New EB Curable CI-Flexo Ink Technology Providing Sustainable Printing Solutions for Packaging Applications

New EB CI-flexo ink technology has been developed to permit wet trapping without interstation hot air drying. This ink technology uses electron beam initiated free radical polymerization to achieve cure, and wet trapping is obtained by organo-jellification mechanism using Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSP).

This patented new printing process was developed over 5 years and has been proven to be stable for high speed package printing industrial applications. It provides high resolution printing up to 70 lcm with the lowest carbon foot print compared to incumbent curing technologies used in CI-flexo printing.

Details of the principles of this new technology including print results, food law compliance, obtained on various substrates at speeds in excess of 400 mpm will be presented. In addition, advantages of electron beam curing as the most sustainable curing option for packaging will be discussed.