Sun Chemical to Showcase Advanced UV LED Inks at BOBST

Sun Chemical announced its partnership with BOBST at the grand opening of BOBST’s new Competence Centre in Firenze, Italy from Oct. 8-10, 2024. The event will feature live print demonstrations, showcasing cutting-edge technology and expert insights. 

As part of the event, Sun Chemical will showcase its product offering for UV-LED flexo printing: SolarWave Integra and SolarWave FSP.

UV-LED printing offers significant advantages over traditional mercury-based UV (Hg-UV) systems such as enhanced curing efficiency (reduced energy consumption), less environmental impact due to the elimination of mercury, and suitability for use on heat-sensitive substrates, which include new bio films. Sun Chemical’s SolarWave Integra and SolarWave FSP are both UV-LED curing ink solutions designed to meet diverse printing needs.

SolarWave FSP is specifically tailored for labels and flexible packaging substrates requiring mi-gration-compliance. It uses UV light from either UV-LED or medium pressure mercury lamps for curing, which ensures rapid drying and robust adhesion to various flexible materials. Additionally, the inks are food-safe and compliant with regulations for food packaging applications, including compostable packaging solutions as they have been independently certified as non-toxic to plants.

SolarWave Integra is a versatile range of high-performance process inks and blending colors designed for printing labels, tags, sleeves, tickets and other non-food applications found in the narrow web market. The product has adhesion characteristics to suit a wider range of plastic substrates as well as high hold-out for highest gloss and cure even on the most absorbent papers.

Sun Chemical and BOBST will also highlight their collaboration in the context of the OneECG project, a partnership of leading companies in the printing industry which aims to digitize the flexo printing process while increasing productivity, improving print quality and extending the color gamut space for a wide range of applications.

“Our longstanding partnership with BOBST based on a common goal of excellence and innovation in narrow web and packaging markets remains strong,” said Jonathan Sexton, marketing manager energy curing products at Sun Chemical. “We’ve successfully exhibited together and supported various open houses and exhibitions over the years. The opening of BOBST’s new Competence Centre represents a significant milestone in our ongoing collaboration and we are excited to use this opportunity to showcase our product offering for LED flexo printing.

“Looking ahead, we are committed to exploring future joint initiatives to bring valuable insights to the market, including an ambitious Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) project,” Sexton added. “Our shared goal is to thoroughly assess the carbon footprint of the entire printing process, including both the inks and the machinery. This project aligns with our sustainability objectives and reflects our dedication to reducing environmental impact.”