While in paper packaging the use of water-based colours is the state of the art for a long time, it hasn’t been considered to be technically feasible in flexoprinting films.
Now folian has shown, that the use of water-based colours in films interlayer printing is possible. The biggest challenge was that the water-based colours adhere on the film. In the past 1.5 years, folian invested a lot of time and work in that innovative printing process. Therefore a new and individual printing machine was put into production.
Therefore the new company-claim ‘next generation flexible packaging’ makes it possible to produce more environment-friendly packaging films with the use of water-based colours, being the first flexoprinting-company in Germany.
Compared with solvent-based colours, the water-based colours consist of up to 50% of water. Other ingredients are Acrylate-resins and additives.
But not only the components of water-based colours, also is the producing process more environmentally friendly than solvent-based colours. In contrast to solvent-based colours, the process step of exhaust air purification is not necessary by using water-based colours.
In practical terms, that means By printing 18,000m² of film with water-based colours in folian’s plant, the CO2 can be reduced up to 74%.
"To produce more environment-friendly packaging films is a good thing, but we know as well, that the quality and the printing costs are also important for our customers too," explained Stefan Muschter (CEO of folian gmbh).
Because water-based colours do not corrode the printing plates as much as solvent-based colours, the plates are longer useable, therefore the print image is more constant, especially for high print runs.