The company said its range of Belle Color Rotogravue inks were developed in Japan by the parent company of INX International Ink and are now being released on the North American market.
Renee Etiopio, corporate marketing manager at the company told FoodProductionDaily.com said that the inks provide numerous advances for retort pouches and boil-in-bag, as well as snack food packaging applications.
“Due to its proprietary resin technology the Belle Color range can deliver high level performance without additives or cross linkers,” claims Etiopio.
He said that the resin is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) or toluene free but enables printing on part with traditional MEK/toluene formulations.
“It prints clean, with first-rate multiple-substrate quality and consistency and runs without hazing, exhibiting excellent wiping characteristics, thus resolving doctor blade performance and related issues common with other inks on the market,” said Etiopio.
The rotogravure inks offer strong adhesion to treated films, he continued, including newer high barrier options such as AlOx- and SiOx-coated polyester, as well as popular general purpose films such as polyolefins, polyester, cellophane, nylon and saran-coated films.
The range works well with solvent or water-based dry bond adhesives, or solvent-less adhesive systems, offers high heat resistance and has low solvent retention, said Etiopio.
He said the range also helps simplify day-to-day print runs in the fact that the inks perform extremely well and minimize press downtime and waste.
Belle Color inks also ensure more streamlined ink inventory, management and costs as a result of it being able to run on multiple substrates, added Etiopio.
The company said that it was unable to comment at this time in regards to the release of the laminating inks onto the European market.