When selling high quality foodstuffs in small volumes or launching of a new product with various flavours, there´s always a dilemma for the customer to face – what sort of printing technology to use. Rotogravure printing is splendid but it is an uneconomic proposition in this case and flexographic printing doesn´t have a perfect drawing.
A promising solution is an offset printing with EB (electron beam) curing system. Necessary time for printing forms prepration is considerably shorter comparing to rotogravure cylinders and flexographic printing clichés. EB ink curing is fast, clean and energetically effective. The level of cross-linking is much higher by this way of curing comparing to the typical UV system, which is an important safety factor of a direct usage for foodstuff packaging. Since the photo initiators are not necessary, that the UV system requires, there´s no threat of photo initiator migration into the food. Still more and more of our customers find out the advantages of heptachrome offset printing with EB ink curing system. Although the offset printing technology is old, its connection with special inks, EB curing system and central drum brings a lot of new elements and possibilities. Still more companies on the market see the future in the production of the EB inks, which is a very optimistic discovery for future application and progress of this technology. There´s no need to dilute the inks, subsequently solvent or water exhausting, which decreases energy requirements. EB system can in the future contribute to reduction of plastic amount in the packagings. Directing to mono-structures will not require the use of a glue and two films, but only one film with highly resistant ink against sealing jaws and scratching during packaging process or manipulation with foodstuffs.
