As has been the case for the past few years, the annual National Printing Ink Research Institute’s (NPIRI) Technical Conference has closed with a session on new technologies. This year, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) gathered talks centered on topics ranging from inkjet, liquid barrier polymers and drupa to new press technologies and printed electronics.
 
Jim Lambert of INX International Ink Co. opened the session with an entertaining look at inkjet technologies.  He shared a number of samples, from labels and shrink sleeves to cans, showing the capabilities of inkjet printing on many substrates.
 
“Inkjet printers can be engineered to print on a wide variety of substrates,” Lambert said. “At 1200 dpi, it is now competitive with offset quality.”
 
Lambert noted that inkjet inks have to be specially formulated to achieve their best effects.
 
“The inks can not dry in nozzles, and must maintain a fluid state,” he noted. “It must dry within the time frame required by specific application and printer, typically 1 or 2 seconds. The inks have to have resistant properties and provide quality on a wide range of substrates.”
 
Lambert used the changes in the billboard market as an example of how digital printing has expanded in the market.
 
“In the early 1990s, billboards were still painted by hand,” Lambert observed. “In the mid-1990s silk screening was used to produce billboards. Automated airbrush technology was next, and was nine dots per inch. In 2005, fully automated digital systems produced complete billboards as well as wraps. The market conversion was literally 13 to 15 years from complete analog to complete digital.”
 
The packaging market provides significant opportunities for digital printing. Studies report that the global packaging market was $820 billion in 2016, with digital $65 billion. In the $250 billion board market, digital has $21 billion, or less than 10%. Lambert added that the percentage will grow in the coming years, with INX technology now printing products ranging from Grolsch beer caps and brake pads to caulk tubes and glass and much more.
 
Gary Deeter of BASF was up next with his talk on “Novel Liquid Barrier Polymers to Enable Paperboard Recycling.”
 
 “A water-based polymer can be used as a heat sealable block resistant liquid barriers coating having FDA compliance for paper and board packaging,” Deeter noted. “This is ideal for folding carton, food packaging and hot and cold cups.”
 
I gave the next talk, titled “drupa Update,” a discussion of drupa 2016, including trends in printing, ink and new technologies such as digital textile printing, 3D printing and printed electronics.
 
“Digital printing is emerging in packaging and labels, “ I noted. “With digital printing dominating in wide format and making headway in label and narrow web, digital press manufacturers are turning their attention to corrugated printing.”
 
On the ink side, attendees saw mostly evolutionary changes in products, with packaging inks, inkjet inks and low migration inks most popular.
 
 “New technologies will drive the future of printing, and ink manufacturers will need to be right there with their printer customers,” I concluded.
 
Walter Chmura of KBA followed with “KBA – Trends and Directions in Print Technology,” discussing the new presses that KBA has developed.
 
“KBA spent €12 million for drupa, and we sold more equipment in 2016 than in 2000,” Chmura said. “drupa exceeded our sales goals.”
 
Hybrid technologies are a major opportunity for KBA, as it is partnering with Xerox and HP on new presses.
 
“The VariJET 106 Powered by Xerox features Xerox’s inkjet technology,” Chmura said. “It is modular and is a unique hybrid technology for the folding carton industry. RotaJET and Corrugraph are our collaborations with HP.”

Erika Rebrosova of Sun Chemical closed the 2016 Technical Conference with her talk on printed electronics, titled “Silver is the New Orange.” Rebrosova noted that for years, printing has been used for printing electronics for many years, but it’s been limited to mainly screenprinting of polymer thick film inks.

“The main markets are inks for printed circuit boards, the solar market and printed electronics,” Rebrosova said. “Conductive ink is a $2.3 billion market, dominated by front side silver paste for solar metallization, followed by printed bezels for touch screens. It is dominated by screenprinting, with inkjet quite popular for prototyping. We are starting to see more interest in flexo”
 
New applications are starting to emerge in printed electronics.
 
“Membrane switches are well established, and touch switches are gaining momentum,” Rebrosova observed. “Other key markets include structural electronics such as molded interconnects and 3D antennas, in-mold electronics, high-speed printing on labels or packaging for tracking security and identification, wearables, energy harvesting and the Internet of Things (IoT).
 
The ink requirements for these markets are diverse. For example, inks for touch switches are silver-based, carbon, dielectrics or transparent conductive. In-mold electronics requires highly reliable thermoformable inks that can withstand injection molding. Wearable electronics need stretchable, durable and wash resistant inks, coatings and adhesives, while biosensors use electronically conductive silver, gold and carbon inks.
 
“The industry needs to develop practical applications – this is a key to success,” Rebrosova concluded. “Core competency, early engagement with the value chain, and commitment to support and service are also key.”