Glossing Over Differences
April 2001
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Substrate and equipment concerns plot printers on either the aqueous or UV route to high-gloss printing.
by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor
UV-CURABLE FORMULATIONS are the big hitters of the coatings and adhesives market—offering remarkable gloss and great abrasion-, heat-, and chemical-resistance. Slightly less high-performance, yet in some cases more predictable, aqueous adhesives and coatings serve as reliable all-rounders. Suppliers say choosing between them depends on the nature of the job, and the equipment, at hand.
Luster low-down
Coatings manufacturers are largely unanimous when it comes to the virtues and challenges of aqueous and UV-curable formulations. Craig Adhesives & Coatings President Pat Foust, whose company manufactures both aqueous and UV-curable adhesives and coatings, attests to the benefits of a UV coating: "Basically, UV coatings give higher gloss and better protection than aqueous coatings."
In a presentation given at the GATF Tech Alert 2001 Conference in January of this year, Don Duncan, director of research for Wikoff Color Corp., reaffirmed the high gloss benefit of UV coatings, and named a few others. He notes, "UV and EB inks and coatings dry instantaneously when exposed to the curing unit on press…[and] tend to have fewer blocking problems than water-based coatings."
Dave Lenarduzzi, Canadian Sales Manager at KROMA Inc. (member of the SICPA Group), cites the superior resistance properties of UV coatings, the complete lack of VOCs, and their improved adhesion on various non-porous substrates as major selling points.
Meanwhile, aqueous coatings demonstrate similar characteristics, only to a slightly lesser degree. They are usually available in three levels of gloss; they provide a sound level of protection for inks; and they contain no alcohol and few VOCs.
The line of demarcation in choosing a coating comes down to equipment, economics, or substrate. Foust has witnessed the expansion of UV-curable products within the narrow-web market, as he says, "because it's easier to put UV lamps on these presses than large dryers for aqueous products."
Lenarduzzi agrees, estimating UV coatings dominate labels with about 80 percent of that market. However, as he points out, aqueous coatings, which are used primarily in food packaging applications requiring low taint and odor, make the better choice for certain porous substrates, where UV coatings do not always produce the desired end-result.
UV coatings' price tags are higher, but Foust maintains for a more accurate view of costs, all factors, including reduced waste and increased productivity, must be taken into account. As he states, "We've seen applications where a $4.00/lb. UV coating offers better value at a lower cost per piece than an aqueous coating at $.90/lb."
by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor
UV-CURABLE FORMULATIONS are the big hitters of the coatings and adhesives market—offering remarkable gloss and great abrasion-, heat-, and chemical-resistance. Slightly less high-performance, yet in some cases more predictable, aqueous adhesives and coatings serve as reliable all-rounders. Suppliers say choosing between them depends on the nature of the job, and the equipment, at hand.
Luster low-down
Coatings manufacturers are largely unanimous when it comes to the virtues and challenges of aqueous and UV-curable formulations. Craig Adhesives & Coatings President Pat Foust, whose company manufactures both aqueous and UV-curable adhesives and coatings, attests to the benefits of a UV coating: "Basically, UV coatings give higher gloss and better protection than aqueous coatings."
In a presentation given at the GATF Tech Alert 2001 Conference in January of this year, Don Duncan, director of research for Wikoff Color Corp., reaffirmed the high gloss benefit of UV coatings, and named a few others. He notes, "UV and EB inks and coatings dry instantaneously when exposed to the curing unit on press…[and] tend to have fewer blocking problems than water-based coatings."
Dave Lenarduzzi, Canadian Sales Manager at KROMA Inc. (member of the SICPA Group), cites the superior resistance properties of UV coatings, the complete lack of VOCs, and their improved adhesion on various non-porous substrates as major selling points.
Meanwhile, aqueous coatings demonstrate similar characteristics, only to a slightly lesser degree. They are usually available in three levels of gloss; they provide a sound level of protection for inks; and they contain no alcohol and few VOCs.
The line of demarcation in choosing a coating comes down to equipment, economics, or substrate. Foust has witnessed the expansion of UV-curable products within the narrow-web market, as he says, "because it's easier to put UV lamps on these presses than large dryers for aqueous products."
Lenarduzzi agrees, estimating UV coatings dominate labels with about 80 percent of that market. However, as he points out, aqueous coatings, which are used primarily in food packaging applications requiring low taint and odor, make the better choice for certain porous substrates, where UV coatings do not always produce the desired end-result.
UV coatings' price tags are higher, but Foust maintains for a more accurate view of costs, all factors, including reduced waste and increased productivity, must be taken into account. As he states, "We've seen applications where a $4.00/lb. UV coating offers better value at a lower cost per piece than an aqueous coating at $.90/lb."
Companies Mentioned:
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