Flint Group launches UV LED low migration ink series

Flint Group has announced the global launch of EkoCure Ancora, the Narrow Web industry’s premier UV LED curable low migration ink series suitable for food compliant labels and packaging applications.

EkoCure Ancora is the newest innovation in our industry, combining revolutionary technology of UV LED curing along with low migration food compliant chemistries. Together, the technologies enable food safe printing with the highest reliability and productivity due to stable curing at high press speeds and optimised UV LED ink chemistry.

As highlighted by Guillaume Clement, Global Vice President for Flint Group Narrow Web: "Fitting with our commitment to support food compliant labels and packaging, it is with great excitement that we commercialise this new product line. EkoCure Ancora expands our Ancora low migration portfolio and enables converters to grow their business with short run flexible food packaging.”

Kelly Kolliopoulos, Global Marketing Director for Flint Group Narrow Web stated: "The innovative journey in developing UV LED curing products that was started four years ago by Flint Group, is culminating in a milestone development – low migration UV LED curable inks.

"We believe strongly in low migration UV LED technology. The combination offers all the economic benefits of UV LED curing, including better press uptime and productivity and reduced energy consumption; along with the peace of mind converters are seeking for food compliant packaging due to the assuredness of cure.”

Mrs Kolliopoulos further commented: "We have finalised investments in our GMP production capabilities in Sweden and the USA and are now globally commercialising the industry’s first ever low migration UV LED flexo inks. We also recently completed an intense period of beta tests with selected converters, lamp, and press partners who collaborated with us on this ground breaking development.”

Tom Hammer, North American Product Line Director Flint Group Narrow Web explained: "We at Flint Group were very pleased to partner with two press suppliers at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago as both Bobst and Mark Andy were running EkoCure Ancora live at the show. Bobst was showcasing the REVO process utilising 7-colour process with EkoCure Ancora. Mark Andy was demonstrating up to 1000 feet per min on their LED flexible packaging press also showcasing extended colour gamut printing with EkoCure Ancora.”

Greg Palm, Executive Vice President, Business Development at Mark Andy commented: "LED printing will greatly change our industry forever, it is a paradigm shift. With LED curing converters no longer have to accept the unnecessary downtime associated with mercury lamp failures, inefficiencies, and hazards. We ran a narrow web flexible packaging job at 1000 fpm with excellent cure performance using EkoCure Ancora low migration LED inks and Mark Andy ProLED at 20 W/cm². The combination of LED low migration inks and highly efficient printing presses will become an unbeatable combination to address the increasing demand for shorter and shorter run lengths in the flexible packaging market.”