For the metal printing sector, printing ink manufacturer Zeller+Gmelin GmbH & Co. KG has launched an innovative ink series. The newly developed product, called MetalCure U30, is the successor generation to the well-known Uvalux U3 series, which incorporates more than 20 years of practical experience from the printing ink specialist from Eislingen.
According to Michael Rakoci, product manager for Metal Decoration at Zeller+Gmelin, one of the reasons for the development of the new ink series is the ongoing development of printing machines and processing systems. At the same time, the technical application requirements of print shops have increased.
“Another major challenge is the constantly growing number of legal regulations. This regularly restricts the choice of raw materials available, meaning that we have to constantly take both current and future requirements into account when formulating printing inks and coatings. With the new generation, we are therefore providing our customers with a future-proof product.” The ink series is suitable for use in food packaging, as confirmed by an analysis carried out by an independent institute.
The formulation of MetalCure U30 was selected in such a way that although lower layer thicknesses are transferred to the sheet, the density is still within the range of the previous generation. The optimized ink transfer enables a print result with rich colors and a homogeneous ink layer. Improvements have also been made in terms of formability and curing properties, so that the thermoforming results are also impressive in practice.
One advantage for users who have already been using the Uvalux U3 ink series is the identical pigmentation. This means that both products are fully compatible, so that existing mixing formulas can be used unchanged. In addition, existing stock quantities can easily be mixed and printed in combination with the new MetalCure U30 ink series.
At the market launch in April 2024, the four process colours and opaque white were available in the first step. The Z base colours for mixing systems have also been available since June 2024.
