Water-based gravure ink technology applied to flexible packaging is not yet mature

BAIDU_CLB_fillSlot("858283"); Today, when asked whether he would water-based gravure inks used in flexible packaging gravure production, the majority of respondents still said embarrassed the flexible packaging business, they generally think "water-based gravure inks technology is still not mature enough." . “On the whole, the printing quality of water-based gravure inks has not yet reached the same level as that of solvent-based gravure inks. It is prone to produce defects such as dirt and bubbles on the plate due to clogging of plate points in the production process. The performance of color, adhesion, printability, etc. is also difficult to accept in the market,” said one respondent. Indeed, there is still a "soft rib" in the film water-based gravure ink that cannot be ignored. First, solubility. Although the water-based gravure ink does not have the solubility fluctuation problem caused by the mismatch of the mixing ratio and the volatilization ratio in the solvent-based ink, the solubility of the water-based gravure ink depends on the solubility and drying compatibility between the aqueous emulsion and the color paste. In the event of solubility problems, film-type water-based gravure inks also exhibit knife line failures that are not avoided by solvent-based gravure inks, and are even more severe. Second, dryness. The latent heat of evaporation of water is very large, and it is slow to volatilize at normal temperature. To make it evaporate requires more heat. Therefore, the drying of water-based gravure ink requires more energy, that is, the drying power of the printing press must be increased. In addition, since the gravure ink film is thicker, the ink film tends to accumulate when printed on a non-absorbable film material. Therefore, in the case where the ink film thickness cannot be changed, the water-based gravure printing ink has a large difficulty in drying. Third, the composite strength. At present, water-based inks and solvent-based adhesives have been well-coordinated, but the peel strength is still not ideal. And for water-based adhesives, although their adhesive strength can already be qualified for food light packaging, there are still some defects in upgrading to boiled and steamed grades, and the cooperation of water-based inks and solvent-free adhesives is a need to continue exploring and In-depth exploration of important issues. The immaturity of technology will naturally hamper the promotion of the market. Therefore, the technical bottleneck of the film's water-based gravure ink is also an important step in achieving its development in the flexible packaging industry. (Liu Yidong finishing) The above content is excerpted from the printing press Technology · packaging and decoration "2012 12, please pay attention to more journals Articles, latest journal content network click into KeyinPrint electronic journals channel.