/flexo printing → compound → cutting → bag making → customer.

Trend II:> Environmental Protection

The solvent used for the ink is generally toluene, ketones, esters, alcohols, or water. Relatively speaking, toluene and ketone solvents are harmful to the human body. The governments of all countries are formulating or preparing to draw up relevant restrictions ordinances. The other development trend is that they contain benzenes and ketones--no toluene-containing ketones- -Toluene-free, ketone-free inks--Water-based oil-plastic inks (containing only alcohol and lipid inks) Therefore, general-purpose inks for alcohols and esters are integrated and environmentally friendly. They are the development trend of compound inks. Japan has begun to use in batches, and some domestic multinational companies such as DIC and SICPA have also been promoted.