The Environmental Challenge: How NC-Free Inks are Reshaping the Equipment, Processes, and Cost Structure of Flexible Packaging Printing?
In recent years, the term "Green Printing" has become more than just a slogan for our flexible packaging printing industry; it's a real pressure for survival. Especially with the strict control of VOCs emissions, NC-free inks have been pushed to the forefront. You might think, isn't it just changing the ink? Simple! But I want to say that this is by no means a small matter. It is, and will inevitably, comprehensively challenge the traditional understanding and operating models of our flexible packaging printing factories, from equipment and processes to costs.
NC Inks: Our Former "Reliance"
Let's talk about NC (nitrocellulose) inks first. We have been using them for so many years, and there is a reason for their current status. They have good printing suitability, fast drying speed, relatively controllable costs, and strong color expression. These are all solid advantages. Especially in terms of composite peel strength, the performance has always been stable. Therefore, it has become the mainstream of flexible packaging printing, which is normal.
However, everything has two sides. The VOCs emissions from NC inks are a sword hanging over our heads. Facing increasingly tight environmental policies, we have no choice but to transform.
NC-Free Inks: A Hurdle We Have to Cross
That's right, NC-free inks are our future direction. Behind this is the entire industry's commitment to sustainable development, as well as the company's own search for a longer-term survival space. Water-based inks, UV inks, and other NC-free systems greatly reduce VOCs emissions. It sounds great, but when it actually landed, many printing factories, including myself, felt unprecedented pressure.
Challenge 1: The "Pain" of Equipment Compatibility and Upgrades
When it comes to the equipment compatibility of NC-free inks, it's not as simple as changing an ink tank.
First of all, it's the drying system. The drying of water-based inks requires higher temperatures and greater air volume. Existing ovens may be inefficient or even unable to meet the requirements. You must consider increasing the oven length, upgrading the heating system, or even replacing more efficient drying equipment. This is a considerable expense for green printing equipment upgrades.
Secondly, it's the doctor blade and ink roller. Certain NC-free inks may have different corrosiveness and abrasiveness to traditional materials, requiring adjustments to the doctor blade material and ink roller surface treatment to ensure printing quality and equipment life. Ink pump and piping systems may also need to be adjusted to ensure stable ink delivery.
The most troublesome thing is that many old devices have no reserved upgrade space at all. What does this mean? This means you may have to face a dilemma: spend a lot of money to transform, or eliminate it directly? This is by no means a decision that companies can easily make.
Challenge 2: The "Big Test" and Refined Adjustment of Printing Technology
NC-free inks have a profound impact on printing technology. It almost completely subverts the experience we have accumulated over the decades.
The most direct is ink viscosity control. The viscosity of water-based inks is very sensitive to temperature and humidity, and its fluidity and transferability are completely different from solvent-based inks. Things that could be done with experience in the past now require more precise viscometers and real-time monitoring of workshop temperature and humidity. A small change can lead to a decline in printing quality.
Next is water-based ink drying efficiency. If the drying is not thorough, it will not only affect the printing effect, but also directly affect the subsequent composite process, which may cause bubbles, delamination, and even lead to insufficient composite peel strength, which is a big taboo! You need to repeatedly test and adjust the speed, oven temperature, and air volume to find the best balance, which requires a lot of trial and error costs and time.
In addition, the adhesion, color rendering, and adaptability of NC-free inks to different substrates need to be re-explored. Color management has also become more complex. It's like you suddenly switched from driving on the left to driving on the right, and all your habits have to be overturned and restarted.
Challenge 3: The "Problem" of Cost Control
Finally, and most realistically, is the problem of environmental protection ink cost control for flexible packaging printing plants.
First of all, the price of the ink itself. At present, NC-free inks, especially high-performance water-based inks, are generally more expensive than traditional solvent-based inks. This directly increases production costs.
Secondly, equipment upgrade and transformation costs. As mentioned earlier, this is a heavy investment.
Thirdly, energy consumption. Water-based ink drying requires higher temperatures, which means higher electricity or gas bills, and the energy consumption printing bill will become longer.
Most importantly, in the early stages of the transformation, due to unstable processes and unskilled operations, the rejection rate will inevitably increase. The increase in the rejection rate is not only a waste of raw materials, but also includes the loss of labor, time, and energy, which is a huge erosion of profits.
Breaking the Situation: How Should Flexible Packaging Printing Plants Respond?
Faced with these challenges, we cannot sit still. I think there are several clear paths:
- Technology First, Cooperation and Win-Win: Actively cooperate with ink suppliers and equipment manufacturers to jointly develop equipment and processes that are more adaptable to NC-free inks, and even develop customized solutions. Closed-door development will only lead to a dead end.
- Phased, Small Steps and Quick Runs: Not all products need to be switched immediately. You can choose some product lines with high environmental protection requirements and high added value to carry out pilot projects first, accumulate experience, and then gradually promote them.
- Refined Management and Personnel Training: Invest resources in employee training to enable them to master the characteristics of NC-free inks and new operating procedures. At the same time, strengthen the refined management of the production process, use data to drive decision-making, and reduce the rejection rate.
- Value Chain Synergy, Transfer to Downstream: Actively communicate with brand owners and end users to make them understand the cost and value of environmental transformation. The green flexible packaging printing solution must eventually be transmitted through the value chain, so that the market can jointly bear and recognize the environmental premium.
There is no doubt that switching to NC-free inks is a tough battle. It not only tests our technical strength, but also tests our management wisdom and market insight. However, this is also a battle that cannot be avoided. Only by facing the challenges and actively seeking green flexible packaging printing solutions can we survive this environmental protection exam and ultimately move towards a sustainable development path.