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I M A G I N G T E C H N O L O G I E S

Ink Design Considerations for Industrial Printing

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Coming up

A bit about Sensient

The process

The requirements & challenges

Application examples

The future

C O N F I D E N T I A L

• Sensient is a leader in the development & manufacturing of high-quality, innovative inks.

• Sensient has the expertise to formulate the ideal ink for any media or printing technology such as

ink for textiles, food, packaging, decoration material, medical devices or electronics.

S E N S I E N T

I M A G I N G T E C H N O L O G I E S

C O N F I D E N T I A L

A robust global organization to

serve you long term

We develop industry

changing innovations in

collaboration with our customers

Our size, stability, and global

reach gives you a long term

partner

We constantly invest &

expand our capacity

The Sensient

Difference…

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Innovative

Ink

design

& PerformanceResearch into new raw materials

and manufacturing technologies

Broad range of application

testing capabilities

Advanced physical and chemical

analytical capabilities

Rich portfolio of innovations

protected by patents

C O N F I D E N T I A L

The Process

• Chemistry must solve a production

problem/process

• For production processes validation becomes

key

• In-line inspection/correction

• Drying regime to fit process and footprint

• Speed dictated by slowest pre-and post-print step

C O N F I D E N T I A L

In-line or off-line, impacts ink design?

In-line

• High speed requirement, typically

single pass

• Risk of line stop for defects –

complex maintenance

• Inspection and correction critical

• Potential rate limiting step

Off-line

• Disruptive process

• Secondary process that must

feed back in to production line

• Defects less critical

• Maintenance simplified

• Typically slower print process

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Key to Understand Viability

Fixation

Drop control

Drying

Print configuration

Post process

steps?

Ink/substrate

Substrate

Porous, non-porous

Pre-process e.g. purging, surface

treatment

Rigid, flexible, stable

Surface energy

structure,

InkAqueous, solvent, UV

Chemically safe &

environmentally friendly

Excellent print performance

Vibrant, consistent colour

Fastness

Regulatory

Printhead

Head/nozzle config

Chemical compatibility

Drop size & speed

Firing frequency

Ink physical requirements

(viscosity, surface tension, pH

etc….)

PROCESS

Speed

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Ink Requirements

High printing reliability and consistency

• Performance at production speeds

• Drying speed

• Jet straightness

• Resolution

Printhead and system compatibility

Application performance

• Colour, function, fastness

Regulatory assurance

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Ink Challenges

System

• Materials

• Function vs. suitability for jetting

• Availability, purity, particle size, consistency

• Regulatory understanding

• Drying

• Speed vs. latency

• Fastness

• Adhesion vs. jetting

• Shelf life

• Materials vs stability

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Ink interactions

Drop behaviour on substrate controlled by

• Surface tension of ink

• Surface energy of substrate

• Post-printing process (Absorption, Drying, Curing, Sintering…)

Tune morphology of printed features by adjusting ink properties, post and pre-printing process

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Ink testing & validation as important?

• Stability

• Jetting

• Waveform

• Application

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Industrialisation

• Scale-up is key

• Transition from lab to production

• Stability/shelf life

• Supply chain

Prototype formulation

Lab Sample

Pilot Scale

Manufacturing Scale

Full Production

Volume

Complexity

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Innovation more than ink?

• Yes first consideration but…….

• Process development

• Workflow

• Software

• Packaging

• Selling concepts

• Manufacturing tools and techniques

C O N F I D E N T I A L

Conclusions - Importance of ink choice

Chemistry is key but one part of a complex science

• Color consistency and uniformity

• Purity and compatibility

• Materials selection, consistency and reliability

Application performance

Partners with knowledge of the process

Defines the value add

• OEM solution offers users only price differentiation

• Quality alternative inks allow performance and quality differentiation

Support defines partnership for the future

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I M A G I N G T E C H N O L O G I E S

Come see us – Hall A6, Stand 418

Simon Daplyn – simon.daplyn@sensient.com