A Coat of Armor
Coatings are used to provide product and packaging protection and enhancements in countless ways.
June 2006 by Tom Polischuk
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Coating technologies sometimes seem like they can do it all, from the mundane to the smart technology applications that are opening up creative opportunities for package printers and consumer products companies alike. Whether it’s water-based, solvent-based, or UV/EB curing, coatings are helping companies save money and sell product—in anyone’s book, a pretty good combination of benefits.
Each of the coating technologies has an important role to play in package printing. INX International manufactures all three primary types—water, solvent, and energy cured—but Davant Davis, INX national accounts manager, aqueous solutions, throws his hat in the ring for water-based systems offering the best growth potential. His reasons include many practical considerations, such as inexpensive, least energy required, most environmentally friendly, and UV coatable and re-coatable.
Siegwerk Ink Packaging also offers all three primary coating technologies. Kent Shah, technical advisor, acknowledges the benefits that each can provide in packaging applications.
Water-based systems can be applied to meet different application needs, he says, such as gloss enhancement, high heat resistance, slip properties, or scratch resistance. “The water-based varnishes are primarily used for porous substrates with limited application for foil and films,” he notes.
Solvents provide a wide selection of resin choices, providing an opportunity to formulate coatings for paper, film, and foil packaging materials, he continues. “Additionally, these types of coatings can be formulated to provide numerous functionality for packaging applications, such as cold seal release, or water, oil, or other chemical resistance.”
For the energy-curable coatings, Shah says that the UV coatings market has experienced double-digit growth in recent years. However, it has not been adapted in food packaging due to potential odor and compliance issues. “For food packaging, EB coatings are much more suitable and will grow,” he predicts. In addition, EB varnishes are “especially suitable for outdoor applications for a variety of substrates, where it provides protection to ink for weatherability.”
Northwest Coatings LLC is a manufacturer of both water-based and UV/EB coatings, which Vice President and Technical Director, Stephen Lapin, PhD, says are both environmentally friendly technologies. “They offer very low levels of VOCs and do not require the use of thermal oxidizers to manage emissions. Water-based and UV/EB curable coatings are also safer to handle relative to solvent-based coatings.”
UV/EB coating technology has grown steadily in its use in packaging over the past 30 years, says Lapin, and is now in common use in label, multi-wall bag, and folding carton applications. However, he sees the largest growth possibilities for UV/EB coatings in flexible packaging.
Each of the coating technologies has an important role to play in package printing. INX International manufactures all three primary types—water, solvent, and energy cured—but Davant Davis, INX national accounts manager, aqueous solutions, throws his hat in the ring for water-based systems offering the best growth potential. His reasons include many practical considerations, such as inexpensive, least energy required, most environmentally friendly, and UV coatable and re-coatable.
Siegwerk Ink Packaging also offers all three primary coating technologies. Kent Shah, technical advisor, acknowledges the benefits that each can provide in packaging applications.
Water-based systems can be applied to meet different application needs, he says, such as gloss enhancement, high heat resistance, slip properties, or scratch resistance. “The water-based varnishes are primarily used for porous substrates with limited application for foil and films,” he notes.
Solvents provide a wide selection of resin choices, providing an opportunity to formulate coatings for paper, film, and foil packaging materials, he continues. “Additionally, these types of coatings can be formulated to provide numerous functionality for packaging applications, such as cold seal release, or water, oil, or other chemical resistance.”
For the energy-curable coatings, Shah says that the UV coatings market has experienced double-digit growth in recent years. However, it has not been adapted in food packaging due to potential odor and compliance issues. “For food packaging, EB coatings are much more suitable and will grow,” he predicts. In addition, EB varnishes are “especially suitable for outdoor applications for a variety of substrates, where it provides protection to ink for weatherability.”
Northwest Coatings LLC is a manufacturer of both water-based and UV/EB coatings, which Vice President and Technical Director, Stephen Lapin, PhD, says are both environmentally friendly technologies. “They offer very low levels of VOCs and do not require the use of thermal oxidizers to manage emissions. Water-based and UV/EB curable coatings are also safer to handle relative to solvent-based coatings.”
UV/EB coating technology has grown steadily in its use in packaging over the past 30 years, says Lapin, and is now in common use in label, multi-wall bag, and folding carton applications. However, he sees the largest growth possibilities for UV/EB coatings in flexible packaging.
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