Ebeam Curing On Web Offset Press
Ebeam Curing on Web Offset Presses
Earlier this year in Lecco, Italy, Omet Group launched their Varyflex V4 Offset press, a sleeve-based machine that uses Ebeam drying to rapidly cure at the end of the press. This launch brings to light the benefits of web offset and electron beam drying on an offset press to the wider industry. eBeam curing has long been the leader in ink curing, offering benefits that include fast cure times, food-safe inks, and cost savings.
Flexible packaging run lengths getting smaller
With the rise of digital print for packaging and constantly changing brand personalization options, flexible packaging run lengths are getting smaller. Although run lengths are shrinking, this isn't a sign of economic downfall. In fact, it's quite the opposite; the overall volume produced is growing at a healthy rate.
Flexible packaging producers are utilizing digital print in collaboration with marketing initiatives to customize their packaging in smaller runs and gear their products to niche, location-based markets. Beyond diversified branding, companies are using a larger number of SKUs and are taking steps to reduce inventory while still meeting the growing demand of their business.
Web offset allows for profitable, shorter runs
Shorter runs simply aren't profitable for the traditional analog workloads. The shift we are seeing to digital web offset presses allows these short-run jobs to be profitable.
Low-volume production is now part of any major printer's business model, and web offset helps them achieve their profitability goals. This demand is only growing; a 2016 study by Karstedt Partners, LLC found that more than 80% of packaging printers predict that the demand for short runs is going to continue to increase.
Food-safe flexible packaging
Ebeam EB Flexo inks and coatings are the best option for food flexible packaging. Growing concerns about the safety of other inks previously used in food packaging have led industry leaders to turn to EB as the reliable and 100% safe choice for their packaging. EB inks and coatings guarantee food safety due to no photoinitiators and no odor.
EB coatings are made of 100% solids, with no evaporation and no volatile organic compounds. There's a reason the world's most advanced packagers choose EB curing for their food flexible packaging; Ebeam chemistry is FDA approved for direct contact with all food types.
Ebeam coatings are scratch-resistant, maintaining the look and feel of the package, without breaking the bank. The energy savings alone allow EB to stand out as a cost-saver and a sustainable choice in the eco-friendly, consumer-driven marketplace.
To learn more about how web offset and eBeam curing work together, contact ESI to speak to our team of dedicated experts. Established in 1970, ESI is the world leader in low voltage electron beam technology and has helped the world's leading companies improve quality and profitability by intelligently investing in electron beam technology.