EkoCure Ancora inks are suitable for food labels and packaging
Flint Group Narrow Web has launched EkoCure Ancora, a UV LED curable low migration ink series suitable for food compliant labels and packaging due to stable curing at high press speeds and optimised UV LED ink chemistry.
‘EkoCure Ancora expands our Ancora low migration portfolio and enables converters to grow their business with short run flexible food packaging,’ said Guillaume Clement, global vice president.
‘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,’ explained Kelly Kolliopoulos, global marketing director.
‘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,’ added Ms Kolliopoulos. ‘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.’
Flint Group has partnered with Bobst and Mark Andy for the new ink range as both companies were running EkoCure Ancora live at Labelexpo Americas this year. ‘We ran a narrow web flexible packaging job at 305 m/min with excellent cure performance using EkoCure Ancora low migration LED inks and Mark Andy ProLED at 20 W/sqm,’ commented Greg Palm, executive vice president, business development. ‘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,’ he suggested.
The inks offer low migration properties achieved at very high print speeds (excess of 150 m/min) and meet specific migration levels below 10 ppb, 50 ppb or SML. The range is compliant to Nestle Guidance Note, Swiss Ordinance and FDA regulations and is tested using the food simulants of 95% Ethanol, Tenax, and Acetic Acid at 40 degrees C for 10 days. The ink is claimed to have very good colour strength and adhesion to a wide range of synthetic substrates.
The new ink series is available 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.
