The hottest heat shrinkable sleeve under flexograp

Heat shrinkable sleeve: flexographic printing (Part 2)

shrinkable ink chemicals

the friction coefficient of ink plays an important role in the elimination of small and medium-sized battery enterprises on the sleeve label. The efficiency of the casing sliding on the container depends on the friction coefficient. Few ink chemicals are suitable for flexographic printing

environmental friendly water-based inks can shrink by more than 40%, have great elasticity and lower cost than UV inks. Moreover, the ink surface is less affected by the movement of atoms in chemical molecules

solvent based inks are similar to water-based inks. According to the relevant person in charge of the national copper, lead and zinc quality inspection center, the elasticity is very large, and it can shrink by more than 40%. The drying time of solvent based inks is less affected by moisture, but it is slightly more affected by the movement of atoms in chemical molecules. For most films, solvent based inks have the greatest adhesion

uv free radical ink can harden immediately. This kind of ink is inhibited by oxygen rather than water. Generally speaking, its shrinkage is less than 20%. In some printing materials, its adhesion is limited. The movement of atoms in chemical molecules may occur on the surface of the ink. Two kinds of free radical inks with high resolution have been launched on the market:

UV use photosensitizer to absorb ultraviolet light and start the hardening process. The electron beam produces polymerization, avoiding the use of photosensitizers

uv cationic ink can produce adhesion in many kinds of printing materials, and its shrinkage rate is more than 40%. This kind of ink tends to be more elastic. In addition, this kind of ink can harden almost instantly, and the atoms in the chemical molecules move less, but the price is also more expensive than UV free radical ink

graphic design advice

the graphic design of shrinkage labels should consider the appearance of containers, and try not to put the key image on the shrinkage. Many insulation material manufacturers cry out that there is no absolute direct relationship between fire and insulation materials. Another factor to consider is where the bar code is placed. Bar codes are usually printed vertically to prevent image distortion and affect sketch

a series of computer programs can interpret distorted images, but remember that in some cases (especially low shrinkage printing), distorted images are useless

about shrink film

the thickness of a typical shrink film is within 50 microns (one thousandth of an inch). In the past few years, we have introduced a thinner, micron only shrink film. The acceptable shrink film thickness is determined by the label processing performance of the equipment used by the label manufacturer. Generally speaking, label manufacturers can expect higher price shrink film to have stronger shrinkage

although the shrink film is designed to shrink in a specific direction, it will also shrink a little in the opposite direction. As the shrink film is sensitive to heat, care should be taken to pay attention to the storage, printing and transportation temperature of the shrink film. Most film manufacturers recommend that the film be stored in a controlled environment, at approximately Fahrenheit, until it needs to be labeled on the container

the mathematical program is used to determine the minimum shrinkage rate required for a specific container, and the value obtained is used to determine the shrinkage demand for the film. The shrinkage rate of the film cannot be lower than this value. If the diameter of a container will suddenly change, it will greatly increase the demand for printing materials with high shrinkage

to calculate the width required for printing labels, add the width of the overlapping interface twice to the circumference of the widest position of the container; The sleeve should be increased by 4mm so that the sleeve can slide on the container

pvc (polyvinyl chloride) - two thirds (about 34 million pounds) of the shrink films currently used are PVC shrink films. PVC is valued in the industry. The shrinkage rate of PVC shrink film is maintained at 40% to more than 60%, with high shrinkage rate and low cost, which is the favorite choice of many companies in the United States. The strength of PVC makes it suitable for multiple packaging and edge banding of anti-theft devices

however, PVC continues to cause environmental problems. Plastic container recyclers like to exclude PVC in the recycling process, especially to separate them from PETG (polyester) containers. However, because the proportion of PVC and PETG is close to 1.33, with today's technology, it is impossible to separate the two in the recycling process

the shrinkage of PETG (polyester film) is as high as 78%, which was previously considered as a substitute for PVC. The market share of polyester film is about 15-20%. The market of PETG is growing, but the market of PVC is not. The specific gravity of PETG is 1.28, which makes it comparable with PVC. However, the high raw material cost of PETG hinders its market growth, especially the entry of newer and more competitive materials into the market

ops (polystyrene film) - it is relatively new in the domestic market of the United States, but it has become a printing material that many users like to choose all over the world. Ops is more environmentally friendly than PVC and more economical than PETG. Ops now has a 5% share in the domestic market in the United States, and its obvious growth rate is just around the corner

because the shrinkage of OPS is as high as 65%, it can compete with other high shrinkage products. The proportion of OPS is 1.025, and its revenue advantage is 20% higher than that of PVC and PETG. Another advantage of using OPS is that it contracts little or no in the opposite direction

when printing on white OPP surface, it needs to be covered with film to resist friction. Opp differs from other printing materials mentioned above in that it is specially designed for ring can type

future films

nowadays, several companies are studying the potential of non Petrochemical environmental protection films. This kind of film is even used as the basic material of containers. This material is PLA (resin), which can be completely used as compost and can be decomposed by organisms. Due to the rise in the production price of petrochemical products, which the industry relies on, PLA, a printing material, naturally becomes another choice. Although this printing material is a bit ultra modern, it should be introduced to the market earlier than expected

entering the shrink film market should be timely and painstaking. In the long run, investment in this market should be profitable. However, the important technical problems cannot be solved independently, so your production team must include printer manufacturers, ink and film suppliers

source: printing art 250

author's profile: rogerbrown is plastic suppliersinc, Columbus, the capital of Ohio, USA Marketing manager