Uvacure Series Inks
Technical
Information Pages.
page 2 of 4
HS-23 SERIES
Drying / Curing
UVACURE Inks dry chemically by polymerization. The energy
necessary for "curing" the ink is provided by UV lights with a maximum emission
in the region of 260 and 360 nm. The absorption range of UVACURE Inks have been designed
to make optimum use of the emission ranges as mentioned above.
Unlike conventional inks, the use of catalyst
dryers to influence drying speed is not possible with UVACURE Inks. UVACURE Inks, and UV
varnishes must NOT be mixed with conventional inks, varnishes or additives, or other UV
type products.
Uvacure Ink Series
1. UVACURE UV 23 Standard Ink Series
The Type HS 23 Series Inks are a PANTONE® based system
primarily used for cups, buckets, lids and tubes. This series is specially formulated to
offer premium resistance properties as noted in this manual. It is particularly suited to
containers that require exceptional filling, dishwasher and weathering resistance
properties.
2. UVACURE Metallic Inks
873 Gold Varnish UV 26871
872 Gold Varnish UV 26872
873 Gold Varnish UV 26873
874 Gold Varnish UV 26874
875 Gold Varnish UV 26875
876 Gold Varnish UV 26876
Gold Paste U 0070
877 Silver (1-part) UV 26877
Mixing - The gold inks are
based on a two
part system which includes a paste component and a varnish component which will yield the
desired Pantone® colour. Each component constitutes one half of the finished ink. For
example, if an 873 gold is required, 50% of UV 26873 is mixed with 50% of U 0070 (1:1
ratio) to achieve the desired results. Each colour is mixed to this ratio. Shelf life of
the mixture is of very short duration; only the amount needed for a particular print job
should be mixed at any one time.
In view of the physical nature of metallic
pigments, the rub resistance properties of UVACURE Metallic Inks are slightly inferior to
those of other UVACURE Inks. In some cases this can lead to rub marks on the inner side of
cups during nesting.
4. UVACURE Additives
U 0025 - Photo Initiator: An extremely
effective additive for increasing cure speed. An addition of 1 - 2% is sufficient to
dramatically improve cure response.
U 0035 - Slip Additive: Maximum amount of
addition should be 3%. Adding this item will improve the scratch resistance.
U 0045 - Reducer: This product should be
incorporated at levels of 1 - 4%. This will reduce the tack and viscosity of the inks.
U 0055 - Anti-Mist Gel: A gel for reducing
misting at high speeds. A maximum addition of 10% should eliminate most misting problems.
5. UVACURE UV 73 Light Fastness
Ratings*
| Colour |
UV
23 Standard |
| Yellow |
5 - 6 |
| Warm Red |
5 - 6 |
| Rubine Red |
5 - 6 |
| Rhodamine Red |
2 - 3 |
| Purple |
3 - 4 |
| Violet |
1 - 2 |
| Reflex Blue |
1 - 2 |
| Process Blue |
7 - 8 |
| Green |
7 - 8 |
| Mix Black |
5 - 6 |
| Dense Black |
5 - 6 |
| 012
Yellow |
5 - 6 |
| 021 Orange |
5 - 6 |
| 032 Red |
5 - 6 |
| 072 Blue |
7 - 8 |
| Process
Yellow |
5 - 6 |
| Process
Magenta |
3 - 4 |
| Process
Cyan |
7 - 8 |
* Blue Wool Scale (8) Excellent (1) Poor
Print Technical
Advice
UVACURE Inks are delivered print-ready and require no
additives or modification. If problems do arise, they can usually be resolved easily and
conveniently. We are taking the liberty of offering a few hints and some advice in the
following pages. In particular, we draw attention to the demanding wet-on-wet printing and
the problems associated with the printing of transparent or coloured substances. In
addition, we draw attention to the difficulties associated with printing bar codes.
Duct Performance
Colour matches are normally formulated to high pigment
strengths as the trend to increase print quality inevitably leads to lower film weights.
When formulating special colour requests using inks containing pigments with adverse flow
characteristics, which is sometimes unavoidable, the flow of printing ink in the process
may not always perform up to the expected standard. In these cases the addition of UVACURE
Reducer U 0045 in quantities of 1 - 4 % can quickly resolve this problem. We consider it
more sensible and technically advanced to formulate all inks to high pigmentation's which
can be adjusted as necessary.
Misting
In general, misting is a rare event. Because of their lower
viscosity, light colours can show a slight tendency to mist. This annoying appearance is
not only the result of thin consistency, but is very often influenced by extreme
temperatures in the press and in the relevant duct. At high printing speeds and high
consequent revolutions per minute of the rollers, decreased viscosity of the ink no longer
stands up to the shear forces created. This may cause a misting effect. The misting effect
may be eased through the addition of Anti Mist Gel in quantities of 2 - 5 %.
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