Siegwerk to showcase its best-in-class UV curing inks at IST Metz’s UV Days 2019

Siegwerk, one of the leading providers of printing inks for packaging applications and labels, will present its broad ink and service portfolio for UV printing at ‘UV Days 2019’, the largest in-house exhibition for optical systems hosted at IST Metz’s headquarter in Nuertingen near Stuttgart, Germany. From May 13-15, 2019, UV experts and interested people from around the world will come together for the ninth time to share information about trends and the latest developments in UV technology. In line with the show’s motto “Tradition meets Modernity,” Siegwerk will build on its long-time and profound ink experience by presenting its best-in-class UV ink solutions. The focus will be on the company’s latest developments designed to meet today’s requirements as well as future product enhancement potential.

“IST Metz is the world’s leading provider of UV systems and one of our long-standing valued partners. With its bienniallyhosted ‘UV Days’ the company offers a fantastic platform for international exchange on the topic of UV technology,” says Cleo Nomikos, Regional Sales Director Business Unit Sheetfed EMEA at Siegwerk. At this year’s UV Days, the company will present its wide range of state-of-the-art ink solutions for offset, flexographic, inkjet and screen printing suitable for non-food, low migration and LED curing applications. Next to its bestsellers SICURA Nutriplast 2 New, the company’s low migration ink series for plastic substrates, and SICURA Plast SP Luxe, the company’s odorless ink series for printing on paper and board as well as plastic applications, or other well-established flexo and offset printing solutions, newly enhanced solutions such as SICURA Low NRGY UV/LED UV, the company’s latest breakthrough in terms of deinkability in UV curing, will also be presented.

“As low-energy curing UV inks are gaining more and more market share, the consequences of poor deinkability of these inks has reached new dimensions,” explains Thomas Glaser, Head of Technology Sheetfed at Siegwerk. The problem with deinking UV/LED UV cured prints is that the inks form a solid, chemically and mechanically resistant layer after curing, comparable with an adhesive plastic layer. Although this strong attachment of ink and paper fibers results in a preferable high stability of the ink film, it also complicates the removal of the ink during the recycling process. Present standard UV/LED UV inks cannot be sufficiently removed from the paper fiber mass often leaving large dirt spots in the recycled paper, thus minimizing the final paper quality. “Improved deinkability is the first step to full recyclability of UV/LED UV cured prints. That’s why we have made every effort to come up with an enhanced UV/LED UV ink solution with improved deinkability properties to further strengthen the ecological benefits of the general UV/LED UV printing process,” adds Glaser.

By launching SICURA Low NRGY UV/LED UV, Siegwerk is now offering an UV/LED UV offset ink system that - as the first of its kind - shows outstanding deinkability even comparable to conventional oil-based sheetfed offset inks. Tests have proven the system’s good deinking properties on both high- and low-weight coated paper as well as on uncoated virgin fiber-based newsprint (iNP). Furthermore, the new ink system is free of reclassified photoinitiators 369, EDB, EHA and PBZ and suitable for commercial printing offering very good printing stability, high gloss levels, excellent dot sharpness and great flow properties as well as fast curing and good mechanical strength. To share knowledge and further drive discussions around the use and disposal of UV/LED UV cured prints, Glaser will give several lectures on this topic in line with the workshop and presentation program during UV Days 2019.

Siegwerk always attaches great importance to open dialogs with its customers. Understanding their needs is key to the company identifying trending topics and open issues that enable it to channel its R&D activities into the market segments of the future. “We are always focused on finding the optimal solution that specifically meets the individual requirements and needs of every single customer,” adds Cleo Nomikos, Regional Sales Director Business Unit Sheetfed EMEA. “That’s why platforms like the UV Days are ideal touchpoints for us to stay up-to-date by exchanging ideas and discussing newest challenges and requirements with our customers and other industry experts.”

As one of the world’s leading ink manufacturers for packaging printing Siegwerk’s product portfolio goes beyond inks and also includes an extensive range of services including on-site consulting, ink room management, technical support, printing ink related training, and others. It’s all about supporting customers to optimally address their individual needs and application purposes while increasing efficiency and safety.

For more information about IST Metz’s UV Days 2019 please visit https://www.ist-uv.com/en/company/uv-days-2019/