Flint Group has released EkoCure Ancora, a UV LED curable low migration ink series for the narrow web industry.
The company says the ink will suit food compliant labels and packaging applications. Guillaume Clement, global vice president for Flint Group Narrow Web, says, “Fitting with our commitment to support food compliant labels and packaging, it is with great excitement that we commercialise this new product line. EkoCure Ancora expands our Ancora low migration portfolio and enables converters to grow their business with short run flexible food packaging.”
Kelly Kolliopoulos, global marketing director for Flint Group Narrow Web says, “The innovative journey in developing UV LED curing products that was started four years ago by Flint Group, is culminating in a milestone development: low migration UV LED curable inks.
“We believe strongly in low migration UV LED technology. The combination offers all the economic benefits of UV LED curing, including better press uptime and productivity and reduced energy consumption; along with the peace of mind converters are seeking for food compliant packaging due to the assuredness of cure.”
“We have finalised investments in our GMP production capabilities in Sweden and the US, and are now globally commercialising the industry’s first ever low migration UV LED flexo inks. We also recently completed an intense period of beta tests with selected converters, lamp, and press partners who collaborated with us on this ground breaking development.”
Tom Hammer, product line director Flint Group Narrow Web in North America, says, “We at Flint Group were very pleased to partner with two press suppliers at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago as both Bobst and Mark Andy were running EkoCure Ancora live at the show. Bobst was showcasing the Revo process utilising seven-colour process with EkoCure Ancora. Mark Andy was demonstrating up to 1000 feet per min on their LED flexible packaging press also showcasing extended colour gamut printing with EkoCure Ancora.”
Flint Group says the new ink comes in the full range of Pantone basic colours, four-colour process set plus orange, green and violet for expanded gamut printing, opaque white as well as a range of coatings, adhesives, and metallics. Greg Palm, executive vice president, business development at Mark Andy adds, “LED printing will greatly change our industry forever, it is a paradigm shift. With LED, curing converters no longer have to accept the unnecessary downtime associated with mercury lamp failures, inefficiencies, and hazards. We ran a narrow web flexible packaging job at 1000 fpm with excellent cure performance using EkoCure Ancora low migration LED inks and Mark Andy ProLED at 20W/sqcm. The combination of LED low migration inks and highly efficient printing presses will become an unbeatable combination to address the increasing demand for shorter and shorter run lengths in the flexible packaging market.”
Flint says the new ink offers:
Documented low migration properties achieved at very high print speeds (excess of 150mpm)
Suitable for the most stringent food label and packaging applications
Meeting specific migration levels below 10 ppb, 50 ppb or SML
Compliant to Nestle Guidance Note, Swiss Ordinance and FDA regulations
Tested using the food simulants of 95 per cent Ethanol, Tenax, and Acetic Acid at 40 degrees C for 10 days
Very good colour strength and adhesion to a wide range of synthetic substrates
UV LED inks on the rise
