Flexible packaging is a fast-growing market, as one look around a grocery store clearly shows. Inks for flexible packaging are among the most technically challenging, as many of these systems are used for food packaging.

For COIM Group, branching into flexible packaging inks is a natural opportunity.

Founded in 1962, the Milan, Italy-based company is a specialist in manufacturing polyesters and polyols, polyurethanes (coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers), and specialty resins for composites and coatings. With its NOVACOTE line of adhesives and coatings for multilayer laminates for food and industrial use, COIM Group saw a fit for its flexible packaging expertise.

As of Jan. 1, 2019, COIM Group started manufacturing solvent-based and water-based flexo and gravure flexible packaging inks as well as varnishes and primers under the Coiminks brand name.

These inks are produced at COIM Group’s San Martino in Strada and Offanengo sites in Italy, as well as in Brazil at its Vinhedo San Paolo plant facility.

The products include solvent-based and water-based inks for flexible packaging that are available with concentrate bases (paste) and technological varnishes or ready-to-use varnishes for specific applications.

Coiminks printing inks can also consist of single-solvent formulation (ethyl acetate), which the company notes are particularly suitable for solvent recovery systems. The company also has formulated solvent- and water-based primers, overprint varnishes and heat-sealing varnishes.

“The food and pharmaceutical packaging market make up for almost 25% of worldwide turnover for the COIM group,” said Alessandro Passerini, CEO of COIM EMEA, at the time of the announcement. “Now thanks to this integration, we expect to consolidate our position by offering our customers a complete solution: inks, adhesives, and coatings that will meet the needs of a continuously evolving technological industry.”

“Coimgroup is a worldwide leading player in developing, manufacturing and selling of polyurethane systems,” added Ivo Sensini, Coiminks division manager in COIM Group. “Since 2001, COIM Group is successfully present in the flexible packaging adhesive and coatings market with the Novacote Division. PU systems are playing an important growing role in flexible packaging inks formulation, and flexible packaging inks will complete the products COIM Group offers to the converting market.”

Offering a complete range of products for converters is a key advantage for COIM Group.

“We offer a full range of products (adhesives, coatings and inks) fully concentrated on flexible packaging,” said Sensini. “We also offer the capacity to develop and produce specific new PU resins for flexible packaging inks systems.”

Research and development and technical service are also strengths for COIM Group, as the company already has its R&D and service teams in place for flexible packaging converters on four continents.

“The project is very challenging,” Sensini said when announcing the new ink operation. “We have been working alongside the group R&D activities to develop 100% polyurethane ink systems that are able to meet the increasing performance needs of our customers. These products are in addition to the standard production currently used by industry converters.

“Historically, innovation and service are the driving factors of Coimgroup’s approach to the market,” Sensini added. 

COIM Group
20019 Settimo
Milanese (MI) Italia

Tel: +39 0373 248.1
Fax.: +39 0373789222
www.coimgroup.com

Major Products: Solvent-based and water-based inks for flexible packaging; overprint and heat-sealing varnishes and primers.