Think Ink
Ink suppliers are in the thick of many dynamic trends in package printing.
January 2007 by Tom Polischuk
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Package printing is not for the faint of heart. One needs to look no further than packaging ink systems to get an understanding of the complex nature of printed products for the packaging market.
Inks can be water-based, solvent-based, or radiation-cured systems; they can be developed for specific processes such as offset, flexo, gravure, or screen; and can be compatible (or not compatible) with different coating, lamination, or adhesive systems. Some are designed for use with specific substrates, while others are applicable for a wide range of substrates. These are just the basic, top-level considerations. Beyond these, there are a multitude of functional, color, or market-specific concerns.
To get a picture of current trends and market drivers for packaging inks, packagePRINTING talked to executives from several ink manufacturing companies.
pP: What growth do you see for the different ink categories (water-based,solvent-based, energy-cured) over the next several years?
Michael Impastato, VP, business development, Flint Group—A number of years ago, we saw movement between water, solvent, and radiation-cured inks, allowing some of these ink chemistries to grow at significantly higher rates than the underlying market. In most cases, this has moved back to an equilibrium, with the underlying markets driving the growth of each ink chemistry. Although most market segments in packaging can be serviced by water, solvent, or radiation-cured inks and coatings, it is typical that one type of ink chemistry is primary in most markets.
For instance, shopping bags are mostly water-based while high-performance film laminations are mostly solvent-based. The exception to this equilibrium is the continued higher growth in radiation-cured products. UV and EB inks will continue to grow faster than their underlying markets due to conversions from either water or solvent inks. The rate of conversion to UV and EB has slowed over the last several years, but we will continue to see additional conversions to radiation-cured products as their unique characteristics are identified and the cost performance relationship is better understood.
Dr. Lothar Schaffeler, director of technology – flexibles NAFTA, for Siegwerk—Siegwerk continues to see solvent-based ink leading the market share for the packaging industry; however, this is somewhat dependent upon the volatility of solvent prices. If solvent prices continue to rise, Siegwerk sees some market share transferring to water-based technologies as a cost advantage to the customer. The bulk of the market will remain solvent-based though. Energy-cured technologies showed growth within the overprint varnish sector, while no growth is foreseen for the colorant side of the food packaging market.
Inks can be water-based, solvent-based, or radiation-cured systems; they can be developed for specific processes such as offset, flexo, gravure, or screen; and can be compatible (or not compatible) with different coating, lamination, or adhesive systems. Some are designed for use with specific substrates, while others are applicable for a wide range of substrates. These are just the basic, top-level considerations. Beyond these, there are a multitude of functional, color, or market-specific concerns.
To get a picture of current trends and market drivers for packaging inks, packagePRINTING talked to executives from several ink manufacturing companies.
pP: What growth do you see for the different ink categories (water-based,solvent-based, energy-cured) over the next several years?
Michael Impastato, VP, business development, Flint Group—A number of years ago, we saw movement between water, solvent, and radiation-cured inks, allowing some of these ink chemistries to grow at significantly higher rates than the underlying market. In most cases, this has moved back to an equilibrium, with the underlying markets driving the growth of each ink chemistry. Although most market segments in packaging can be serviced by water, solvent, or radiation-cured inks and coatings, it is typical that one type of ink chemistry is primary in most markets.
For instance, shopping bags are mostly water-based while high-performance film laminations are mostly solvent-based. The exception to this equilibrium is the continued higher growth in radiation-cured products. UV and EB inks will continue to grow faster than their underlying markets due to conversions from either water or solvent inks. The rate of conversion to UV and EB has slowed over the last several years, but we will continue to see additional conversions to radiation-cured products as their unique characteristics are identified and the cost performance relationship is better understood.
Dr. Lothar Schaffeler, director of technology – flexibles NAFTA, for Siegwerk—Siegwerk continues to see solvent-based ink leading the market share for the packaging industry; however, this is somewhat dependent upon the volatility of solvent prices. If solvent prices continue to rise, Siegwerk sees some market share transferring to water-based technologies as a cost advantage to the customer. The bulk of the market will remain solvent-based though. Energy-cured technologies showed growth within the overprint varnish sector, while no growth is foreseen for the colorant side of the food packaging market.
Companies Mentioned:
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