Printing Ink Division

Printing Ink Faq's

Presently HFL manufactures a wide range of solvent based Flexography and Gravure inks for surface and lamination print jobs. These inks are designed to print on wide range of substrates from Paper, Foil to various grades of plastic films. In case of lamination as well these inks are tuned to work with different laminating systems, such as - solvent based / - solvent less / - extrusion and -water based adhesives. Various tailor made ink systems are on offer, keeping in mind the divergent requirements of packaging industry. These inks are equally at ease while running on locally manufactured slow speed printing machines as well as very modern high speed printing European printing machines.

Standard packing size is 22 kg for all colors and 25 Kg for white- Metal drums. We also supply inks in bigger packings (180 kgs metal barrel packing and 900 kgs Plastic Tote tanks). In case of export orders the material is delivered in paletted cargo form (FOB/CIF).

We have a very experienced team of printing engineers and technicians (Application Engineers) who can assist in trouble shooting & problem solving. The experience of our team ranges from ink formulation, films, adhesives, printing and lamination. We firmly believe in providing our customers with complete assistance in all areas involving ink & its technology. For more details, please email us at info@hindustanflex.com

These inks could be run on slow printing machines as well as on very high speed printing machines, the only thing one needs to alter or ensure is the appropriate viscosity and reducer combination, which is aligned with the speed. The Technical data Sheets (TDSs) related individual ink system provides the requisite information on the subject matter.

We normally match all colours given to us within 48 hours of receipt of complete information. Normally, we would require the target shade (possibly both printed & laminated), the laminate structure, substrate to be used, heat resistant properties, ARSR properties and light fastness properties etc. If additional information on printing speed, cylinder configuration is also available, then it will greatly assist in achieving accuracy.

Yes, we have the facility in our laboratory to give you this result at varying temperatures, pressures and dwell times.

Printing inks tend to settle upon storage. This is more acute with whites, phthalo pigments (Green and Blues) & blacks. Therefore, shaking before usage is always recommended so that a homogenous mixture is formed and proper strength of ink is attained. Further, some of the additives like surfactants, waxes etc. also have tendency to settle or float when the ink container is kept in stationary state over long period of storage.

Our inks have been designed to be very cost effective when compared to our competitors. This has been achieved without compromising on any of the known performance criterion and with the clear goal of supporting the profitability and/or competitiveness of our customers. Customers are used to expecting higher mileage, lower wastage, better ink transfer, longer cylinder life and fewer problems of streaking and cell filling during printing operation while using any of our inks. Moreover, the stability of the inks is very good during long run or during very high-speed printing operations. In addition to this, higher bond strengths during lamination and much lower solvent retention issues have been reported. Another advantage is consistency in print quality achieved while using our products.

While it is difficult to ascertain the same, we have found that by using the same cylinders and printing moderate quantities of film under similar conditions it is possible to determine this. Of course, this involves accurate weighing of material used, maintenance of viscosity and correct estimation of the return inks after printing. Measurement of Ink GSM under identical printing conditions and print results is another confirmatory tool. In case you are interested in seeking our assistance to ascertain mileage, we shall be glad to do so. Kindly contact any of our offices or executives for more details.

In general terms inks employing similar resin systems and marketed same application are likely to be compatible with each other even if sourced from two different manufacturers. As a precautionary step, we suggest that before mixing our inks with any other brand of inks, you check the compatibility to your satisfaction before usage. For best results, it is recommended that no mixing be done so that highest possible gloss levels, lowest solvent retention levels are attained on printed matter and higher bond strengths are achieved.

While it is impossible to check all grades of adhesives available in the market, we have found that our ink has no compatibility problems with adhesives commonly used for dry lamination. However, it is advised that compatibility of inks be thoroughly checked before solvent less lamination.

HFL dispatches finished goods within 48 hours of placement of the order. Of course, this excludes delays due to natural calamities, transporter strikes, breakdowns (factors not in control of HFL). In case of new colormatchings the dispatch time at upper level could be three to four working days.

Yes. Almost all our inks are designed for food grade packaging with indirect food contact.

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