Labelexpo Americas, held Sept.13-15 in Rosemont, IL, featured more than 400 exhibitors showcasing a full range of machinery and materials for the label and package printing industry. According to Tasha Ventimiglia, Labelexpo Americas event director, attendees had the opportunity to learn about the newest technologies and processing techniques hitting the market, and heard about how new smart and interactive technologies are being increasingly integrated into label and packaging design and functionality.

“As usual there is a strong mix of panel discussions, technical presentations and practical case studies highlighting actual experiences and lessons learned, which will give delegates the opportunity to discuss the advances and challenges facing their businesses going forward,” Ventimiglia said.

As always, ink manufacturers are a vital part of this year’s show, as tags and labels are a considerable driver for the ink market. Here, leading ink manufacturers share their plans for the show.

ACTEGA North America
ACTEGA North America introduced its guests at Labelexpo Americas to a wide array of innovative ink and coating technologies that will functionally and aesthetically enhance label and packaging solutions at this year’s show. The company has announced the release of its complete ACTExact UV Ink System and ACTDigi Narrow Web In Line Primers. ACTEGA North America also highlighted its ACTDigi digital primers that work with in-line priming units for narrow web digital presses.  These primers are designed to extend the life of printing components and are FDA Indirect and California Proposition 65 compliant.

ACTEGA North America showcased its special effect coating line designed to give label printers and brand owners eye-catching shelf presence and tactile effects to enhance the consumer experience. The showcase will feature its newest product to the line – MotionCoat.  MotionCoat technology brings labels to life with movement. Also on display was its next-generation UV ink system, ACTExact. This system is designed to offer a wider color gamut, improved press speeds and allow for crisper print details as compared to traditional UV ink systems.

Flint Group 
Flint Group had three divisions at Labelexpo 2016: Flint Group Narrow Web, Flint Group Flexographic Products and Flint Group Digital Solutions (Xeikon).  The three divisions together make a single-stop shop for innovative label producers. 

Among the new inks at Labelexpo were Flexocure ANCORA 50, a low migration UV flexo range of inks for food label and certain packaging applications; Flexocure ANCORA, a low migration UV flexo range of inks suitable for the most stringent food label and packaging applications; EkoCure ANCORA, a low migration UV LED flexo range of inks suitable for the most stringent food label and packaging applications; Hydrofilm ACE, a water-based flexo ink system that meets food compliance for label and packaging applications; and Lithocure ANCORA, a low migration rotary offset range of inks for food label and packaging applications. 

INX International Ink Co.
At Labelexpo Americas, INX cast a wide net with new and established products for flexible packaging, folding cartons and label printers. Front and center was the NW210 inkjet UV digital narrow press and the new HMJ-250 medium batch automated ink dispenser. INX displayed a variety of proven and successful products, ranging from ION water-based label inks and shrink sleeve label inks for exceptional film adhesion to new and advanced UV/EB inks and coatings.

“Labelexpo is one of my favorite tradeshows. I’m glad that every two years, thousands of people who attend this event visit an area that is nearby to our corporate office and R&D facility,” said Rick Clendenning, president and CEO of INX International Ink Co. 

The NW210 inkjet UV digital narrow web label press has attracted plenty of attention for its ability to produce best-in-class image quality performance with UV LED advance curing technology. It’s also very fast, one reason why it is appealing to label converters, direct mail and packaging printers. Delivering single pass output up to 80 feet per minute on any label stock, the NW210 press combines printing and conversion to produce vivid color printed labels at a maximum printing width of 210mm. It comes equipped with a Spartanics laser die-cutting station and Xaar patented technology, with multiple drop sizes and color ink channels.

The HMJ-250 is a versatile, medium-sized and affordable batch ink dispenser manufactured by HMJ tech. It offers many advantages, including fully automated valve cleaning and single point dispensing into any container, from narrow-neck jugs to six-gallon pails. The system is designed to work with HMJ tech’s modular media farm, which can draw from a wide range of sources including kits, drums and bulk containers.

This ink dispenser offers the custom capability for any ink room. It can be configured for up to 24 stations of water-based, UV-curable or solvent-based inks, and the solid-state industrial control system offers true, real-time dispensing – it needs only 90 seconds to produce a four-ingredient gallon of ink. No matter if it is called upon for back-to-back production or just a few batches, the HMJ-250 is designed to deliver clean, quick and precise dispensing.

INX low energy flexographic inks have “produced prolific results by delivering outstanding print quality.” The new INXFlex UV LED process inks are environmentally friendly and formulated to cure under Light Emitting Diode UV lamps with wavelengths between 380-400nm. They provide minimal plate swell for flexographic printing on most tag & label and pressure sensitive substrates, and are intended for in-mold label and shrink sleeve applications.

More advanced UV/EB inks and coatings offerings on display included ProCure UV Coatings and INXFlex UV Low Migration inks for packaging printers, which are ITX-free and suitable for indirect food contact.

INX shrink sleeve systems possess unique capabilities that give printers more options. Etona solvent-based gravure inks for shrinkable film printing offers exceptional film adhesion and high strength with oriented polystyrene and PETG. The ShrinkPac F solvent-based flexographic ink system for shrinkable film labels is fast drying with superb printability at high speeds. It works very well on substrates such as shrinkable polyester, PVC and oriented polystyrene. INXFlex UV ITX-free Shrink 70 inks are formulated for minimal plate swell for flexographic printing. Specifically engineered for Shrink Sleeve applications with heavy ink coverage, they are designed for most tag and label, pressure sensitive and in-mold label applications.

AquaTech ION label inks continue to perform extremely well in the marketplace. The premium quality, water-based flexographic printing ink formulations offer many benefits and superior press stability over a wide range of speeds. The ION-T Thermal series is specifically designed for printers using higher line anilox rolls of up to 1500 lines. The ION-P series has produced outstanding results on most prime label substrates, in addition to semi-gloss, EDP and many pressure sensitive and tag liners.

Nazdar Ink Technologies
Nazdar Ink Technologies presented its diverse range of inks developed for narrow web printing applications at Labelexpo Americas 2016.
 
As a supplier to the flexible packaging, folding cartons and labels markets, Nazdar demonstrated a variety of inks ideal for Labelexpo Americas 2016 visitors. Experts with years of experience were on hand to explain the formulations behind its UV and LED flexo, UV offset and UV letterpress inks, durable UV coatings, water-based flexo, UV and LED rotary screen inks, and UV and LED overprint varnishes and adhesives – and how label businesses can benefit from them.

Nazdar has nearly a century of ink development expertise and experience working with key equipment manufacturers, enabling the Shawnee, KS-based company to offer the highest quality products at affordable prices. In addition to narrow web applications, Nazdar also manufactures screen printing and digital inkjet inks and coatings for specialty graphic applications.

“Labelexpo Americas is a great opportunity for businesses in the label and packaging markets – and those considering moving into them – to meet us and discover why our inks and coatings are used across the world,” said James MacDonald, VP of marketing at Nazdar.

Wikoff Color Corporation
Wikoff Color Corporation highlighted the “outstanding level of expertise and technical service that has become synonymous with Wikoff Color,” including the Color Confidence campaign, which details how Wikoff Color experts go above and beyond to make color management simple and efficient.

Wikoff Color showcased several innovative products from the Photoflex UV Flexo line, which have exhibited success in the narrow web label market.

Photoflex III is the newest addition to the UV Flexo product lines. This BENZO-free, ITX-free and HDODA-free system provides a high-performance solution to the pharmaceutical, personal care and indirect food packaging markets. Photofllex III demonstrates excellent cure properties, resulting in outstanding print quality and great adhesion on treated substrates.

Photoflex LED is formulated to produce exceptionally sharp dots with LED units at 365 and 395nm. Even at press speeds of 700fpm, these inks remain stable on press, which means fewer viscosity adjustments for press operators. The Photoflex LED series includes process and mixing colors that are water and UV coatable.

The Photoflex High Shrink system has demonstrated exceptional print quality at shrink levels in excess of 80%. This silicone-free and wax-free series have been designed for reverse print where an opaque white or UV coating provides protection.  This product line also includes colors with varying degrees of lightfastness.