As a result of the expanding global population and rising income levels, the demand for packaged food and pharmaceuticals is growing. This increased demand brings more competition for brands and packaging manufacturers. Digital print is being utilized to customize packaging in order to draw the consumer's attention and flexible packaging is becoming the standard. For brands, printers, and packagers, access to state of the art printing and ebeam curing machines make it an exciting time to be in the industry.
Read MoreIn the first seminar of its kind, Comexi and Reifenhäuser India are teaming up to host a special educational session for printing press operators and plant managers. The seminar will take place in India on March 15th, 2017 and be geared towards educating attendees about the different ways to manage productivity and processes.
Read MoreAbstract
Radiation cross-linking comprised of gamma rays from a Co60 source and even high-energy electron cross-linking from > 1 MeV accelerators have been commercial since 1960s. These applications were mostly for the wire and cable industry, rubber tires and some high-barrier shrink film applications for meat packaging introduced by Cryovac. Since the development of low-voltage electron beam accelerators in the range of less than 300 kV – in particular in the 125 kV range – EB cross-linking has found new applications and markets, particularly in the packaging industry. This report will discuss these markets, along with the properties achieved by electron beam irradiation of polyolefin films used in packaging. In addition, theory of electron beam cross-linking will be discussed in detail.
Read MoreAt the end of January 2017, Toyo Ink Co. announced a new line of electron beam curable flexo inks. The line, named the Elex-one series, is an ideal ink set for food packaging applications. The announcement comes as little surprise; there is an increasing demand for food-safe inks as the food packaging market rapidly expands. Electron beam curing uses food safe inks that have no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is a more sustainable alternative to other traditional printing and curing processes.
Read MoreThis week, ESI will be at the uv.eb West conference in San Francisco, CA. The three-day materials and manufacturing summit will include a variety of conference sessions on the science behind ebeam and a special session on the future of food packaging. If you are planning on attending, or will be in the San Francisco area during the conference, and would like to learn more about the products and services we offer, please stop by our booth and say hello!
Read MoreElectron beam accelerators can be made in a number of ways: cathode ray tubes (CRT) that sweep or scan the process area, electron wide-area curtains and sealed vacuum tube systems.
Read MoreFollowing suit of a long line of manufacturers, Proctor and Gamble (P&G) announced this month that they will be increasing their sustainability efforts in order to achieve zero waste goods. The plan, which requires additional investment to meet their 2020 goals, includes eliminating all manufacturing waste and lowering their energy consumption. One effective way to reduce manufacturing waste is to use 100% solid EB inks in the printing and curing stage of package manufacturing. As P&G moves toward their goal we expect them to make adjustments at every step of their production process.
Read MoreSiegwerk, an international printing ink leader, recently announced their latest generation of electron beam (EB) offset inks. The inks are an innovative solution for the offset printing and EB curing process. This new technology allows for exceptional print quality and reduces operational costs.
Read MoreAs the global population grows by 80 million people every year, it's no surprise that the food packaging industry is growing as well. According to a recent Smithers Pira report, the food packaging market is on track to grow faster than the packaging market as a whole. With this increase comes an ever growing responsibility of packaging manufacturers to make sure their product can safely hold all foods and beverages.
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Modernization of existing technology is something that happens on a regular basis. We build upon existing infrastructure to enhance, improve, and make whatever it is more reliable. This same concept applies to the world of printing. Retrofitting an existing press with electron beam technology is an upgrade that modernizes your company to compete in the 21st century.
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