Consumables
New flexible UV ink F-200 and UV primer for Mimakis UV inkjet printers
Monday 28. July 2008 - Print on various materials with newly developed flexible F-200 UV ink and UV primer for metal and glass. The new solution greatly expands applications for UV Inkjet printing.
Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and cutting machines for the sign/graphics, industrial and textile/apparel markets, is pleased to announce a newly developed flexible UV ink and UV primer to accommodate various materials and processing.
Since Mimaki launched the first UV inkjet printer named UJF-605C in 2004, some state-of-the art UV inkjet printers have been introduced to the market such as the UJF-605R for printing on soft packaging film and the JF-1610/1630 for printing on large, rigid substrates. Following the expanded use of UV inkjet printers, the varieties of materials for UV printing are also increasing. In order to meet these requirements, Mimaki has developed new flexible inks and a UV primer.
The F-200 flexible UV ink can be stretched by up to 200% and be used for embossing processes such as membrane switches as well as for film-insert molding like panel switches for electronic appliances.
The ink is not likely to crack or split even after molding. For example, print on membrane switches with lamination is unaffected after actuating the switch 500,000 times.
Highly opaque white ink is also available to be used for back printing on transparent or front printing on colored materials, to provide vivid full color reproduction.
The UV primer for Standard Mimaki UV ink also works as adhesive between ink and printed materials. By applying the liquid to inorganic rigid surfaces like metal and glass, the ink adhesiveness on such materials is much improved thereby extending product durability. Mimaki has succeeded in developing a primer which is chemically compatible with standard Mimaki UV inks and greatly increases adhesiveness between the ink and substrates.
“With these two new solutions, users can greatly expand their application portfolio for UV-curable inkjet printing. By expanding the range of printable materials we can further promote on-demand digital production with enhanced color reproduction for short run jobs” says Mr. Isao Tabayashi, General Manager of IM (Ink and Media) Division.