This week at Labelexpo Europe 2017, Sun Chemical is presenting its latest innovations and new product launches for the narrow web label and packaging markets. 
 
Under the theme “Brighter Ideas for Labels,” Sun Chemical is demonstrating its capabilities and commitment to innovation in the label and narrow web markets. The five zones on the stand include: Core Product Offerings, Digital, Functional and Effects, Brand Protection and Color Management.
 
To demonstrate its knowledge of the challenges and requirements in these five areas, Sun Chemical has developed the Brighter Ideas for Labels Guide that can be collected from Sun Chemical’s stand or downloaded here.
 
Sun Chemical’s Labelexpo highlights include the launch of SolarFlex LED, its new range of high performance UV-LED flexo inks for surface printing on flexible films and labels for migration-compliant food packaging.
  
Sun Chemical is introducing SolarFlex LED, a range of migration-compliant, UV flexo 4-colour process inks, which thanks to its patented M-Cure photoinitiators allow for rapid curing, ensuring full cure at high press speeds. The range is fully compliant with regulations for food, pharmaceutical, tobacco and cosmetics packaging.
 
Stand visitors can also see the launch of Sun Chemical’s UV flexo technology platform for food and non-food applications offering significant productivity advantages over existing systems, including the extension to its UV flexo white range with the addition of a new fully upgraded sleeve white for high performance sleeve production.
 
Flexible packaging is a strong growth area in narrow web and, as part of its product solutions in this area, Sun Chemical is showing its new coated films in partnership with acpo, Ltd. a premier coater of flexible films, which use SunBar Aerobloc oxygen barrier coatings.
 
For the broader packaging market an upgraded migration-compliant portfolio will be available, including new EB curing inks for flexible packaging and lamination as well as a new compliant UV coatings range. Also on the stand is Sun Chemical’s laser-marking coating solution SunLase.
 
In the Digital zone, SunJet is highlighting the capabilities of its joint development projects with OEM partners, system integrators and printhead manufacturers through the presentation of its latest ink chemistries and digital technologies for a broad range of substrates. SunJet is also presenting its range of migration-compliant inkjet solutions for printing onto the non-contact side of primary and secondary food packaging applications.
 
Also being showcased in the digital area is Aquacure, SunJet’s next-generation functional aqueous inkjet ink, which combines the best of water-based and UV curing ink technology.
 
Sun Chemical’s digital team is also demonstrating its comprehensive range of digital coatings, SunEvo, in partnership with HP Indigo, to support converters, printers and brand owners exploit the benefits of digitally printed packaging.
 
The main focus in the Brand Protection area is a smartphone authentication solution that incorporates the AuthentiGuard smartphone validation application from anti-counterfeit technology specialists, DSS (Document Security Systems, Inc.), providing Sun Chemical customers even greater choice, flexibility and potential for protecting their products.
 
Also on display is SunTag, an integrated sensor-taggant system for cartridges and refills, which provides interactive, point-of-use authentication and identification and helps protect product quality and safety at a fraction of the cost of competing technologies, the company noted.
 
Sun Chemical is also showing its range of overt, covert and semi-covert brand protection solutions, including UV responsive and infrared inks and taggants integrated within spot colors or varnishes, hidden images embedded into existing packaging designs and smartphone authentication.
 
To help converters achieve global consistency of high impact and high-quality color, Sun Chemical is showcasing SunColorBox, a ‘toolkit’ that comprises a comprehensive set of applications and services aimed at supporting converters to produce consistent brand colors, anywhere in the world, within a fully optimized digital process.
 
Tools in SunColorBox include: 
• MyColorCloud, by Sun Chemical, a cloud-based solution to manage converters’ private databases of bespoke spot colors and make them available digitally throughout the supply chain and production cycle.
• SunConsulting, the first stage of Sun Chemical’s process involving onsite audits and consultations resulting in a proposed digital color workflow implementation plan.
• SunCMYK and SunECG for the color management of process printing
• SunDigiGuide, a color standards book.
• SunMatch, for full digital color communication between ink supply and customer networks.
• SunDigiProof, which produces quick onsite, on-demand color accurate proofs.
• SunColorQC, which enables measurement controls to be put in place to monitor production.
• PantoneLIVE, with color management hardware and software from X-Rite Pantone.
 
Sun Chemical has strengthened its collaboration with Esko in the field of expanded color gamut printing. Visitors to Labelexpo will be able to see how SunECG, which includes Esko’s Equinox solution, enables customers to set up a simple process for efficient printing with more press uptime and accurate and repeatable color.
 
In the Functional and Effects area, Sun Chemical is presenting its range of SunInspire speciality inks and coatings for label applications, which add an extra dimension and look and feel to label applications.